Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c8.s1.5

c8.s1.5

41. Beyond the gulf of Baraca is that of Barygaza and the coast of the country of Ariaca (Aparāntaka ; Konkan or Nothern Konkan), which is the beginning of the kingdom of Mambarus (a Śaka Satrap of the Kuṣāṇas of Kaniṣka's house) and of all India. That part of it lying inland and adjoining Scythia is called Abiria (Ābhīra), but the coast is called Syrastrene K(Surāṣṭra ; athiawad Peninsula or its southern part). It is a fertile country, yielding wheat and rice and sesame oil and clarified butter, cotton and the Indian cloths made therefrom, of the coarser sorts. Very many cattle are pastured there, and the men are of great stature and black in colour. The metropolis of this country is Minnagara, from which much cotton cloth is brought down to Barygaza. In these places there remain even to the present time signs of the expedition of Alexander, such as ancient shrines, walls of forts and great wells. The sailing course along this coast, from Barbaricum to the promontory called Papica (Goaphat or Gopinath Point), opposite Barygaza, and before Astacampra (Hastakavapra; Hathab near Bhavnagar), is of three thousand stadia.²