Historical Geography of Ancient India c7.115

c7.115

Dantapura.—It was the capital of Kaliṅga (Jāt., II, 367, 371, 381; III, 376; IV, 230–32, 236). The Jirjingi plates of Gaṅga Indravarman refer to Dantapura (E.I., XXV, Pt. VI, April, 1940, p. 285) which is a beautiful city, more beautiful than Amarāvatī, the city of gods. It is the Dantapur or Dantakura of the Great Epic (Udyogaparva, XLVII, 1883) and Pālura of the Nāgārjunikoṇḍa Inscriptions, which is near Chicacole. It is also mentioned in the Pali Mahāgovinda Suttanta (Dīgha, II, p. 235) as the ancient capital of Kaliṅga. Dantapura really means ‘Tooth City’ which is believed to have been an important city even before the days of the Buddha (Mahāvastu, III, 361 and Jātaka, II, 367). The sacred tooth of the Buddha is said to have been taken to Ceylon from this place (cf. Dāṭhāvaṃsa, B. C. Law, Ed.). The Jaina Āvaśyaka Niryukti (1275) refers to Dantavakka as the ruler of Dantapura. This town has been identified with Rājmahendri (Rajahmundry) on the Godāvarī. Some have identified it with Puri in Orissa (Dey, Geographical Dictionary, p. 53). S. Levi identified it with Paloura of Ptolemy. According to Subba Rai it is in the ruins of the fort of Dantapura, situated on the southern bank of the river Vaṃśadharā, three miles from Chicacole Road Station.