Anantavarman Codaganga

Gangesvara Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva was the Eastern Ganga emperor from 1078 until his death in 1150. He was a great patron of arts and architecture who built many temples, one of them being the Jagannath Temple in Puri. He was the ruler of the Kalinga region from river Ganga to Godavari and later the early medieval Odisha region with the incorporation of the constituent regions with the decline of the Somavamshis. He is often considered as the founder and significant ruler of Eastern ganga dynasty. He is related to the Chola dynasty through his mother's side and the Eastern Gangas through his father's side. His mother, Rajasundari, was a Chola princess and the daughter of emperor Virarajendra Chola and granddaughter of Chola king Rajendra Chola I.His father was king Rajaraja I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. He possessed a vast number of elephants which made him used the title navanavati sahasta kunjaradhisvara or the lord of ninety-nine thousand elephants, though this is an exaggeration but it is likely that he possessed a vast number of elephants.