| Conventional Long Name: | Puri Estate |
| Common Name: | Puri Estate |
| Era: | Modern period |
| Life Span: | 1809–1947 |
| Year Start: | 1809 |
| Year End: | 1947 |
| P1: | Khurda Kingdom |
| P2: | British Empire |
| S1: | India |
| Capital: | Puri |
| Common Languages: | Odia |
| Religion: | Hinduism |
| Government Type: | Monarchy |
| Leader1: | Mukundeva Deva II |
| Year Leader1: | 1809–1817 |
| Leader2: | Ramchandra Deva IV |
| Year Leader2: | 1926–1947 |
| Title Leader: | Gajapati |
| Today: | Odisha, India |
The Puri Estate was an estate ruled by the main branch of the Bhoi dynasty, who were reinstated in Puri in 1809 following the 1804 rebellion against the British and annexation of the Khurda Kingdom which were under their control. After the rebellion led by the Khurda king, Mukunda Deva II, the British decided to take control of the administration of the Khurda kingdom and Mukunda Deva II was exiled to Cuttack and Mindapore but was later reinstated and pensioned off to Puri to remain as a titular head of the dynasty while retaining control over the Jagannath Temple.
They were the ruling kings of Puri and inherited the titular legacy of the historical ruling chiefs of Odisha invested in the title of Gajapati. They also exercised administrative control of the Jagannath Temple at Puri until the independence of India.[1]
The title of Gajapati and the control of the Jagannath temple of Puri was in the hands of the rulers of the Bhoi dynasty who ruled as the chiefs of the Khurda kingdom. After the 1804 rebellion of Mukunda Deva II, the British confiscated the Khurda kingdom thus annexing it to the Orissa division. Mukunda Deva II was later reinstated at Puri in 1809 to continue as the titular Gajapati but the state was reduced to a Zamindari. However, he successfully retained the administrative control of the Jagannath temple in the sacred temple-city of Puri with the help of British legislation, as the title represented an important socio-political institution in the region of Orissa. Thus the loss of political power was compsensated by building a religious institution through the superintendence of the hereditary temple of the Gajapati kings of Orissa by investing it in the institution of the Kings of Puri. Mukundeva Deva II's grandson Birakesari Deva II became the king in 1854 but since he was childless, he along with his wife, Rani Suryamani Patamahadei adopted a prince from the zamindari of Badakhemundi.[2] With the prince's accession to the throne as Gajapati Dibyasingha Deva III in 1859.During his reign he was involved in a court case which prompted the British to take over the administration of the temple but followed by the agitations and petitions of the temple priests decided to repeal and grant administration to the Gajapati's mother Rani Suryamani Patamahadei and recognised his son, Mukundeva Deva III as the next titular Gajapati.
On 2 October 1918, Mukundeva Deva III adopted Lal Mohini Mohan Deb, the third son of Raja Satchidananda Tribhuban Deb of the Bamra State as his heir. Lal Mohini Mohan Deb took the regnal name of Gajapati Ramachandra Deb IV upon accession to the throne of Puri and Gajapati on 14 February 1926. He remained at the helm as the superintendent of the hereditary temple of Puri until the independence of India in 1947.
After independence, the Indian Constitution brought in a republican system of government and it was followed up by the Odisha government which passed the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 formally took over the management and affairs of the temple. The Gajapati was hence retained as the Chairman of the Temple Managing Committee which the current head of the dynasty, Dibyasingha Deb fulfils along with the members of the committee appointed by the govt of Odisha.[3] [4]
The ceremonial regnal title of the Gajapati Maharaja is as follows:
Shree Shree Shree Veerashree Gajapati Goudeswar Nabakotikarnatatkala Kalabaragesvara Viradhiviravar Bhuta Vairaba Sadhu Sasnotirna Routraja Atula Balaparakrama Sahasra Bahu Kshetriyakula Dhumaketu Maharaja Adhiraja (regnal name)
The cyclical order the names of the Gajapati Maharaja:
The heir to the current titular Gajapati, Dibyasingha Deva IV upon accession will take the regnal name of Mukunda Deva IV.
The rulers of Puri and Gajapati Maharajah: