Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 322

KEK
08
The peak of Kedarnatha is said in the Sisa Purana (Pt. I. ch. 47), to be situated at Badarika-drama. The worship of Kedaranátha is said to have been established by the Pandavas (see Pancha-kedåra). Close to the temple is a precipice called Bhairab Jhamp, where devotees committed suicide by Ainging themselves from the summit. (Dr. Führer's MAI., Imperial Gazetteer. Vol. VIII. s.v. Kedarnath). Saikarâchârya died at this place (Madhavacharya's Sankaravijaya, ch. 16). Near the temple is a Kunda called Reta-Kunda where Karttika is said to have been born. (Skanda P., Mahesvara Kh., I, 27; II, 29). Ughi-math is 32 miles lower; it contains
the images of Mândhâtâ and the five Pandavas. Kekaya-A country between the Bias and the Sutlej. It was the kingdom of the
father of Kaikeyi, one of the wives of Dasaratha, king of Ayodhyâ (Ramayana,
Ayodhyâ, ch. 68). See Girivrajapura (II). Kerala-The Malabar coast (Wilson's Malati and Madhava). It comprised Malabar,
Travancore, and Kanara (Ramdyana, Kishk., ch. 41) terminating at Cape Comorin on the south and Goa on the north. It is the country of the Nairs. It is sometimes used as synonymous with Chera (Rapson's Ancient India, p. 164 and Indian Coins, p. 36; Dr. Bhandarkar's Hist. of the Dekkan, sec. III). In fact Kerala is the Kanarese dialectal form of the more ancient name of Chera (Hunter's Imperial Gazetteer of India, 8.v. Chera). Sankaracharya, the celebrated reformer, was born at Kaladi on the bank of the river Purņa at tho foot of the mountain called Brisha in Kanara (Kerala); his father was Şivaguru and his grandfather was Vidyâdiraja. See Chittambalam. In the Mackenzie Manuscripts, the capital of Keraladesa is said to be Ananta-Sayanam. Parasurama is said to have caused Brâhmaņas to inhabit this country (JASB., 1838, pp. 183, 128). Gibbon says "Every year about the summer solstice, a fleet of 120 vessels sailed from Myas Hormas, a port of Egypt on the Red Sea. The coast of Malabar or the island of Ceylon was the usual term of their navigation, and it was in those markets, that the merchants from the more remote parts of Asia expected their arrival. This fleet traversed the ocean in about forty days by the periodical assistance of the monsoons." The Kollam era which is in use in Travancore and Malabar, and which commenced in 824 A.D., is a modification of the Saptarshi era
(Ind. Ant., Vol. XXVI, p. 118). Korala putra-See Kotalaputra. Kesavati--The Vishnumati river in Nepal, a tributary of the Bagmati (Wright's Hist.
of Nepal, pp. 81, 89). It forms four out of the fourteen great Tirthas of Nepal by its junction with four rivers. The names of the four Tirthas are Kâma, Nirmala, Akara, and Jugana. But according to the Svayambhu Purana (ch. iv), its junction with the rivers Bimalâvati Bhadranadi, Svarnavati, Pâpanâsini, and Kanakavati form the sacred Tirthas called Manoratha, Nirmala (or Triveni), Nidhana, Jõâna and Chintamaņi respec
tively. Ketakivana--Baidyanath in the Santal Parganas in Bengal (Dr. R. L. Mitra's On the Tem.
ples of Deoghar in JASB., 1883, p. 172). Kotalaputra Same as Kerala or Chera (Asoka's Girnar Inscription ; Bhandarkar's Early
History of the Dekkan, sec. III, p. 10). It comprised the Malabar Coast, south of the Chandragiri river (V. A. Smith's Early History of India, p. 164); it was also called Keralaputra