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Relation of Parasvanatha and Mahâvîra with Kalinga
Orissa and Andhra Pradesh respectively. Kurmagrama, therefore, may be located in Kangoda and identified with Srikumam of the Sri kakulam district. Perhaps, Mahâvîra visited Kurmagrama to learn the type of Yogic practice followed by Vesayana, a sage of Kangoda.
From Kurmagrama Mahâvîra and Gosala proceeded to Siddhartha ka Grama where Gosala severed his connection with Mahâvîra owing to his differences with the latter and established a separate sect known as Ajivika. 24 This Siddharthagrama, the place of origin of the Ajivika sect, may also be located in the Kangoda-Kallinga region and may be identified with Siddharthaka Grama of Varaha-vartini Vishaya of some copper plate inscriptions of the early Gangas of Kalinga such as the Achyutapuram plates25 of Indravarman of Ganga era 87, and the Siddhantam plates26 of Devendravarman of the Ganga era 196. Sri G. Ramdas27 has rightly identified Siddharthaka Grama with modern Siddhantam about four Kms. from Srikurmam. It may be noted that the same village was also called Sidhata in the Masunika grant28 of Devendravarman of the Ganga era 306. Thus Siddharthagrama of the time of Mahâvîra was known as Siddharthaka Grama, Sidhata and Siddhantam in different ages. It was so named evidently in honour of Mahâvîra's father, Siddhartha, a friend of the king of Kalinga.
It is known from the Tekkali plates29 that the Matharas of Kalinga under Umavarman (c 330-362 A.D.) has acquired an important town at the foot of Mahendragiri called Vardhamanapura, evidently named after Vardhamana Mahâvîra who had visited that place. It has been located30 in the Tekkali region which is quite close to Kumagrama and Siddhartha Grama. Line 12 of the Hathigumpha inscription reveals the antiquity of the Jaina image worshipin Kalinga as early as the 5th century B.C. when it states that the image of the Jina of Kalinga which had been previously taken away from Kalinga by Nandaraja (Mahapadmananda) to Magadha was brought back by Kharavela. Tnis Jina may be identified with Mahâvîra in view of the fact that he had preached his religion at several places of Kalinga and was therefore in high esteem by its people. This image was probably installed soon after Mahâvîra's departure
