Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 65

FEBRUARY, 1874.]
A RUDE STONE MONUMENT IN GUJARAT.
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ORIGIN OF THE NAME KUMBHAKONAM.
BY THE REV. F. J. LEEPER, TRANQUEBAR. It is thus related in the Sthala Purana : "When place to place arrived at length at the spot where the Deluge commenced, men, mountains, birds, the jar was. For a distance of three kós all round, &c. were covered over by water; the stars, sun he found it illuminated, and, being astonished, he and moon were invisible; but on the great Mount let fly an arrow at the jar, but it glanced off"; this Meru there was a strong wind, and the jar con- he did seven times but with no result: he then taining the elements of creation having the placed five thousand hunters at three of the earDarba grass underneath it, and, being hung in a dinal points, while he stayed at the fourth, and hoop (as articles usually are suspended from the sent a messenger, Eka Bana, but without sucrafters of native houses), began to move, and cess. Siva (the hunter), now becoming enraged, floated to the southern side of Mount Meru, and tells the messenger: 'Remain here; see, I will go the grass underneath dropped to the earth. This and break the jar in pieces with an arrow and grass became invisible, and the place it lay on will return. If I do not, I am no hunter. He was considered more holy than any other. Where now took an arrow, so as to frighten the earth, to it fell, a linga grew, and a vanney-tree full of make the sea to roar, and all the world to be in leaves and buds. And the seven virgins wor. darkness, and he broke the jar with it. And the shipped the linga originating from the Dharba
amrita (ambrosia) in the jar saturated the earth grass ; so also did the Devatas.
to the distance of a yojana. Seeing this, he, with "The distance from the spot where the grass his court, made a linga of the saturated clay and fell, to that where the jar stopped floating, was a
sand. Then a shower of flowers fell from heaven kós (two Indian miles). When the jar arrived at
and the Devatas danced and played. In the that place, a shower of flowers rained down, and a month of February the hunter Siva established bodiless voice from heaven said 'Health, holiness, the linga and washed it with milk, and having goodness, preëminence, joy ! and a second time a made Arjuna with flowers, leaves of the vilvashower of flowers fell, and Brahma told the Muni tree, sandal, and an oblation of incense, he worNårada that he was so much pleased that the shipped it. And he also adored Mangala Ambeihairs of his body rose on end. The jar con- kei, having prepared a place for her close to this taining the seed of creation obtained the name of linga, and he became, with his court, absorbed Sata Kumbha, holy jar. To the south-east of in the linga. From that time the linga was called this jar grew a tree of white colour, and its fruits Kumbh Eswara, and the Devi, Mangala Amlingas, and seeing them Brahma perfumed Arjuna beikei, and from the linga exuded amrita (amwith the leaves of the vilva-tree and camphor. brosia) which formed a tirtha. And as from the And as the strands of the rope with which the kumbha or jar amrita issued and spread over jar was tied or suspended grew up in this place a the earth in a wandering, crooked, or tortuous vilva forest, and as the shadow of the vilva forest manner-konam-the place obtained the name fell on the lingas or fruit of the tree, it was called Kumbha-Konam-Combaconum." the Lord of Creation of Patâla.
The origin of the Maha Mága festival is ac"When the water of the Deluge had decreased, counted for also in the Sthala Purana. The legend Siva, disgused as a hunter, with his court, leaving given at page 151 of the Antiquary Vol. II. has no Kailasa, came to earth, and having travelled from foundation in the local Puråra.
A RUDE STONE MONUMENT IN GUJARAT. BY MAJOR JOHN W. WATSON, ACTING POLITICAL SUPERINTENDENT, PALANPUR. Recently while visiting the Påhlanpur Åbu bouring Kolis the Mandwo. As far as I am aware, road via Bhattana I discovered that the road it is the only megalithic structure known in passes through the Dhåråsar Tank, and took ad. Gujarat. The pillars of the porch are about four vantage of the occasion to visit the ruined site of feet high, and the great capstone is some ten feet Dharapura. Dhârâpura was evidently a mere ham- long by six feet broad, and the capstone of the inner let with a rampart or wall of loose stones sur- chamber is somewhat less. The accompanying rounding the village. I could find no traces of sketches will give a rough idea of it. Inside the carving, nothing in fact but loose uncut stones. inner chamber is an upright stone like a Palio, but The village well is built of brick. In examining without any figure or any inscription, and with the the Dhárásar Tank, however, I discovered a very upper part cut out, leaving a raised rim about three singular megalithic structure called by the neigh- inches broad. This Palio or stone is bricked in