The town of Khariar is believed to be a feudal seat founded by Vishwanath Dev Gajapati of the solar dynasty. According to the Fifth Report on the Affairs of the Company, Vishwanath Dev built up an empire that stretched from the confines of Bengal in the north to river Godavari in the south up to Telangana. He built a new capital called Rayagada in order to effectively consolidate his position in all four directions of the domain. The report also mentions that innumerable feudatories paid service to the royal seat of Vishwanath who then adopted the title of 'Gajapati' to prove his dominance in the region.