Where is Kalinga?

Where is Kalinga?

Traditionally, if you take the reference of rivers, Kalinga country was defined as the coastal strip between Mahanadi and Gautami (Main distributory of Gadavari) with its capital on the banks of R. Nagavali. Therefore, the coastal districts between Puri and Rajahmundry may be called Kalinga. 

The region was divided into three distinct regions – North, Middle and South. There was a reference to the adjoining forested region – Kalinga-aratta, which may comprise the Eastern Ghats between Sabhalpur and Bhadrachalam. 

All the ancient capitals of Kalinga are in the Middle Kalinga. The temple of Mukhalingam near Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh is probably a corruption of Madhya-Kalingam. The other cities Kalinga Nagaram, Dantapuri are present day Kalingapatnam and Palloor. 

R. Narmada and the Vindhya Range had been the traditional boundary between North and South. This is true of the western half of the peninsula. The highway called Dakshinapatha (Southern Path) took off from the confluence of R. Yamuna and Ganges, passed Ujjain in Malwa and ended at the R. Narmada. The mouth of Narmada had been the gateway to the Arabian Sea. Beyond R. Narmada was an amorphous Dark Continent, variously called Dandakaranya, Andhrapatha etc. etc. 

But in the eastern half of the peninsula, the coastal strip alternates between broad river valleys and impassable thickly forested hills. The knowledge of the region south of the Ganges Delta was little, with Tamralipti being the entry to the Bay of Bengal. 

In early Sanskrit literature, the knowledge of South India had been very sketchy. By the time of Ramayana and the later parts of Mahabharat, we see a slight increase in the awareness of South. Based on various references in the epic tradition we may arrive at an overlapping map of the inhabited regions in South India. (See map)

Kharavela’s (A Kalinga King of 2^nd Century BCE) inscription mentions that the Andhra country was to Kalinga’s west. The map is consistent with that fact. The Satavahana kings between 2^nd Cent BCE to 2^nd Cent CE had their capital at Paithan which falls on the same latitude as the capital of Kalingas (Mukhalingam). 

In the ancient times we know of two campaigns of Magadhan kings into Kalinga country. One was by Mahapadma Nanda as mentioned by Kharavela. It was said that he had taken a Jaina relic from the Kalingas and the same was brought back by Kharavela when he freed Kalinga. The other campaign was the famous Kalinga War of Asoka. A single battle was fought on the right bank of R. Mahanadi, the traditional northern frontier of Kalinga.  Again is consistent with the tradition.

It was only in the recent (Medieval) times, we see Cuttack becoming the capital. It was built by the later Gangas and the Gajapatis made it their capital. They were called Odhras. But their rule extended to the R. Krishna valley and beyond, and naturally called themselves Kings of Kalinga. 

Now, is Odhra the same as Kalinga? 

This question was answered by a Chinese pilgrim in 7^th Century. Yuan Chwang travelled from Bengal to South India and returned to Gujarat and beyond. If you go by his travelogue and the observations that occur in his book called Hsi-yu-chi, we may chart his route. (See map) The unit of distance ‘Li’ may be approximately converted as one fifth of a kilometer. 

There are certain places referred by him that can be identified with reasonable exactitude. 

They are…

TAN-MO-LIH-TI = TAMRALIPTI = TAMLUK

TE-NA-KA-CHE-KA = DHANYAKATAKA = DHARANIKOTA / AMARAVATI

KAN-CHIH-PU-LO = KANCHIPURA = KANCHI

PO-LU-KA-CHE-PO = BHARUKACCHA = BHAROCH

There was confusion created by lack of knowledge of Kanaganahalli, which was excavated only in 1994, and both Rhys Davis and Watters thought KUNG-KA-NA-PU-LO was Konkan instead of Kanaganapura. 

PING-CHI-LO was thought to be Vengi. The capital of Andhra country falls between Kosala and Dhanyakataka on a North-South line. There are two contenders for this in 7^th Century. One is Vemulavada and the other Kolanupaka (Kulpak). Vengi is too far to the east to be a candidate, and it was part of the Eastern Chalukya’s Kalinga kingdom. 

Let us trace the route. From Tamluk the pilgrim travelled 700 li (140 km) SW to U-TU (Odhra) country. From there 1200 li (240 km) SW to KUNG-YU-T’O, and this may be Cuttack or some other site in Mahanadi delta. Cunningham says it is near Chilka Lake. 

From here he travelled another 1400 li (280 km) SW to reach KA-LENG-KA. Therefore Kalinga of the pilgrim started somewhere SW of Visakhapatnam. From here he had to make detour. He could not go to Kalinga capital as there was some political unrest. The political turmoil probably was due to the new regime of Eastern Chalukyas. Their traditional capitals are Vengi and Pishtapuram (Pithapuram near Kakinada). This makes the Eastern Chalukyas lords of Kalinga country. 

From near Visakhapatnam he took a NW route to South Kosala (1800 li = 360 km). The route he took was across Eastern Ghats and thick forest lands. He probably had reached Chattisgarh. From there a short distance west to a hill monastery called PO-LO-MO-LO-KI-LI and was connected with Nagarjuna. There were some speculations identifying it as Nagarjunikonda and even Ajanta Caves. But from the distances mentioned by the pilgrim the place could be east of modern Nagpur still within Kosala country. And from Kosala he travels south 900 li (180 km) to AN-TO-LO (Andhra). Even epic traditional tells us that the country south of Vidarbha is Andhra. Pilgrim’s Andhra was not a large country, it was only 3000 li in circuit, about half the size of Odhra (7000 li) or Kalenga (5000 li). From Andhra he travelled 1000 li (200 km) S to TE-NA-KA-CHE-KA (Amaravati). 

From Dhanyakataka he travelled 200 km SW to CHU-LI-YA ( Choliya – Telugu Cola capital Chippili in Cudappah District of AP) and from there 300 km onward to Kanchi. We are not sure from the records if he had really travelled to Kerala and Ceylon, but that doesn’t concern us. On his return he travelled north from Dravida Country to Maharashtra via Kanaganahalli and from Maharashtra westwards to Bharoch.  

CONCLUSION

The record of the pilgrim and the geo-political references in Epic and Kharavela traditions place Kalinga country in North Coastal AP and included areas south of Chilka Lake in Ganjam District at times. Therefore the language of Kalingas was Telugu and the name Telugu itself may be a derivation of phrases Ten-kalingam (South Kalinga) or Tri-kalingam (Three Kalingas).

GOOGLY

Ironically, the original Andhra was never a part of the currently residual Andhra Pradesh, but the newly formed state Telangana. The residual Andhra Pradesh was anything but Andhra, it was a combination of two distinct political entities – Kalinga (North Coastal AP between Krishna and Ganjam) and Renadu (the Telugu Chola heartland consisting of most of Rayalasima, and South Coastal AP). After Telugu Chodas moved south, the region south of R. Krishna became Pallava Nadu (Palanadu/Thondainadu). It was the Kakatiyas who had united all these regions with their capital at Warangal (Andhranagari) in Andhra heartland presently called Telangana, giving the entire region the name Andhra.

So… what’s the big deal? If Orissa has appropriated the name Kalinga, let it be. But it’s good to raise these issues at times just to trigger a little interest in history that’s dear.

ANDHRA CHARTER

Andhra Charter

Sai Papineni

Premise

‘Telangana is inevitable’, they say.

The people of Andhra are being served one more historical injustice.

Sixty years ago, when they fought for a separate Telugu State, they were deprived of the capital, Madras, because it was considered a common asset of all South Indians, in spite of a majority of Telugu speakers in that city. 

The new state thus formed embraced its brethren, liberated from the clutches of Nizam and adopted Hyderabad as its own. For 56 years it had never occurred to its people that one day they would be deprived of it too. They had invested their sweat and blood and developed Hyderabad into a land of milk and honey. 

As an example, let me illustrate an industry that is familiar to all and what had happened with it. Vijaya, Vauhini, Prasad, Bharani, Suresh aren’t just names. They belonged to the Telugu people and they made Madras the largest producer of celluloid art. It had taken 30 long years for the industry to move to Hyderabad. The trauma of this exodus had come to pass. Now the Tollywood is well settled in its new home thanks only to the extraordinary benefits and concessions offered by successive governments. 

Today, Hyderabad is not only Tollywood, but a hub of a multitude of industries – Pharma, Medical, IT, Infra, Education to name a few – creating lakhs of jobs and livelihoods directly and through ancillary economy. 

Who are the investors? People of Andhra, trusting enough to think Hyderabad is their own.

Today, they are told that …

Hyderabad doesn’t belong to them.

Or

They don’t belong there.

Immediate Challenges  

Employment Generation and Balanced Growth

Due to the legacy of an education system inherited from the Madras Presidency, today, Andhra region produces one of the largest crops of human talent. The industrial hub called Hyderabad provided them opportunity.

Now, where will they go?

How many generations must suffer before Andhra can provide careers and livelihoods?

Having millions of frustrated young people is a sure formula for disaster. How do we thwart that?  

How do we create a dynamic economy that can absorb this talent, now - not after ten years, or in some distant future?

Is the so called “Lakhs of Crores Package” to build a capital that the politicians are salivating on, the real solution?

Are we contemplating the same historic blunder of developing just one city sacrificing balanced growth?
  

Andhra Charter – The Solution

It may sound like the strangled cry of a wronged wife for alimony – after the divorce is formalized – with the future of her children at stake. I hope the powers that be have a heart to listen.

These are not demands, but the bare essentials to see that her children are fed.

Let me enumerate them and also explain simply – without the burden of lies, damned lies and statistics – why those are necessary.

New Industries:  Ask any industrialist. The land prices in Andhra are astronomically high making it unviable to start any new industry. If the situation persists, there won’t be any start ups until the economy collapses so completely. Then how does one attract new start ups to Andhra? What are the best incentives that can be offered to compensate the high start up cost?

1. Central Tax Holiday 

The fledgling state can ill afford foregoing revenues. The burden of sin must be carried by the central government. A 30 year central tax holiday on all industrial investments in Andhra – Excise and Other Central Taxes – can quickly draw the capital to Andhra.

2. Infrastructure 

A minimum of 5 Special Economical Zones – 3 in Coastal Belt and 2 in the Interior – with necessary infrastructure to be built under BOT. Land must be provided from surplus government land identified and notified avoiding acquisition related hurdles. 

Railways: Indian Railways had always been a major source of employment and enterprise. Various regions of Andhra will be dependent on zones headquartered in Chennai, Hubli, Bhubaneswar and now Secunderabad. Vijayawada had always been a major rail hub and has all the land and infrastructure to be the zonal headquarters. 

3. Separate Railway Zone at Vijayawada  

With Guntakal, Waltair, Renigunta and Gudur divisions included, this is not only viable but also ideal for the growth of communications within the state.

Opportunity for higher education to make the youth of Andhra compete with the best in the country and also to create a qualified pool of resource for the growth process is needed. In spite of successive HRD ministers, Andhra is yet to receive an IIM or IIT. Today a large number of students from Andhra are travelling outside the state for premium education.

4. IIT at Anantapur  

Will not only be a beacon of hope to the students from the dry and backward regions of Rayalaseema, but its proximity to the cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad will provide the necessary market for talent.

4. IIM at Visakhapatnam

Will provide not only the environment and industry base for sustained managerial resource necessary for growth.

Transport and Communication: Historically, the interior parts of Andhra trailed far behind the coastal plains – this is not only true of Rayalaseema region but the western taluks of the coastal districts – due to non-availability of irrigation and communication systems that are a legacy of the British Raj with only significant exception being the ayacut of Nagarjuna Sagar and Nadikudi railway line. Nalamalai range of mountains stands as a wall between the interior and the coast. A comprehensive plan needs to address this issue.

6. Parallel National Highway 

Between Nayudupet and Vijayawada linking Kalahasti, Venkatagiri, Badvel, Kanigiri, Markapur, Vinukonda with a parallel bridge across Krishna near Sattenapalle / Amaravati belt. The coastal highway between Ongole and Kattipudi to be developed as a six-lane dual carriage way.

7. A Rail-Road Nalamala Corridor  

Between the capital region and Guntakal with a dual carriageway and a double-line electrified railway is essential for unifying the coastal and interior Andhra. All environmental clearances must precede the separation process.  

8. Another Major Port  

On the longest coastline between Visakhapatnam and Chennai to cater the hinterland is essential to sustain the envisaged growth in Andhra. The distance between Visakhapatnam and Chennai is close to a thousand kilometers. Nowhere in the Indian peninsula does one find such a long distance between two major ports. Currently the minor ports of Kakinada and Krishnapatam are too close to the existing major ports and a site near Nizampatnam is ideal for a modern port with a container terminal.

Finally, the capital: It is needless to say the availability of surplus government land is going to be the singular criterion for its selection. If it is the 16 km wide stretch of land between the railway line and the beach near Ongole, let it be. Probably, it will be reasonably more acceptable to Rayalaseema as it forms a part of the Greater Rayalaseema being touted by some politicians. Due to its position hemmed in between the railway line and the coast it has limitations, though not insurmountable. Unless a comprehensive capital development plan with necessary provisions for multiple road links across the railway line and a dependable water source, a capital there is untenable. If one leaves it to the greedy politicians and their ad-hoc administrators, disaster is imminent.

9. A Capital Development Plan  

With necessary resources, outsourced to a qualified international consortium to design and develop the administrative capital in a time-bound manner and provide surplus space for long term growth.

10. The Fund  

Must be adequate and must support the plan and the execution of which must be transparent under a specific independent authority. The fund also must provide for probable cost overruns due to inflation and the Chidambaram Effect on Rupee. All expenditure and delays must be audited and available in public domain.

The harebrained decisions of the central powers have given into the demands of lumpen elements driven by selfish politicians for their short term ends and succeeded in polarizing the people.

As there is little hope that some statesmanship still prevails in convincing our Telangana brethren in seeing the advantages of being united, this TEN POINT CHARTER may provide the road-map for future.