# Anka year

Anka year (Odia: ଅଙ୍କ Aṅka) system is a unique regnal year system used in the state of Odisha, India and was instituted by the rulers of the Eastern Ganga dynasty for dating their reigns. It had a number of features that mark the regnal year different from that actual duration of the year elapsed during the reign. The system still survives today and is used in the Odia calendar (panji) to mark the titular regnal year of the Gajapati Maharaja (King of Puri) which is currently held by Divyasingha Deva IV of the Bhoi dynasty, whose title carries the legacy of the historical ruling monarchs of Odisha.

## Description

The Anka system, also denoted as the Odisha style of dating refers to a special system of counting used only in Odisha which is written along with the name of the King of Puri accompanied by a simple calculation which yields the regnal year of the king. The Anka years were so popular in the Odia-speaking tracts that not only it was used in official records but also by the authors in their works and in the horoscopes prepared by the astrologers. Additional information are also provided on the lunar or solar date besides the King's Anka with the Odia calendar following the Purnimanta system of month naming.

## Features

* The Anka system always starts on the Odia fiscal new year called Sunia which falls on the 12th day of the bright fortnight of the month Bhadra (August–September) known as Bhādra Sukḷa Dwādasi. If the king accedes the throne for a few days before this date, then the first year of his reign would then just be a few days long.
* Coins were minted on the date of the new year and hence the first coins were given the Anka year 2, the number 1 was not used.
* All years ending in 6 were skipped. As in the Anka year 5 was followed by Anka year 7, Anka year 15 was followed by Anka year 17 and so on.
* All years ending in 0 were also skipped, except for the Anka year 10.
Hence no Anka years exist for 1, 6, 16, 20, 26, 30, 36, 40, 46, 50, 56 and so on.

## Regnal and Anka year Timeline

Timeline of actual Regnal year and Anka year (shown till regnal year 30) :
| Regnal year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Anka year | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 37 |

## Anka year of the current titular Gajapati Maharaja

Regnal & Anka year of Gajapati king of Puri (titular reign since 7 July 1970) :
| Gregorian year | Regnal year | Odia year | Anka year |
| 2024 CE | 54 | ୧୪୩୦ ଉତ୍କଳାବ୍ଦ 1430 Utkaḷābda | ୬୫ ଅଙ୍କ 68 Aṅka |
* This year, 15th Sept'24 happened to be Bhadrapada Shukla Dwadashi and from this date, 68 Gajapati Ank began.

## List of Anka year for monarchs of the ruling dynasties
### Eastern Ganga dynasty

| Ruler | Reign | Regnal year duration | Anka year duration |
| Anantavarman Vajrahasta III | 1038-1070 | 32 | 41 |
| Rajaraja Devendravarman I | 1070-1078 | 8 | 11 |
| Anantavarman Chodaganga | 1078-1147 | 69 | 87 |
| Kamarnava II | 1147-1157 | 10 | 13 |
| Raghava | 1157-1170 | 13 | 17 |
| Rajaraja II | 1170-1190 | 20 | 25 |
| Anivankabhima II | 1190-1197 | 7 | 10 |
| Rajaraja III | 1197-1211 | 14 | 17 |
| Anangabhima Deva III | 1211-1235 | 24 | 31 |
| Narasingha Deva I | 1238-1263 | 26 | 33 |
| Bhanudeva I | 1264-1279 | 15 | 19 |
| Narasimhadeva II | 1279-1306 | 27 | 34 |
| Bhanudeva II | 1306-1328 | 22 | 28 |
| Narasimhadeva III | 1328-1352 | 24 | 31 |
| Bhanudeva III | 1352-1378 | 26 | 33 |
| Narasimhadeva IV | 1378-1414 | 36 | 45 |
| Bhanudeva IV | 1414-1434 | 20 | 25 |

### Suryavamsa (Routray) dynasty

| Ruler | Reign | Regnal year duration | Anka year duration |
| Kapilendra Deva | 1434–1470 | 36 | 44 |
| Purushottama Deva | 1470–1497 | 27 | 33 |
| Prataparudra Deva | 1497–1540 | 43 | 53 |
| Kalua Deva | 1540–1541 | 2 | 3 |
| Kakharua Deva | 1541 | 1 | 2 |

### Bhoi dynasty (1st reign)

| Ruler | Reign | Regnal year duration | Anka year duration |
| Govinda Vidyadhara | 1541–1548 | 7 | 9 |
| Chakrapratapa | 1548–1557 | 9 | 11 |
| Narasimha Jena | 1557–1558 | 1 | 2 |
| Raghuram Chhotaraya | 1558–1560 | 2 | 3 |

### Chalukya dynasty

| Ruler | Reign | Regnal year duration | Anka year duration |
| Mukunda Deva | 1560-68 | 8 | 10 |

### Bhoi dynasty (2nd reign, Khurda-Puri)

| Ruler | Reign | Regnal year duration | Anka year duration | Notes |
| Ramachandra Deva I | 1568-1600 | 32 | 39 | founder of Khurda Kingdom |
| Purusottam Deva | 1600–1621 | 21 | 25 | |
| Narasingha Deva | 1621–1647 | 26 | 32 | |
| Balabhadra Deva | 1647–1657 | 10 | 12 | |
| Mukunda Deva I | 1657–1689 | 32 | 39 | |
| Divyasingha Deva I | 1689–1716 | 27 | 33 | |
| Harekrushna Deva | 1716–1720 | 4 | 5 | |
| Gopinath Deva | 1720–1727 | 7 | 9 | |
| Ramachandra Deva II | 1727–1736 | 9 | 11 | |
| Birakesari Deva I (Bhagirathi Deva) | 1736–1793 | 57 | 71 | |
| Divyasingha Deva II | 1793–1798 | 5 | 7 | |
| Mukundeva Deva II | 1798–1817 | 19 | 23 | Puri Estate in 1809 |
| Ramchandra Deva III | 1817–1854 | 37 | 45 | |
| Birakesari Deva II | 1854–1859 | 5 | 7 | |
| Divyasingha Deva III | 1859–1882 | 23 | 28 | |
| Mukundeva Deva III | 1882–1926 | 44 | 54 | |
| Ramchandra Deva IV | 1926–1956 | 30 | 37 | Titular since 1947(Indian independence) |
| Birakisore Deva III | 1956–1970 | 14 | 17 | |
| Divyasingha Deva IV | 1970–current | 54 | 68 | |