Dantapuram a small village in

Srikakulam district Srikakulam district is one of the twenty-six districts of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located in the Uttarandhra region of the state, with its headquarters located at Srikakulam. It is one of the si ...

. Known as Buddhas Tooth at

Dantapura Kalinga is a kingdom described in the legendary Indian text ''Mahabharata''. They were a warrior clan who settled in and around the historical Kalinga region, present-day Odisha and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh. Kalinga clan warriors side ...

, the capital of the Kalingas. While ancient Dantapuram sank into oblivion,

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

receives tens of thousands of visitors every month. Historians believe it to be the capital of Kalinga Kingdom. Emperor Asoka fought Kalinga War in 261 BC. The word ''danta'' in

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language fami ...

means

Tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

. Dantapura, the reputed capital of ancient Kalingas. There is similarity between Dantavuram and Dantapura of the Buddhist chronicles induces me to identify Dantavuram.{{Citation needed, date=September 2010 This identification is also corroborated by the writings of the ancient Roman geographer,

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

who mentions about the Calingoe in his Natural History.

References

*https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003605/http://www.tlca.com/adults/buddhist.html Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Archaeological sites in Andhra Pradesh