The Bhaumakara dynasty  were a significant early medieval dynasty that ruled coastal Odisha from the mid-8th to the mid-10th century CE. Their capital was Guheshvarapataka (modern Jajpur). Though their exact origin is debated, inscriptions and traditions associate them either with north-eastern India or with indigenous non-Aryan tribes of Odisha. The dynasty inaugurated the Bhauma era around 736 CE, under Kshemankaradeva or his successor Sivakaradeva I.

They consolidated political authority over regions such as Odra, Kalinga, Kongoda, and Svetaka, while maintaining diplomatic and cultural links beyond Odisha, including contacts with China. They were notable patrons of Buddhism, especially Mahayana and Vajrayana, while also supporting Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism. A distinctive feature of their rule was the prominence of women rulers, including Tribhuvana Mahadevi I and her successors. Administratively efficient and culturally tolerant, the Bhaumakaras promoted temple construction, monastic centres like Ratnagiri, trade, and social stability. Their decline began with Somavamshi expansion, leading to the end of Bhauma rule by the mid-10th century CE.

The Somavamshi dynasty, also known as the Keshari dynasty, ruled large parts of Odisha from the 9th to the early 12th century CE. They were related to the Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala. They migrated eastwards after Kalachuri pressure, gradually supplanting the Bhaumakaras. Under rulers such as Janmejaya I and Yayati I, the Somavamshis consolidated control over Kalinga, Utkala, and Kosala, shifting their capital to Abhinava-Yayatinagara (modern Jajpur). Their reign marked a decisive transition from Buddhism to Shaivite Hinduism and introduced a distinctive architectural style, exemplified by temples at Bhubaneswar. The dynasty declined due to external invasions and internal weakness, finally being overthrown by the Eastern Ganga ruler Anantavarman Chodaganga in the early 12th century CE.