The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s2.176

c5.s2.176

Bindhyâchala.—1. The Vindhya range. The celebrated temple of Vindubâsinî (*Devî-Bhâgavata*, VII, 30) is situated on a part of the hills near Mirzapur. It is one of the stations of the E. I. Railway. The temple of the eight-armed Yogamâyâ, which is one of the 52 Pîṭhas, where the toe of Satî’s left foot is said to have fallen, is at a short distance from the temple of Vindubâsinî (*see Sîta P.*, IV, Pt. I, ch. 21). Yogamâyâ, after warning Kaṃsa, king of Mathurâ, of the birth of his destroyer, came back to the hills, and took her abode at the site of the temple of Vindubâsinî (*Skanda P.*, Rovâ Kh, ch. 55). It was, and is still a celebrated place of pilgrimage mentioned in the *Kathâ-sarit-sâgara* (I, ch. 2). The town of Bindhyâchala was included within the circuit of the ancient city of Pampâpura (*Fuhrer’s M. A. I*). The fight between Durgâ and the two brothers Sumbha and Niśumbha took place at Bindhyâchala (*Vâmana P.*, ch. 55). *See Chaṇḍapura*. The goddess Vindubâsinî was widely worshipped in the seventh century, and her shrine was considered as one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage (*Kathâ-sarit-sâgara*, chs. 52, 54). 2. Another Bindhyâchala has been identified by Mr. Pargiter with the hills and plateau of South Mysore (*Râmâyaṇa*, Kishk, ch. 48; *JRAS.*, 1894, p. 261).