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Narasimhadeva I

Type Figure Region Odisha Time c. 1210–1264 Also known as Narasimhadeva I、Narasingha Deva I、Langula Narasimhadeva、ଗଜପତି ଲାଙ୍ଗୁଳା ନରସିଂହ ଦେବ ୧

Narasimhadeva I (1238–1264) was king of Kalinga (Odisha) of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, the first to use the title 'Gajapati' (Lord of Elephants).…

Timeline

  1. 1243–1244Katasin (Kante) · West BengalNarasimhadeva I led an army north into Bengal, devastating Tughral Tughan Khan's Muslim forces at Katasin through tactics of trenches, ambushes and elephant charges. The historian Minhaj records that the Odishan army launched a surprise attack while the enemy was relaxed at midday, and Tughral Tughan Khan narrowly escaped death; this battle established Kalinga's military superiority over the Rarh region.
  2. 1243–1250Konark · Puri districtNarasimhadeva I ordered the construction of a giant sun temple at Konark, enshrining Surya in the form of a stone chariot, to commemorate the victory over Muslim forces in Bengal. The project was supervised by chief architect Shiva Samantaraya Mahapatra, employing about 1,200 artisans, and by around 1250 the main structure had begun to take shape.

Sources