Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8.s4.14

c8.s4.14

Deva-prastha seems to be placed to the west of Vairajanātha (or Candranātha), and to the south (east?) of the Amarakaṇṭaka, and Kāñcīpura and Mohanāvarta are located in this *prastha* which had possibly something to do also with Kāmākhyā. Vairajanātha may be connected with the Virajā-kṣetra or Jājpur; but Candranātha, the celebrated god in the Chittagong District in Bengal, seems to be actually indicated. Kāñcīpura of the verse does not appear to mean the famous Kāñcīpuram near Madras. It is better to identify it with the Kāñcī-pīṭha on the Kopāi river near Bolpur in the Birbhum District of West Bengal. Deva-prastha therefore comprised the south-eastern and eastern regions of India. Bengal and Assam which had the greatest centres of medieval Tantricism were included in this *prastha* which is possibly called *Deva-prastha* significantly.