The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t40.1

c6.s3.t40.1

The ancient city of Mahoba is situated at the foot of a low granite hill, 54 miles to the south of Hamîrpur, at the junction of the Betwa and Jumna, 34 miles to the north of Khajurâho. Its name is a contraction of *Mahotsava-nagara*, or the "City of the great festival," which was celebrated there by Chandra Varmma, the founder of the Chândel dynasty. It is said to have been 6 *yojanas* long and 2 broad, which is only the usual exaggeration of silly story-tellers for a large city. At its greatest extent, according to my observation, it could never have exceeded 1½ mile in length, from the small castle of Rai-kot on the west, to the Kalyân Sâgar on the east. It is about 1 mile in breadth, which would give a circuit of 5 miles, but an area of only 1 square mile, as the south-west quarter is occupied by the Madan Sâgar. Its population, therefore, at the most flourishing period, must have been under 100,000 persons, even allowing as high an average as one person to every 300 square feet. In 1843, when I resided at Mahoba for about six weeks, there were only 756 inhabited houses, with a population less than 4000 persons; since then the place has somewhat increased, and is now said to possess 900 houses, and about 5000 inhabitants.