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The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s6: H

The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s6

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English

H

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Haihaya—Khandesh, parts of Aurangabad and South Malwa. It was the kingdom of Karttaviryarjuna, who was killed by Parasurama (see Tamasa). Its capital was Mahishmati, now called Mahesvara or Chuli-Mahesvara (Ramayana, Uttara, ch. 36). Same as Anupadesa (Mbh., Vana, 114, Skanda P., Nagara kh., ch. 66), Mahesa and Mahishaka.

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Haimavata-varsha—The name of India before it was called Bharatavarsha (Linga P., Pt. I, ch. 45). See Bharatavarsha.

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Haimavati—1. Same as Rishikulya (Hemakosha). 2. The river Ravi in the Panjab (Matsya P., ch. 115). 3. The original name of the river Sutlej, which flew in a hundred streams at the sight of Vashishtha, and since then it is called Satadru (Mbh., Adi P., ch. 170). 4. The river Airavati (Irawadi) in the Panjab (Matsya P., chs. 115, 116).

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Hamsavati—Pegu, built by the two brothers Samala and Bimala [JASB., (1859), p. 478.]

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Hamsadvara—Same as Krauncha-randhra (Meghaduta, pt. I, v. 58).

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Hamsa-sapa—Jarasindhu-ka-Baithak in Giriyek near Rajgir in Bihar, visited by Hiuen Tsiang. It is a dagoba [Dehagopa or Dhatugarbha or tope (stupa)] erected, according to him, in honour of a Hamsa (goose) which sacrificed itself to relieve the wants of a starving community of Buddhist Bhikshus of the Hinayana school. There was formerly an excellant road which led up to the mountain-top. This road was constructed by Bimbisara when he visited Buddha at this place; the remains of the road still exist.

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Haradvara—Same as Haridvara.

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Harahaura—The tract of country lying between the Indus and the Jhelum, and the Gandgarh mountain and the Salt range (Arch. S. Rep., vol. v, p. 79, and Brihat-samhita, xiv, 33).

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Harakela—Banga or East Bengal (Hemachandra's Abhidhana-chintamani).

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Harkshetra—Bhuvanesvara in Orissa. It was the site of a capital city founded by Raja Yayati Kesari, who reigned in Orissa in the latter part of the fifth century. Same as Ekamrakanana.

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Haramukta—The mount Haramuk in Kasmira, twenty miles to the north of Srinagur (Dr. Stein's Rajatarangini, II, p. 407).

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Harddapitha—Baidyanatha in the Santal Parganas in Bengal. It is one of the fifty-two Pithas where Sati's heart is said to have fallen, though there is no momento of any kind associated with the occurrence [Dr. R. L. Mitra, On the Temples of Deoghar in JASB. (1883), p. 172 ; Tantra-chuḍāmaṇi].

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Haridvāra—See Kanakhala. It stands on the right bank of the Ganges, at the very point where it bursts through the Siwalik hills and debouches upon the plains nearly two hundred miles from its source. It is in the district of Shahranpur and was situated on the eastern confines of the kingdom of Śrughna. It is also called Gaṅgādvāra which contains the shrine of Nakuleśvara Mahādeva (Kūrma P., II., ch. 42).

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Hariharakshetra—1. Hariharachhatra or Sonepur at the junction of the Gaṇḍak and the Ganges (Varāha P., ch. 144). See Biśālā-chhatra. 2. Harihara at the junction of the rivers Tuṅgabhadrā and Haridrā in Mysore (Rice's Mysore Inscriptions, p. 71). See Hariharanāthapura.

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Hariharanātha-pura—Harihara or Kuḍalur at the junction of the river Haridrā with the Tuṅgabhadrā; a celebrated place of pilgrimage (Padma P., Uttara, ch. 62; Rice's Mysore Inscrip., Intro.). It was visited by Nityānanda, the celebrated disciple of Chaitanya.

c5.s6.16

Harikshetra—Harikāntam Sellar on the river Pennar, a place of pilgrimage visited by Chaitanya (Chaitanya-Bhāgavata, ch. 6).

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Hārita-āśrama—Ekaliṅga, situated in a defile about six miles of Udaipur in Rajputana. It was the hermitage of Rishi Hārita, the author of one of the Saṁhitās.

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Haritakīvana—A part of Baidyanātha in the Santal Parganas in Bengal now called Harlājuḍi (Baidyanāthamahātmya); see Chiṭābhūmi.

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Harivarsha—It included the western portion of Thibet (Kālikā P., ch. 82; Mbh., Sabhā P., ch. 51). Same as Uttara-kuru (Mbh., Sabhā, ch. 28).

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Haryo—Hassan-Abdul in the Punjab; it was also called Haro.

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Hastaka-vapra—Hāthab, near Bhaonagar in Gujarat: it is the "Aṣṭacampra" of the Periplus of the Erythræan Sea, and Astakapra of Ptolemy (see Bomb. Gaz., vol. I, pt. 1, p. 539).

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Hastimati—The river Hautmati, a tributary of the Sabarmatī in Gujarat (Padma P., Uttara, ch. 55).

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Hastināpura—The capital of the Kurus, north-east of Delhi, entirely diluviated by the Ganges. It was situated twenty-two miles north-east of Mirat and south-west of Bijnor on the right bank of the Ganges. Nichakshu, the grandson of Janamejaya of the Mahābhārata, removed his capital to Kauśāmbī atter the destruction of Hastināpura (Vishṇu P., pt. IV, ch. 21). Gaḍmukteśvar, containing the temple of Mukteśvara Mahādeva was a quarter of ancient Hastināpura. See Gaṇamukteśvara.

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Hastisomā—The river Hastu, a tributary of the Mahānadī [Padma P., Svarga (Ādi), ch. 3].

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Hātaka—1. Undes or Hūṇadeśa where the lake Mānasasarovara is situated (Mbh., Sabhā P., ch. 27). The Guhyakas (perhaps the ancestors of the Gurkhās) lived at this place. 2. A Kshetra or sacred area in the district of Ahmedabad in which was situated Chamatkārapura, once the capital of Anartta-deśa, seventy miles to the south-east of Sidhpur (Skanda P., Nāgara kh). See Chamatkārapura.

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Hatyaharana—Hattiaharan, twenty eight miles south east of Hardoi in Oudh. Râmachandra is said to have expiated his sin for killing Râvana, who was a Brahman's son, by bathing at this place.

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Hayamukha—Cunningham has identified this with Daundiakhera on the northern bank of the Ganges, about 104 miles north west of Allahabad (Jaimini Bhârata, ch 22, Cunningham's Anc. Geo, p 387). Beal considers that the identification is not satisfactory (Records of Western Countries, I, 229). It was visited by Hiuen Tsiang.

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Hemakûta—1 Called also Hemaparvata. It is another name for the Kailâsa mountain which is the abode of Kuvera, the king of the Yakshas (Mbh, Bhishma P, ch 6, Kurma P, I, 48). This appears to be confirmed by Kalidâsa (Sakuntalâ, Act vii). 2 The Bândarpuchchha range of the Himalaya in which the rivers Alakânandâ, Ganges and Yamunâ have got their source (Varâha P, ch 82). It should be observed that the Kailâsa, and Bandarpuchchha ranges were called by the general name of Kailâsa. See Kailâsa.

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Hidamba—Cachar, named after a Râja of Kâmarûpa in Assam who built a palace at Khaspur at the foot of the northern range of hills [Bengal and Agra Guide and Gazetteer (1841), vol 11, p 97].

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Himâdri—The Himalaya mountain.

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Himalaya—The Himalaya mountain (see Himavân).

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Himavân—Same as Himâlaya (Mârkanḍeya P, chs 54, 55). According to the Purâṇas Himavân or the Himâlaya range is to the south of Mânasa-sarovara (Varâha P, ch 78).

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Himavanta—Majjhima, Kassapagotta, and Dundubhissara were sent as missionaries to Himavanta by Asoka (Mahâvaṃsa, ch xii). Their ashes were found in a tope at Sanchi (Cunningham, Bhilsa Tope, p 287). By some, it has been identified with Tibet, but Fergusson identifies it with Nepal (Fergusson's Cave Temples of India, p 17).

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Hingulâ—Hinglaj (Devî-Bhâgavata, vii, 38), situated at the extremity of the range of mountains in Beluchistan called by the name of Hingulâ about twenty miles or a day's journey from the sea coast on the bank of the Aghor or Hingulâ or Hingol river (the Tomeros of Alexander's historians) near its mouth. It is one of the fifty two pîṭhas or places celebrated as the spots on which fell Sati's dissevered limbs. Sati's brahmarandhra is said to have fallen at this place (Tantra Chûḍâmaṇi). The goddess Durgâ is known here by the name of Mahâmâyâ or Koṭṭarî. According to Captain Hart, who visited the temple, it is situated in a narrow gorge the mountains on each side of which rise perpendicularly to nearly a thousand feet. It is a low mud edifice, built at one end of a natural cave of small dimensions, and contains only a tomb shaped stone, called the goddess Mâtâ or Mahâmâyâ [Account of a Journey from Karachi to Hinglaj in JASB, IX (1840), p 134, Brief History of Kalat by Major Robert Leech in JASB, (1843), p 473]. Sir T Holdich considers that the shrine had been in existence before the days of Alexander, "for the shrine is sacred to the goddess Nâna (now identified with Siva by the Hindus)" which, Assurbanipal (Sardanapalus of the Greeks) king of Assyria, removed from Susa in 645 B C to the original sanctuary at Urakh (now Warka in Mesopotamia), the goddess being Assyrian (The Greek Retreat from India in the Journal of the Society of Arts, vol XLIX, Rawlinson's *Five Great Monarchies*, IV, p. 344). The temple is said to be a low mud edifice, containing a shapeless stone situated in a cavern (*Asiatic Researches*, vol. XVII). The *ziarat* is so ancient that both Hindus and Muhammadans claim it without recognising its prehistoric origin. The goddess is known to the Muhammadans by the name of Nani (*Imperial Gazetteer*, vol. xiii, p. 142). The Aghor river is the boundary between the territory of the Jam of Beila and that of the Khan of Khelat. The name given to the stream above the peak in the Hara mountains is Hingool. It is called Aghor from the mountains to the sea. On the way from Karachi, between the port of Soumeanee and the Aghor river, there are three hills which throw up jets of liquid mud called Chandra-kûpa. The village nearest to Hinglaj is Urmura or Hurmura, situated on the coast at a distance of two days' march (*JASB.*, IX, p. 134).

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Hiraṇvati—1. A river in Kośala, probably at its western extremity (*Vâmana P.*, ch. 64). 2. A river in Kurukshetra (*Mbh.*, Udyoga, ch. 158).

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Hiraṇyavâhu—The river Sona, the Erannoboas of the Greeks (*Amarakosha*). See Sona. The modern Chândan was erroneously identified by Major Franklin with Erreen Bhowah; it runs south of Bhagalpur and joins the Ganges to the west of Champânagar. Chândan was also called Chandrâvatî (see Franklin's *Site of Ancient Palibothra*, p. 20, and *Uttara Purâṇa* quoted by him). The name of Chândan however has some connection with Chând Sadâgar (see Champâpuri).

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Hiraṇyavindu—1. A celebrated place of pilgrimage at Kalinjar (*Mbh.*, Vana, ch. 87). 2. A place of pilgrimage in the Himâlaya (*Ibid*, Âdi, ch. 217).

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Hiraṇya-parvata—Monghir (see Mudgala-giri).

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Hiraṇyapura—Herdoun or Hindaun in the Jeypur state, seventy-one miles to the south-west of Agra, where Viṣṇu is said to have incarnated as Nṛisiṃha Dev and killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the father of Prahlâda (*Padma P.*, Srishti, ch. 6). But see Mulasthânapura.

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Hiraṇyavati—The Little (Chhoṭa) Gaṇḍak, same as Ajitavatî near Kuśinârâ or Kuśinagara (*Mahâparinirvâṇa Sûtra*). It flows through the district of Gorakhpur about eight miles west of the Great Gaṇḍak and falls into the Gogrâ (Sarayû).

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Hisadrus—The river Sutlej in the Punjab.

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Hlâdinî—The river Brahmaputra (Wilford, *Asiatic Researches*, vol. XIV, p. 444). But this identification does not appear to be correct. It is described as situated between Kekaya on the west and the river Śatadru (Sutlej) on the east. Bharata crossed this river on his way to Oudh from Kekaya (*Râmâyaṇa*, Ayodh., ch. 71).

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Hṛishikeśa—Rishikes, a mountain twenty-four miles to the north of Hardwar, which was the hermitage of Devadatta (*Varâha P.*, ch. 146). It is situated on the bank of the Bhâgîrathî on the road from Haridwar to Badrinâth.

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Hûṇa-deśa—1. The country round Sâkala or Sealkot in the Punjab, as Mihirakula, a Hun, made it his capital. 2. The country round Mânasa-sarovara.

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Hupian—The capital of Parsusthâna, the country of the Parsus, a warlike tribe mentioned by Pâṇini. Hupian is the present Opian, a little to the north of Charikar at the entrance of a path over the north-east of the Paghman or Pamghan range (*Cunningham's Anc. Geog.*, p. 20). It was the site of Alexandria, a town founded by Alexander the Great, the Alasanda of the Mahāvamsa and the birth-place of Menander (the Milinda of the Buddhist writers), the celebrated Bactrian king (McCrindle's *Invasion of India*, p. 332). Opian is perhaps a corruption of Upanivesa or properly Kshatriya-Upanivesa, a country situated on the north of India (*Matsya P.*, 113).

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Hushkāpura—Uskur on the left bank of the Vitastā opposite to Bāramūla in Kāsmīra. It was founded by king Hushka, the brother of Kanishka. Uskur is also called Uskara (*Cunningham's Anc. Geog.*, p. 99).

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Hydaspos—The Greek name of the river Jhelum in the Punjab.

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Hydroates—The Greek name of the river Ravi in the Punjab.

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Hypanis—The Greek name of the river Bias in the Punjab.

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Hypasis—The Greek name of the river Bias in the Punjab.

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