History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v1.c8.14

v1.c8.14

In Northern Orissa, as well as in all other parts of this country, the principal towns are situated in the narrow strip of flat plain country at the bottom of the Ghats. The principal towns are the port of Balasore in the north, Jajpur on the river Vaitaraṇī, Cuttack or Katak on the Mahānadī and Puri or Purushottama on the sea. The Chilka lake prevents the formation of any large town on the coast between Puri and Ganjam. The country between Ganjam and Chicacole is without any important towns; but it was in this area that Kaliṅganagaram, the ancient capital of Kaliṅga, was situated. The great series of ports on the Kaliṅga coast begin from modern Kaliṅgapatam. In the interior also towns, of a sufficiently large size to be mentioned, are rare.