PRESENT RULER: Raja SACHINDANANDA RAJENDRA DEBO, Raja Saheb of Chikiti since 1945. (Chikiti Palace, P.O. - Chikiti, Dist. - Ganjam, Orissa, India)

born 15th october 1923, he ascended the gaddi on 13th June 1945 at Chikiti, after attaining his majority and with the Zamindari being released from the Court of Wards; elected Sarpanch, Chikiti Grama Panchayat, 1954/1957; he established the Rajakabi Radhamohano Bidyapitha in 1942, the Sachidananda Hospital in 1957, Rajlaxmi Girls High School in 1965 and Secondary Training School in 1994 in a part of the Chikiti Palace; elected Chairman, Chikiti Panchayat Samiti, 1971; M.L.A. (Orissa) 1971/1977 (two terms); elected Chairman, Chikiti Panchayat Samiti, 1971; interests are Gardening, Photography, Tennis, Billiards and Shooting; he married Rani Lalit Manjari Devi, daughter of Raja Ananta Narayan Mansingh Harichandan Mahapatra of Narsinghpur, and his wife, Rani Kanak Lata Devi, and has issue, two sons.

• Yuvraj Trigunateeta Debo, married Yuvrani Usha Devi, born 25th February 1952, daughter of Pattayet Shri Vyricharla Chandrachudamani Dev of Kurupam, she is very popular, has performed much development work in and around Chikiti, is greatly respected and has been elected to the Orissa Legislative Assembly in 1995, 2000 and 2004, and has issue, one son and one daughter.

  • Rajkumari Shriti Devi [Yuvarani Shriti Devi of Andra], married Yuvaraj Pratish Rai, son and heir of Raja Pratap Rai, Zamindar of Andra in Andhra Pradesh, and his wife, Rajkumari Nalini Raj Lakshmi (see Nayagarh), and has issue, one daughter.

    • Kumari Sangali Devi

• Pattayet Durgaprasad Debo, unmarried.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: It is said that there existed an ancient kingdom of Shewataka, north east of the Mahendra Hills in the 7th century AD which remained unrecognized as an independent kingdom. It is also said that in 881AD, Maharaja Jajati Kesari, the King of Utkal named the Southern part of his kingdom as Chetaka and sent his younger brother Kesava Ravothara to extend the kingdom and look after the administration and collect taxes. Chetaka could be a converted name of Shwetaka and most probably Chikiti is a derived form of Chetaka. The Rajas of Chikiti were patrons of art, culture and literature and every Raja has made significant contribution to contemporary classical literature. Some rulers were .....

• Raja KULOMANI RAJENDRA DEBO 1736/1769, author of ‘Chaupadi’.

• Raja KRISHNA CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO 1769/1790, author of 'Ramlila' and ‘Khanda Ramayana’.

• Raja PITHAMBARA RAJENDRA DEBO 1790/1819

• Raja GOVINDA CHANDRAI RAJENDRA DEBO 1819/1831

• Raja KULOMANI RAJENDRA DEBO II 1831/1834

• Raja BRUNDAVANO CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO 1834/1846

• Raja JAGANADHA RAJENDRA DEBO 1846/1855

• Raja BISVAMBARA RAJENDRA DEBO 1855/1885, author of most popular Oriya play ‘Radha Prema Lila’ is a significant contribution of Raja Bisvambara Rajendra Debo, which he dedicated to his eldest son; he married and had issue.

  • Raja KISORI CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO (qv)

  • Kumar Bira Kishore Debo

  • Raja Laxminrusimha Singh Deo of Seragada

  • Kumar Pitambara Debo, died spm.

• Raja KISORI CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO 1885/1903, author of the plays ‘Bidagdha Madhaba’, ‘Basanta Rasa’ and 'Raghunath Bilasa’.

• Raja RADHAMOHANO RAJENDRA DEBO 1903/1923 (abdicated) and 1934/(1945), a great patron of literature, during his reign a number of temples were built and schools and libraries were established, he also constructed the beautiful Palace at the foot of the Ratnei Hills, his literary contribution was tremendous, including poetry (‘Premamanjari Kabya’ and ‘Prakrama Padyabali’), social plays (‘Prakruti Rahasya’ and ‘Prakruti Pranaya’), historical plays ('Pratap') and mythological plays (‘Parimala Sahagamana’, ‘Panchali Pattaharana’ and ‘Premataranga'); he also established a theatre pandal named ‘Rangalaya’ which gave promotion to the contemporary stage theatre of Orissa, the Raja Saheb was also known as ‘Rajkabi’, he abdicated in 1923 in favour of his eldest son but resumed the gaddi on the premature death of his son in 1934; married 1stly, Rani Lavanya Devi, daughter of Raja Jadunath Deb of Aul, married 2ndly, Rani Krishnapriya, daughter of the Raja of Budharsingi, and had issue. [He died 1945]

  • Raja GAURA CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO (qv)

  • Rajkumar Sarat Chandra Debo, Principal of the Utkal School of Arts, married Rajkumari Sanajema Golap Prabha Devi, daughter of Raja Chandrachudamani Harishchandra Jagadev of Surangi, and had issue, two sons and one daughter.

    • Kumar Golak Chandra Debo (+), married Kumari Jyotiprabha Devi of Nayagarh.

    • Kumar Prodyot Chandra Debo, married Kumari Punyaprabha Debo of the Biruli Royal family, and has issue.

    • Kumari Sripurna Devi, married Rajkumar Meenakshi Prasad Debo (+) of Bodokhemundi, and has issue.

  • Rajkumar Uday Chandra Deb (by Rani Krishnapriya), adopted to Budharsingi, and succeeded there as the Raja Saheb of Budharsingi.

• Raja GAURA CHANDRA RAJENDRA DEBO 1923/1934, he was a pioneer and stalwart for the formation of a separate province of Orissa. He was the President of the committee that went into the issues related to the boundary of Orissa State, married to Rani Rajlaxmi Devi, the daughter of the Raja of Badagada, and had issue, one son and three daughters. He died in October 1934, before the province of Orissa was created but content in the knowledge that the proposal had been accepted.

  • Raja SACHINDANANDA RAJENDRA DEBO (qv)

  • Rajkumari (name unknown), married Raja Narayan Chandra Bhanj Deo of Haldia and has issue, one son.

  • Rajkumari (name unknown) (+), married (as his second wife), Raja Jagannath Deo Varman of Tekkali.

  • Rajkumari (name unknown)

COURT OF WARDS 1934/1945

• Raja SACHINDANANDA RAJENDRA DEBO (see above)

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Kumar Bhawani Debo of Chikiti, married Rajkumari Majhia Jema Kunjalata Devi, daughter of Raja Purna Chandra Deo Harishchandra Jagadev of Surangi, and his wife, Rani Hira Kumari Devi.