________________
222
A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
been identified with mudern Junagadh also. Teyālaga was another name of Verávala which was a famous sea-port of the time. The poet Bilhana during his course of career is mentioned to have sailed from the port of Verāvala for Honā. vara near Gokarna.
Purima or Purí, mentioned as a famous jalapattana of the times, was another sea-port on the western coast. It has been wrongly identified with Puri in Orissa on the eastern coast. The Aihole Prasasti,dated Saka Samvat 556,mentions the Cālukya sovereign Pulakesin II to have beseiged Purī, the Fortune of the western sea, with hundreds of ships in appearance like arrays of rutting elephants. Purī, on the western coast, has been identified with Chandapur or Chandor in the present Goa territory or with Gharapuri or the Elephanta Island across the Bombay harbour.6
Diva is mentioned as an island situated about a yojana away in the south of Saurāșțra.? It is still known by the same name.8 Pabhāsā was a famous place of pilgrimage duriug this time. It has been identified with Somanātha in Kathiawar.10 The existence of Pabhāsā as famous sea-port is confirmed by Merutunga who narrates how Yogarāja, the grandson of Vanarāja, seized the ships at Pabhāsā.11
The most important sea-port was Bharukaccha in Lăța country which played an important part in foreign sea-trade. The foreign merchants (agastuga-vaniya)13 regularly came to
1. Bhattasali, N. K., IHQ., 1934, pp. 541-50. Vide also--LAI., p. 271. 2. Gopal, op. cit., p. 92. 3. NC. 2, p. 328. 4. LAI., P 325. 5. Keilborn, “Aibole Inscription of Pulkeshin II," EI, VI, pp. 9-10. 6. Virji, K.J., Ancient History of Saurashtra, p. 67. 7. NC. 2, p. 95. 8. In the later centuries Diy became a famous port of call for all the
vessels bound to and from Gujarat, the Red sea and the Persian gulf.
Majmudar, M. R., Cultural History of Gujarat, p. 71. 9. NO. 3, P. 195. O. GD., p. 157. 11. Majmudar, M. R., op. cit., p. 317. 12. NO. 2, p. 439; Brh. V1.2, p. 594.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
