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7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES
Scholars regard the Puranas in general as having been compiled by many hands between the 4th and the 16th centuries AD. [http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/ganesh/puranas.htm]
The oldest of the Puranas, Vayu Purana, may date back to about the sixth century. and some of the others may be as recent as the thirteenth century. [http://scholars.nus.edu.sg/post/india/religion/hindu/hindu1.html: University Scholars Program]
Some references are given below:
Ganesh Purana
Thapan reviews different views on dating and states her own judgement that it appears likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana come into existence around the 12th and 13th centuries, being subject to interpolations during the succeeding ages. Thapan notes that these puranas, like other puranas, developed over a period of time as multi-layered works.
Lawrence W. Preston and Hazra considers that the period AD 1100-1400 is the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana because that period agrees with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by it. [ Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Ganapati: Insights into the dynamics of a cult. Manohar Publishers, 304. ISBN 81-7304-195-4. Preston, Lawrence W., p. 103. "Subregional Religious Centers in the History of Maharashtra: The Sites Sacred to Ganesa", in: N. K. Wagle, ed., Images of Maharashtra: A Regional Profile of India.] R. C. Hazra, "The Ganesa Purāņa", Journal of the Ganganatha Jha Research Institute, Vol. 9, 1951, pp. 79-99. For dating see p. 97. Farquhar dates it between AD 900-1350 Farquhar, J. N., An Outline of the Religious Literature of India, pp. 226 and 270. ] http://www.mysteriesofthekingdom.com/krishna.htm as retrieved on Apr 13, 2007 16:41:54 GMT.
Vishnu Purana: This work contains the geneology of the Gupta kings, and therefore could not have been finalized before 320 AD. Hazra is positive the date of this Purana is between 275 - 325 AD, while Winternitz agrees it is not later than the 400's. (Jaiswal, 17) Others agree it was probably written between 300 - 400 AD. (sdmart.com) Raychaudhuri agrees that it was probably written between 320 - 355 AD, and goes further by saying that the puranas that relate the Krishna story cannot be placed much before the Gupta kings, since the geneology of those kings is included. (Raychaudhuri, 91, 42)
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