The Geography of the Puranas c7.1

c7.1

THE geography of the Purāṇas chiefly hinges on religion. It has its tap root in ancient traditions and religious compositions which are infused with the spirit of adventure and appreciation of scenic beauty (both of which constitute a favourable equipment in the making of geographers). Every physical phenomenon, every major or spectacular landmark on the earth's surface, has a religious background for Indians; every mountain peak, every river, every crag, every useful tree is sacred and is preserved in these traditions. They provide the physical background of events which occurred on the world stage since times immemorial and have been recorded in what is called the ancient Indian sacred literature. This sacred literature, which goes back to two or three thousand years B.C., abounds in geographical material and is the primary source of Purāṇic geography.