The Geography of the Puranas c9.32

c9.32

The above descriptions clearly refer to three important oases which occur on the margin of the Tarim basin, where the rivers Kizil-Su, Yārkand and Akṣu enter the sandy belt of the basin from the mountains. The first of the valleys mentioned above is clearly the oasis of Kashghar, which is by far the richest in the whole of the Tarim basin. The second corresponds to the Yarkand oasis and the third is the palm forest which is located in and around Aksu. All the 3 oases lie between 3,300 and 4,500 feet a.s.l. and are strikingly similar. The first two are much bigger and are justly famous for polar willows and their orchards and arbours with their inviting shade and their plentiful produce of fruits. It will be seen from the map that the Kashghar oasis lies between the Sitānta and Kumuñja, Yarkand between Vaikanka and Maṇiśaila and Aqsu or Akṣu between Kumuñja and Mahā Nila. This confirms the location of the Sitānta mountain which was identified with the Kashghar range. Similarly the relative position of the other mountains, the Kumuñja, the Vaikanka, the Maṇiśaila and the Mahā-Nila appear to be correct with reference to these oases on the one hand and the river Tarim and its affluents on the other. It is to be noted that the last one, i.e., the Akṣu oasis which is said to be between the Mahā Nila mountain and the Mukuñja or the Kumuñja is the only oasis which is actually located at the foot of the Tien-Shan, others are at some distance from the main ranges. The cities of Kashghar, Yarkand and Aksu (and Khotan) have been described time and again by travellers in ancient and medieval times. Their accounts show that they, particularly the first two, have been important centres of administration, culture, trade and commerce for centuries. Their products, agricultural and mineral, had acquired fame all over the known world. The beauty of these oasis towns, their arbours and meadows, irrigation channels and lakes, houses and temples, flowers and fruits, and all these in the midst of a desert—qualified them for the epithet, 'paradise', commonly used for describing them. It is no wonder therefore that the Purāṇics honoured these 'paradises' by associating them with the Goddess Lakṣmī, God Kāśyapa and Lord Indra to keep fresh in their memories the beauties of the land which was under their influence for a long time.