The Prachi River is considered the holiest river in the Orissa region and originates from the river Kuakhei which is a tributary of river Mahanadi. It flows through Puri, Khurda, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts, and this region is called the Prachi Valley.
- Archaeological evidence shows the Prachi Valley Civilisation predates both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro,
- Prachi Valley is believed to be the birth place of Vaishnavism in Odisha.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage has launched a project to document the monuments of Prachi Valley in Odisha, where a civilisation believed to be earlier than that of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, flourished on the banks of a river.