Patnagarh

Patnagarh was the capital of the Chauhan kingdom of Patna in western Odisha. Its temples include the shrine of Patneswari, the kingdom’s tutelary goddess, and the nearby shrine of Kosaleswara Shiva. A raised platform near the temple is remembered as a throne of the old rulers.

In the fourteenth century Ramai Deo founded the Chauhan kingdom and brought a cluster of neighbouring garhs, or fortified domains, under his authority. His family’s worship of the goddess became associated here with Patneswari, while the older Shaiva shrine continued to be honoured. Later the land north of the Ang River passed to Balaram Deo, who established the kingdom of Sambalpur. The growth of that neighbouring state altered the balance among the Chauhan houses, but Patnagarh remained closely identified with the older Patna line.