Bhawanipatna (Odia: ) is a city and district headquarter of the Kalahandi district in the Indian state of Odisha. Bhawanipatna is a city of numerous temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu pantheon. It is named after the presiding deity, Bhawani-Shankar. Bhawanipatna municipality is the administrative head of the city, which is divided into twenty wards with different sub-areas called para (pronounced "padaa"). Originally, these paras were inhabited by people of different communities, but over the last few decades, these Paras have become homogeneous. Bhawanipatna has more than forty-two paras. It is one of the biggest urban areas of western Odisha.Kalahandi region had a glorious past and great civilisation in ancient time. Archaeological record of Tel valley reveals the presence of the primates in its various zones during the Pleistocene phase. Paleolithic is being documented in Kalahandi, like Moter river basin in Dharamgarh region.[5] One of the largest size axe of late stone age culture has been recovered from Kalahandi.[6] Tel river civilisation put light towards a great civilisation existing in Kalahandi in the past that is recently getting explored.[7] The archaeological wealth of Tel Valley suggests that a civilised, urbanised, cultured people inhabited on this land mass around 2000 years ago[3], with Asurgarh as its capital. Kalahandi, along with Koraput and Bastar, was part of Kantara referred in Ramayana and Mahabharata.[8] In 4th century B.C., the Kalahandi region was known as Indravana from where precious gem-stones and diamond were collected for the imperial Maurya treasury.[9] During the period of Maurya emperor Ashoka, Kalahandi along with Koraput and Bastar region was called Atavi Land.[10] This land was unconquered as per Ashokan record.[11] In the beginning of Christian era, it was probably known as Mahavana.[12] In 4th Century A.D., Vyaghraraja was ruling over Mahakantara comprising Kalahandi, undivided Koraput and Bastar region.[13] Asurgarh was the capital of Mahakantara.[14] After Vyaghraraja, Nala kings like Bhavadatta Varman, Arthapati and Skanda Varman ruled over the south part of this region up to about 500 A.D. The territory was known as Nalavadi-visaya[15] and the rest of Mahakantara, the lower part of Tel river valley was ruled by king Tastikara and his scions, the kingdom was known as Parvatad-waraka, whose headquarters was Talabhamraka near Belkhandi.[12] In the 6th century a new kingdom developed in the Kalahandi tract under King Tustikara, but very little is known about other kings of his family. Maraguda valley was identified as capital of Sarabapuriyas.[16] During Sarabapuriyas in the 6th century, Kalahandi lost its political entities and merged with eastern part of South Kosal or Kosal.[17] But this was also for a short period as in succeeding phase it assumed a distinct name Trikalinga. By the 9th10th centuries the region including Western Odisha, Kalahandi, Koraput and Bastar was known as Trikalinga.[18] The Somavamsi king Mahabhavagupta I Janmejaya (925 960) assumed the title Trikalingadhipati.[19] Trikalinga was short lived and Chindakangas carved out a new kingdom called Chakrakota Mandala or Bramarakota Mandala,[20] which later one expanded to whole Kalahandi and Koraput.
