History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c16.1

v1.c16.1

Yuan Chwang's description of the Northern part of the Eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal shows that in the first half of the 7th century A. D., Orissa or Kaliṅga was divided into three distinct parts; U-ch'a (Oḍra), Kong-yu-t'o (Koṅgoda or Kuṅgada) and Ki-ling-kia (Kaliṅga). Andhra and Kośala were quite distinct from them and have been described separately. Yuan Chwang's description further proves that Oḍra began in the Midnapur district and not in Balasore, as at present. According to him Oḍra lay 700 *li* or so in a south-westerly direction from Karṇasuvarṇa. Taking Karṇasuvarṇa as the capital of the kingdom of that name as the centre we can reach the northern part of the Midnapur district after covering 140 miles. In those days the road passed through the Birbhum district into Midnapur. Karṇasuvarṇa has been identified with Rāṅgāmāṭi in the Murshidabad district of Bengal.