Somavamshi dynasty in the context of "Bhauma-Kara dynasty"

Kalinga is a historical region of India. It is generally defined as the eastern coastal region between the Ganges and the Godavari rivers, although its boundaries have fluctuated with the territory of its rulers. The core territory of Kalinga now encompasses all of Odisha and some part of northern Andhra Pradesh. At its widest extent, the Kalinga region also included parts of present-day Chhattisgarh, extending up to Amarkantak in the west. In the ancient period it extended until the bank of the Ganges river.

The Kalingas have been mentioned as a major tribe in the legendary text Mahabharata. In the 3rd century BCE, the region came under Mauryan control as a result of the Kalinga War. It was subsequently ruled by several regional dynasties whose rulers bore the title Kalingādhipati ("Lord of Kalinga"); these dynasties included Mahameghavahana, Vasishtha, Mathara, Pitrbhakta, Shailodbhava, Bhaumkara, Somavamshi, and Eastern Ganga. The medieval era rulers to rule over the Kalinga region were the Suryavamsa Gajapatis, Bhoi dynasty, Paralakhemundi Gangas and the zamindaris of Ganjam and Vizagapatam.

Gangesvara Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva (died 1150) 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.

According to vallala-charitam Anantavarman had diplomatic relations with Vijayasena of Bengal.