Ganga Dynasty

(11th–15th c.) Eastern Indian dynasty
that ruled the coastal strip on the Bay of
Bengal in the modern states of Orissa
and Andhra Pradesh. Although the
Ganga dynasty was never more than a
regional power, it left an artistic legacy
in a series of stunning temples in modern Orissa. The Ganga dynasty was
responsible for the temple to the god
Jagannath in the city of Puri and the
Sun Temple at Konarak, built by king
Narasimhadeva (r. 1238–1264). The
dynasty also built temples scattered
throughout the modern city of
Bhubaneshvar, including the temple to
the god Shiva as Tribhuvaneshvar, “the
Lord of the Triple World,” from which
the city takes its name.
238
Ganga