The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.83.3

v2.c16.83.3

For an abducted maiden who marries and remains faithful to his abductor, the emblems of constancy would not be inappropriate. Further, we may well believe that the representation was caused to be made by the prince, who had the caves bored, and the monks came in without any thought as to the propriety or otherwise of the representation. Of course there is nothing against the presumption that it was intended to depict an historical fact, but what it was it is impossible now to determine. A story is told of an abduction by Puruṣottama Deo of Orissa of a princess from Kaliṅga. He invaded Conjeverem and brought away Padmāvatī, the beauteous and accomplished daughter of the king of that place, and made her over, in fulfilment of a vow, to his chief minister, in order to wed her to a sweeper. "Both the minister, however, and all the people of Puri, commiserated her misfortune, and at the next Rath Jātra, when the Mahārājā [13] began to perform his office of Chandāl (sweeper) the individual entrusted with the charge of the lady, brought her forth and presented her to him, saying, 'You ordered me to give the Princess to a sweeper: you are the sweeper upon whom I bestow her.' Moved by the intercession of his subjects, the Rājā at last consented to marry Padmāvatī, and carried her to the palace at Cuttack. The end of this lady's history is as romantic as the preceding portion of it. She is said to have conceived and brought forth a son by Mahādeo, and shortly after she disappeared.