The Konark temple's Karnataka connection

Bengaluru: Not many may know that the Konark temple and a few other monuments in Odisha were built by kings whose lineage could be traced back to Karnataka.

In a book, Beyond Obvious–Odisha-Karnataka Relationship over the Ages, set to be released on Wednesday, writer Subhransu Sekhar Mohapatra delves into the historical, economic and cultural relationship between Odisha and Karnataka.

Speaking to DH, Mohapatra said that there were at least five lakh people from Odisha who have settled down in Karnataka, and many youngsters were born and brought up here. “I have been here for the last 27 years. Though many of them from Odisha have settled here, there are not enough sources to understand the historical or economic relationship between the two states. Hence, I decided to study and write about it,” he said.

The book, a result of the research work for over three years, looks into six areas of interest — the historical connection between the two states, economic relationship over the years, political ties, cultural and spiritual aspects, educational takeaways, and literary references.

“To draw out conclusions and relationships between the states, I have studied history in detail. From the Mauryan dynasty to the British-era to post-independence times, I have tried to trace the history completely,” Mohapatra said.

The book also speaks about interesting aspects of how the Karnataka coast played a key role in trade connections between Kalinga and the Roman Empire, and the political support HD Deve Gowda received from Odisha during his stint as Prime Minister.

The mechanical engineer, who is a scientist by profession, said the curiosity about the relationship between the state he was born in and the state where he has settled down led to the book.