The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c2.17

c2.17

Having now reached the most easterly district of India he turned towards the south, and passing through *Samatata*, or Jessore, and *Tâmralipti*, or Tamluk, he reached *Odra*, or Orissa, early in A.D. 639. Continuing his southerly route he visited Ganjam and Kalinga, and then turning to the north-west he reached *Kosala*, or Berar, in the very heart of the peninsula. Then resuming his southerly course he passed through *Andhra*, or Telingâna to *Dhanakakaṭa*, or Amaravati on the Kistna river, where he spent many months in the study of Buddhist literature. Leaving this place early in A.D. 640 he pursued his southerly course to *Kânchipura*, or Conjeveram, the capital of *Dravida*, where his further progress in that direction was stopped by the intelligence that Ceylon was then in a very troubled state consequent on the recent death of the king. This statement is specially valuable for the purpose of verifying the dates of the pilgrim's arrival at different places, which I have calculated according to the actual distances travelled and the stated duration of his halts.[*] Now the troubled state of Ceylon followed immediately after the death of Raja *Buna-Mugalán*, who was defeated and killed in A.D. 639; and it is only reasonable to infer that the Ceylonese monks, whom the pilgrim met at Kânchipura, must have left their country at once, and have reached that place early in A.D. 640, which accords exactly with my calculation of the traveller's movements.