Khalkatapatna
Encyclopedia
Khalkatapatna was a sea port in what is now the state of Orissa
on the eastern seaboard of India
.
The site is on the left bank of the Kushabhadra River.
It was a port town during the Ganga dynasty
(12th and 14th centuries AD).
Khalkatapatna was a link in the riverine navigation of Orissa, and was important in trade with Arabian countries in the west and Indonesia and China in the east.
Excavations have been carried out at the site between 1984–85 and 1994–95.
The excavations found a brick jelly floor that may have been used as a loading and unloading platform.
Artifacts include two circular Chinese copper coins with square holes in the center from the 14th century AD, Chinese Celadon
ware and porcelain and glazed chocolate ware of Arabian origin.
The site also held wheel-turned bowls, basins, vases and miniature pots, and jewelry made of terracotta, glass and copper.
It is clear that the Kushabhadra river was navigable at the time, and may have been used for transport of blocks of stone for use in the construction of the Konark Sun Temple
built by King Narasimhadeva I
(1236–1264 AD).
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
on the eastern seaboard of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The site is on the left bank of the Kushabhadra River.
It was a port town during the Ganga dynasty
Ganga Dynasty
Ganga Dynasty is a name used for two unrelated dynasties who ruled parts of India:* The Western Ganga Dynasty, a kingdom in southern India, based in southern Karnataka, from the 3rd to the 10th centuries...
(12th and 14th centuries AD).
Khalkatapatna was a link in the riverine navigation of Orissa, and was important in trade with Arabian countries in the west and Indonesia and China in the east.
Excavations have been carried out at the site between 1984–85 and 1994–95.
The excavations found a brick jelly floor that may have been used as a loading and unloading platform.
Artifacts include two circular Chinese copper coins with square holes in the center from the 14th century AD, Chinese Celadon
Celadon
Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both a type of glaze and a ware of a specific color, also called celadon. This type of ware was invented in ancient China, such as in the Zhejiang province...
ware and porcelain and glazed chocolate ware of Arabian origin.
The site also held wheel-turned bowls, basins, vases and miniature pots, and jewelry made of terracotta, glass and copper.
It is clear that the Kushabhadra river was navigable at the time, and may have been used for transport of blocks of stone for use in the construction of the Konark Sun Temple
Konark Sun Temple
Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple , at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty...
built by King Narasimhadeva I
Narasimhadeva I
Narasimha Deva I was generally thought to be one of the greatest rulers of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. He ruled the dynasty from 1238–1264. Today he is most remembered as the builder of the Konark Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site at Konark, Orissa....
(1236–1264 AD).