Dhenkanal

Dhenkanal lies in the wooded uplands of central Odisha, near the Brahmani River. It was the seat of a ruling house whose domain formed one of the garhjat states between the coastal plain and the interior hills. Tradition associates the name with a Savara chief called Dhenka, remembered as an earlier ruler of the country.

The royal family traces its line to Hari Singh Vidyadhar, who received land on the Brahmani in the sixteenth century and established his authority at Dhenkanal. His successor Loknath laid the foundation of the Baldev Jew temple in the town. Later rulers extended their territory into neighbouring lands, including part of Talcher. Through successive changes of power in Odisha, Dhenkanal remained a local centre of authority rooted in the hill country.