The Geography of the Puranas c7.s5.8

c7.s5.8

(6) These are two contrasting pictures of the dwīpa, a paradise on the one hand and a desolate waste on the other. This signifies that the ‘central range is fairly high and is a distinct climatic barrier between its constituent parts. One side is a dry desert and the other, suitable for human occupation. It promises a paradise for those who approach the dwīpa from one direction, while it presents the appearance of a wasteland if one enters it from the opposite direction. Such phenomena of knife-edged boundaries between two regions of strong contrast are not uncommon. For example, if we approach Peru from the west, it presents a dry, treeless, barren appearance, while if we enter it from the east it presents the most luxuriant equatorial forests.