The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t6: Máyápura, or Haridwár.

The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t6

Language: English

Máyápura, or Haridwár.

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Hwen Thsang describes the town of *Mo-yu-lo*, or *Máyura*, as situated on the north-west frontier of Madâwar, and on the eastern bank of the Ganges.* At a short distance from the town there was a great temple called "the gate of the Ganges," that is, *Gangá-dwára*, with a tank inside, which was supplied by a canal with water from the holy river. The vicinity of *Gangá-dwára*, which was the old name of *Haridwára*, shows that *Máyúra* must be the present ruined site of *Máyápura*, at the head of Ganges canal. But both of these places are now on the western bank of the Ganges, instead of on the eastern bank, as stated by Hwen Thsang. His note that they were on the north-west frontier of Madâwar seems also to point to the same position; for if they had been on the western bank of the Ganges, they would more properly be described as on the north-eastern frontier of Srughna. I examined the locality with some care, and I was satisfied that at some former period the Ganges may have flowed to the westward of Mâyâpura and Kankhal down to Jwâlapur. There is, however, no present trace of any old channel between the Gangâdwâra temple and the hills; but as this ground is now covered with the houses of Haridwâr, it is quite possible that a channel may once have existed, which has since been gradually filled up, and built upon. There is therefore no physical difficulty which could have prevented the river from taking this westerly course, and we must either accept Hwen Thsang's statement or adopt the alternative, that he has made a mistake in placing Mayûra and Gangâdwâra to the east of the Ganges.

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∗ Julien's 'Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 230. See Map No. X.

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There is a dispute between the followers of Siva and Vishnu as to which of these deities gave birth to the Ganges. In the ‘Vishnu Purâna’ it is stated that the Ganges has its rise “in the nail of the great toe of Vishnu’s left foot;”* and the Vaishnavas point triumphantly to the *Hari-ki-charan*, or *Hari-ki-pairi* (Vishnu’s foot-prints), as indisputable evidence of the truth of their belief. On the other hand, the Saivas argue that the proper name of the place is *Hara-dwâra*, or “Siva’s Gate,” and not *Hari-dwâra*. It is admitted also, in the ‘Vishnu Purâna,’ that the *Alakananda* (or east branch of the Ganges) “was borne by Mahadeva upon his head.”† But in spite of these authorities, I am inclined to believe that the present name of Haridwâr or Haradwâr is a modern one, and that the old town near the Gangâdwâra temple was *Máyápura*. Hwen Thsang, indeed, calls it *Mo-yu-lo*, or *Máyura*, but the old ruined town between Haridwâr and Kankhal is still called *Máyápur*, and the people point to the old temple of *Máyá-Devi* as the true origin of its name. It is quite possible, however, that the town may also have been called *Mayura-pura*, as the neighbouring woods still swarm with thousands of peacocks (*Mayúra*), whose shrill calls I heard both morning and evening.

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† *Ibid.*

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Hwen Thsang describes the town as about 20 *li*, or 3⅓ miles, in circuit, and very populous. This account corresponds very closely with the extent of the old city of Mâyâpura, as pointed out to me by the people.

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∗ Book ii. 8. Hall’s edition of Wilson’s translation, ii. 272.

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These traces extend from the bed of a torrent which enters the Ganges near the modern temple of Sarv-vanâth to the old fort of Raja Ben, on the bank of the canal, a distance of 7500 feet. The breadth is irregular, but it could not have been more than 3000 feet at the south end, and, at the north end, where the Siwâlik hills approach the river, it must have been contracted to 1000 feet. These dimensions give a circuit of 19,000 feet, or rather more than 3½ miles. Within these limits there are the ruins of an old fort, 750 feet square, attributed to Raja Ben, and several lofty mounds covered with broken bricks, of which the largest and most conspicuous is immediately above the canal bridge. There are also three old temples dedicated to Nârâyana-sila, to Mâyâ-Devi, and to Bhairava. The celebrated ghat called the Pairi, or “Feet Ghat,” is altogether outside these limits, being upwards of 2000 feet to the north-east of the Sarvvanâth temple. The antiquity of the place is undoubted, not only from the extensive foundations of large bricks which are everywhere visible, and the numerous fragments of ancient sculpture accumulated about the temples, but from the great variety of the old coins, similar to those of Sugh, which are found here every year.

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The name of Haridwâra, or “Vishnu’s Gate,” would appear to be comparatively modern, as both Abu Rihân and Rashid-ud-din mention only Gangâ-dwâra. Kâlidâs also, in his ‘Meghaduta,’ says nothing of Haridwâra, although he mentions Kankhal; but as his contemporary Amarasinha gives Vishnupadi as one of the synonyms of the Ganges, it is certain that the legend of its rise from Vishnu’s foot is as old as the fifth century. I infer, however, that no temple of the Vishnupada had been erected down to the time of Abu Rihân. The first allusion to it of which I am aware is by Sharif-ud-din,* the historian of Timur, who says that the Ganges issues from the hills by the pass of Cou-pele, which I take to be the same as Koh-pairi, or the "Hill of the Feet" (of Vishnu), as the great bathing ghat at the Gangâdwâra temple is called Pairi Ghat, and the hill above it Pairi Pahâr. In the time of Akbar, the name of Haridwâr was well known, as Abul Fazl speaks of "Mâyâ, vulgo Haridwâr, on the Ganges," as being considered holy for 18 kos in length.† In the next reign the place was visited by Tom Coryat, who informed Chaplain Terry that at "Haridwâra, the capital of Siba, the Ganges flowed amongst large rocks with a pretty full current." In 1796 the town was visited by Hardwicke, who calls it a small place situated at the base of the hills. In 1808, Raper describes it as very inconsiderable, having only one street, about 15 feet in breadth, and a furlong and a half (or three-eighths of a mile) in length. It is now much larger, being fully three-quarters of a mile in length, but there is still only one street.

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Hwen Thsang notes that the river was also called Fo-shui,† which M. Stanislas Julien translates as *l'eau qui porte bonheur*, and identifies with Mahâbhadrâ, which is one of the many well-known names of the Ganges. He mentions also that bathing in its waters was sufficient to wash away sin, and that if corpses were thrown into the river the dead would escape the punishment of being born again in an inferior state, which was due to their crimes. I should prefer reading *Subhadrâ*, which has the same meaning as Ma-hâbhadrâ, as Ktesias mentions that the great Indian river was named ὕπαρχος, which he translates by φέρων πάντα τὰ ἀγαθά.* Pliny quoting Ktesias calls the river *Hypobarus*, which he renders by “omnia in se ferre bona.”† A nearly similar word, *Oibares*, is rendered by Nicolas of Damascus as ἀγαθάγγελος. I infer, therefore, that the original name obtained by Ktesias was most probably *Subhadrâ*.

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∗ ‘History of Timur,’ translated by Petis de la Croix, iii. 131. † ‘Ayin Akbari,’ ii. 516. ‡ Julien’s ‘Hiouen Thsang,’ ii. 217.

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† Hist. Nat. xxxvii. 11.

Linked texts (1)

Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit