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Rayagada, Odisha · 19.1600°, 83.4078°
The presiding goddess temple of Rayagada, first built inside a fort on the Nagavali by King Vishwanath Dev Gajapati of the Suryavansh line in the 16th century and rebuilt in its present Kalinga form in the late 20th century. Durga Puja and the Chaitra Puja are its two great gatherings.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
It is said that the king made Rayagada his capital, and only after finishing the goddess's temple did he go on to conquer a wide dominion.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Suryavansh (Rayagada) origin; modern rebuilding
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…