The name Balaputradeva is derived from Balaputra, a 9th century sovereign of Srivijaya kingdom and the former head of the Sailendra dynasty whose main center was located in the vicinity of Palembang.

The decision to name it "Balaputradeva" is based on the 9th century Indian sovereign Balaputra who was recorded in an inscription discovered in Nalanda, India.

[1] Balaputradeva Museum houses traditional crafts and artifacts discovered in the Province of South Sumatra, from the prehistoric era to the Dutch colonial period.

[2] The Sriwijaya section contains items related to the Srivijaya, the Malay Buddhist kingdom centered in the city of Palembang.

Most of the inscriptions are replicas, the originals are mostly housed in the National Museum in Jakarta or in the Sriwijaya Kingdom Archaeological Park.