The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.196

v2.c17.s1.196

‘On the 24th Shawwāl of this year (A.H. 1129) died Mir Sayyid Mahmud of Bilgrām. He was a man held in great respect, and had served under Nawab Ikrām in Orissa. When Aurangzib had sent orders to the Nawab to destroy the temple of Jagannātha, Rājā Darap Singh Deo, who had the temple under him, asked the Mir to introduce him to the Nawab. The Rājā promised to break up the temple and send the big idol to the Emperor. He actually did break the statue of Rākas which stood over the entrance of the temple, and also two battlements over the door. The idol, which was made of sandal wood and which had two valuable jewels set in the eyes, was carried off and sent to Aurangzib at Bijāpur, where it was thrown by order on the steps of the Mosque'. The Rájá here referred to is obviously Dravya Simha Deva, who reigned from 1690 to 1713 A. D. He was only a titular Rájá, living as a zemindar under the supremacy of the Moghals and the attempt on his part to ingratiate himself in the favour of the Nawab by breaking a statue, or a couple of battlements, is by no means remarkable. Whether he sent away the divine images or some substitutes for them is not known. If he did send away the originals, the priests no doubt took good care to abstract from them the relic which constituted their essence.