The word Mahanadi is a compound of the Sanskrit words maha (“great”) and nadi (“river”).
In different era, this river was known by several names, such as:
Ancient era – Kanaknandini
Dwapar yug – Chitrotpala ( Similar name in matasya Purana)
Treta yug – Nilotpala ( Similar name in vayu Purana)
Mahabharata era – Mahananda
Kal yug – Mahanadi or Mahashweta
The Mahanadi is an important river in the state of Odisha. This river flows slowly for about 900 kilometres (560 mi) and deposits more silt than any other river in the Indian subcontinent.
The cities of Cuttack and Sambalpur were prominent trading places in the ancient world and the river itself has been referred to as the Manada in Ptolemy’s works.
Picture Credit : Google