Maharaja Sir Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayana Dev KCIE |
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ମହାରାଜା କୃଷ୍ଣଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଗଜପତି ନାରାୟଣ ଦେବ | |
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Prime Minister of Odisha | |
In office 29 November 1941 – 29 June 1944 |
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Preceded by | Biswanath Das |
Succeeded by | Harekrushna Mahatab |
In office 1 April 1937 – 19 July 1937 |
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Preceded by | Post created |
Succeeded by | Biswanath Das |
Personal details | |
Born |
Paralakhemundi, Odisha |
26 April 1892
Died | 25 May 1974 Paralakhemundi |
(aged 82)
Nationality | Indian |
Parents | Shri Goura Chandra Gajapati Smt. Radhamani Devi |
Residence | Paralakhemundi |
Alma mater | Newington College, Madras |
Occupation | King of paralakhemundi, social activist |
Religion | Hinduism |
Krushna Chandra Gajapati (26 April 1892 – 25 May 1974), honorably known as Maharaja Sir Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayana Dev KCIE, was a key personality in the formation of an Independent Odisha State. He is regarded as the architect of the modern Odisha state. The present Gajapati District of Odisha was named after him. He was the Honorary Captain in the First World War.
He had great interest in Oriya literature, art, music, culture, sports, games and horse-riding (in which sport he himself excelled).
Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev, the scion of the great Ganga Dynasty of Paralakhemundi, was born on 26 April 1892 to the King of Paralakhemundi Goura Chandra Gajapati and Radhamani Devi.
Shri Gajapati received his elememntary education at the local Maharaja High School of Paralakhemundi and then entered the exclusive Newington College in Madras for higher studies. During his studies in Madras, he lost his father Shri Goura Chandra Gajapati. After completing his studies at Madras he returned to Paralakhemundi and in the year 1913 married the princess of Kharasuan State. In the same year he held the reign of the State on 26 April 1913.
Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati was the pivot of the Oriya movement for the formation of an Independent Odisha state on the basis of Language and homogeneity. He spent extensively from his royal treasury to materialise this effort. Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Fakir Mohan Senapati and other eminent members of Utkal Sammilani demanded a separate Odisha state with an amalgamation of Oriya speaking areas in the then Orissa-Bihar-Bengal province. This proposal was approved in the Bihar-Orissa Legislative Assembly. As a member of the Utkal Sammilani, he put forward the proposal of a separate Odisha state in the first Round table conference held in London on 16 November 1930.