Back খারবেল Bengali/Bangla Kharavela German Kharavela French खारवेल Hindi カーラヴェーラ Japanese ಖಾರವೇಲ Kannada 카라벨라 Korean ഖരവേല Malayalam ଖାରବେଳ OR Kharawela Polish
| Kharavela | |
|---|---|
| Kalingadhipati Lord of Kalinga | |
| King of Kalinga | |
| Reign | 1st or 2nd century BCE |
| Predecessor | possibly Vriddharaja (a.k.a. Vudharaja) |
| Successor | possibly Vakradeva (a.k.a. Vakadepa) |
| Dynasty | Mahameghavahana |
| Military career | |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Religion | Jainism |
Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is undated, only four of its 17 lines are completely legible, others unclear, variously interpreted and disputed by scholars. The inscription written with Jainism-related phrases recites a year by year record of his reign and panegyrically credits him with public infrastructure projects, welfare activities, patronage of the arts, and many military victories. Historians agree that it is best and most complete biography of Kharavela available. He was a follower of Jainism.