Ancient Shri Mukhalingeshwara Swamy Temple Srikakulam,Andhra Pradesh

Mukhalingam, also known as Srimukhalingam or Mukhalinga, is a village panchayat in Jalumuru mandal of Srikakulam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Historically known as Kalinganagari, Mukhalingam served as the capital of Eastern Ganga Dynasty from 6th century AD to 12th century AD. Emperor Sri Ananthavarma Chodaganga Devara conquered Utkala in 1122 AD and shifted the capital from Kalinganagari to Caudwara kataka[2]

The village is located on the left bank of Vamsadhara river at a distance of 48 km from Srikakulam town( nearest rail head ) and 160 km from Visakhapatnam ( nearest airport).

Mukhalingam is home to a group of three Śiva temples – Madhukeswara, Someswara, Bhimeswara – which have been variously dated by historians from late eighth century to early eleventh century CE. Mukhalingam was the erstwhile capital of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The main temple of Sri Mukhalingam was built by Eastern Ganga King Kamaranaba Deva II, great-grand father of Anantavarman Chodaganga of Kalinga.

Various views by have been put forward for the origin of the name Mukhalingam. It states that “Mukhalingam” is a corruption of “Mohalingam”, which is the Prakrit form of “Madhu[ka]linga”. Another view states that the linga at the Madhukeswara shrine is a faceted one and therefore the shrine and the town were termed as Mukhalinga with “Mukha” meaning face in Sanskrit/Telugu. It as also been posited that “Mukhalingam” is derived from “Mudu-Kalingam” which is the Telugu translation of the Sanskrit word “Tri-kalinga”. Mukhalingam was the main city in the region of Kalinga, also known in the ancient period as Tri-Kalinga because it was divided into three regions.