History is silent about the death of Kharavela. It is not known whether he lived after his thirteenth regal year or not.
It is also not known if Kharavela, like Chandragupta Maurya before him, abdicated his throne and disappeared into oblivion to live the Jaina way of life for salvation.
But, the Mahameghavahana dynasty continued to rule in Kalinga after the glorious reign of Kharavela. In various caves of the Udayagiri-Khandagiri hills there are some small Brahmi inscriptions which give some idea about the later Mahameghavahana kings. It is presumed that several inscriptions of that period have been lost forever in course of time.
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The names of two queens of Kharavela have survived in the inscriptions. The Manchapuri Cave Inscription mentions of his Chief Queen as the Queen of Vajiraghara. The Hatigumpha Inscription mentions of another queen named the Queen of Simhapatha. The first queen is known to have excavated the Manchapuri Cave for the Sramanas of Kalinga. The other queen was also pious enough to influence her husband to construct a great dwelling house for the monks and saints belonging to Jaina, Brahminic and Buddhist faiths.
The Manchapuri Cave Inscriptions contain the name of Aira Mahameghavahana Maharaja Kudepasiri and describe him as the Kalin gadhipati or the Lord of Kalinga. It is believed that Kudepasiri was the son of Kharavela and succeeded his illustrious father to the throne. His inscription in the lower storey of the Manchapuri Cave in the Udayagiri hill refers only to his construction of the caves, and nothing more. But his royal titles show that he was a king of the Mahameghavahana dynasty who ruled over the kingdom.
Another small inscription of the same cave contains the name of Kumara Vadukha or Vadrekha in connection with cave construction. But it is not known if this prince became a king after Kudepasiri and ruled over Kalinga.
One of the inscriptions, discovered at Guntupalli in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, carries a valuable historical evidence to prove that the dynasty of Kharavela continued to rule for many years more. The Guntupalli Inscription mentions the name of the King Mahameghavahana Siri Sada who was ruling over Kalinga and Mahishaka. The Mahishaka territory was situated in the Narmada valley of the Maharashtra region which was conquered by Kharavela.
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The Guntupalli Inscription proves that the Kalinga kings of the Mahameghavahana dynasty ruled over that land even long after Kharavela. That also proves that the Chedi rule of Kalinga did not disappear soon after Kharavela.