Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.274

c10.274

Padmāvatī.—It is modern Narwar, Gwalior district of Madhya-Bhārata (C.I.) (E.I., I, 147-52). Here the celebrated poet Bhavabhūti was born (Mālatī-Mādhava, Act I). According to some this town was situated at the confluence of the two rivers, Sindhu and Pārā (Pārvatī), in Vidarbha. It has been identified with modern Vijayanagar, which is a corruption of Vidyānagar, 25 miles below Narwar or Nalapura. According to V. A. Smith Padmāvatī was the capital of Gaṇapati Nāga. It is now called Paḍam Pawāyā, 25 miles north-east of the city of Narwar which is included in the Scindhia’s dominions (C.H.I., p. 300; Annual Report, A.S.W.C., 1914-15, p. 68). According to the Skanda Purāṇa (Avantikhaṇḍa, I, Ch. 36, 44), Padmāvatī is another name for Ujjayinī (N. L. Dey, Geographical Dictionary, p. 143; A.S.R., Vol. II, pp. 308-18; J.A.S.B., 1837, p. 17). Padmāvatī is also known as Padmapura.