Hypothesis 1 Indologist and Jagannath cult researcher,
Heinrich von Stietencron in "
The Advent of Vishnuism in Orissa: An Outline of its History According to Archaeological and Epigraphical Sources from the Gupta Period up to 1135 AD." in A. Eschmann et al., The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 1–30, hypothesizes the actual existence of a mountain at Puri in the past and said: No real mountain exists in the Puri town. Yet it is true that the Jagannath temple was actually built on a hill which receded sharply on its western side. Drifting sands and the sediments of continuous settlement have combined to raise the ground at the foot of the hill considerably so that the difference in level to the temple is no longer striking. It can be noticed, however, when approaching the ancient Siva temples which were situated to the west and to the north of the Hill.
Hypothesis 2 Another hypothesis regarding the naming of Puri as 'Nilachala' has been advanced by the noted historian, Dr. Krushna Chandra Panigrahi, in his "
History of Orissa", pp. 338–339. It has been argued that no mountain existed at the Jagannath shrine, and: Then the Bhaumas came from
Assam in the first part of the eighth century A.D., ruled over
Orissa, obtained the shrine from the
Savaras, got the temple built on the spot and gave it the name
Nilachala, which was the name of the famous shrine of
Kamakhya in their homeland of
Assam. ==See also==