Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.187

c6.187

Citrakūṭa (Pali Cittakūṭa).—This beautiful mountain finds its place among the holy places mentioned in the Padmapurāṇa (Ch. 21—Tīrthamāhātmya). It is known in the Jaina Bhagavatī-Ṭīkā (7. 6) as Cittakuḍa. According to Kālidāsa it appears like a wild bull playfully butting against a rock or mound.⁷ It stood at a distance of 20 miles (10 krośas) from the hermitage of the sage Bharadvāja.⁸ The Uttaracaritaṃ (Act. I, 24) refers to the road on the bank of the Kālindī leading to the Citrakūṭa mountain. It is the modern Citrakūṭa, a famous hill, lying 65 miles west-south-west of Allahabad.⁹ It is situated about four miles from the modern Citrakūṭa railway station. It lay to the south-west of Prayāga. The Apadāna (p. 50) vaguely locates it to be not very far off from the Himavanta. The Gaḍhwā stone inscription refers to it.¹⁰ The Bhāgavatapurāṇa mentions it as a mountain (v. 19, 16). The Lalitavistara (p. 391) refers to it as a hill. It was a pleasant spot.¹¹ It was a spotless place.¹² It existed in the Himalayan region and it had a golden cave and a natural lake.¹³ It was noted for its waterfalls (Raghuv., XIII. 47).