Princess Padmavati of Kanchi had set her heart on marrying the Gajapati King of Odisha. To fulfill his daughter’s wish, the King of Kanchi traveled to Puri, where Padmavati herself came to witness the famous Rath Yatra.
The Kanchi King expected a warm reception from Gajapati King Purusottam Deva. However, the King of Odisha never bowed to anyone except Lord Jagannath. This refusal to show respect was taken as an insult by the proud Kanchi ruler.
Upon returning to Kanchi, he told his daughter scornfully, “I will never give my daughter’s hand to a chandala. He works as a mere sweeper during the Rath Yatra.”
Hurt but determined, Princess Padmavati secretly sent word to Purusottam Deva about what had transpired. Resolute to defend her honor, the Gajapati King set out for Kanchi. But in his first attempt, he failed to conquer the kingdom and returned to Puri disheartened.
Filled with anger and humiliation, King Purusottam was further provoked when a messenger from Kanchi arrived with an audacious challenge: the Kanchi King declared that he would wager his own deity against Lord Jagannath himself. If victorious, he would seize Lord Jagannath, Maa Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra from Puri and install them behind the idol of Lord Ganesha, the Kuladev of Kanchi.
Distraught, the Gajapati King went to the sacred Ratnasinghasan in Srimandira and prayed fervently:
“O Lord Jagannath, please save this humble servant. Destroy the pride of the Kanchi King. I cannot endure this humiliation. I will march to war tomorrow if you grant me your blessing.”
That very night, Lord Jagannath appeared in his dreams and reassured him:
“Do not worry. I will personally lead this war.”
In the vision, the King saw Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra mounted on black and white horses, galloping towards victory.
The next day, Purusottam Deva began preparations and set out again. Unknown to all, Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra themselves had already departed in disguise to join the campaign.
On their way, they stopped near Brahmagiri, where they felt thirsty and hungry. They approached an elderly woman selling curd. After they had eaten, the vendor asked for payment, but the divine brothers had no coins. Lord Jagannath handed her his precious ring and said,
“The Gajapati King will pass this way soon. Show him this ring—he will pay you and retrieve it.”
Later that day, when the King and his retinue arrived, the woman recounted the entire incident and presented the ring. Stunned, the King recognized it as belonging to Lord Jagannath himself. Realizing that his dream was indeed real, he was overjoyed, convinced that victory was assured with the Lord at his side.
“Mother, what is your name?” he asked the humble vendor.
“My name is Manika,” she replied.
With deep reverence, the King said,
“Mother Manika, do you know how blessed you are? Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the universe, ate curd from your hands.”
He declared that the village would henceforth be known as Manikapatna, and he granted her wealth before continuing the campaign.
Meanwhile, Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra reached the battlefield and found Lord Ganesha himself standing ready to fight for the Kanchi King. Lord Jagannath felt it would be improper to battle Lord Ganesha directly. Instead, he devised a plan.
He called upon Kamadeva, the god of love, instructing him to fire a flower arrow at Lord Ganesha and his consort, Devi Sriya. As soon as Kamadeva’s arrow struck, love and longing overtook Ganesha, distracting him completely from the war.
Seizing the moment, the Odia Paika warriors charged forward and defeated the Kanchi forces.
At last, Princess Padmavati joyfully married the Gajapati King. As a symbol of victory, the idol of Kanchi Ganesh was carried to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, where it remains to this day.
If you visit Srimandira, you will find Kanchi Ganesh there—a reminder of this incredible chapter of Odisha’s history.
Jai Jagannath!
