[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Historical geography](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography) › [The Geography of the Puranas](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966) › c8.209 # The Geography of the Puranas c8.209 The Geography of the Purāṇas c8.209 - **Language:** English ### [c8.209](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8.209) ALTHOUGH all the Purāṇas touch upon this region, only the Vāyu gives details about its topography and settlement. They all, however, agree that (i) it is a major region of Jambū Dwipa situated to the west of Meru (or Ilāvṛta) and (ii) it is drained by the great river Chakṣu (or the Oxus) which take its rise in Meru. Ketumāla is bounded on the south by the great latitudinal range Niṣadha (i.e. Hindūkush-Kunlun) and in the north by the Nila (Zarafshan-Tien Shan) which runs parallel to the Niṣadha. On the west of Ketumāla is the Caspian, the 'Western Sea' of the Purāṇas into which the Oxus formerly used to drain. Thus we observe that the boundaries of Ketumāla are well-defined except in the north-west where the desert barrier of Turan makes its definition unnecessary (see Fig. 10). - [Previous: c8.208](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8.208) - [Next: c8.210](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8.210) - [Up: c8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8) ## Cites (1) - [Vāyupurāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.vayu) — Vyāsa, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8.209](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.ali-1966.c8.209) · Pramāṇa