Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 51
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 338
________________ LAT 114 LIL of the Mahendra rango which abuts into the ocean and cross it to reach Loka, or in other words, the island of Lanka, according to the Ramayana, was situated to the south of the Cardamum Mountains which form the southern portion of the Mahendra range, while if Ceylou be the ancient Lanka, one is not required to cross the Tanniaparvi river to go to the southern extremity of the Mahendra Mountain in order to reach that island by the Adam's Bridge (or Setubandha Râmegvara); 2. Bardha-mihira, the celebrated astronomer, says that Ujjayini and Lankan are situated on the same meridian, while Ceylon lies far to the east of this meridian ; 3. Some of the works of the Pauranic times mention Lanka and Sinhala (the corruption of which is Ceylon) as distinct islands (Brihat-Samhita, ch. 14 and Devi P., chs. 42, 46). On the other hand, the Mahavamsa, the most ancient history of Ceylon composed in the 5th century A.D., distinctly mentions that the island of Laika was called Siil hala by Vijaya after his conquest, and calls Dutthagamani and Paråkrama bâ hu kings of Laika or Simphala (Geiger's Mahdvania, chs. VII, XXXI). The Rajávali also mentions, the tradition of the war of Råvana in the island of Ceylon (Uphan's Rajavali, Pt. I). Dhammakitti, the author of the Dathavainya, who lived in the twelfth century A.D., in the reign of ParakramabAhu I, king of Ceylon, states that Simhala and Lankâ are the same island. It is called Zeilan or Silan (Ceylon) by Marco Polo, who visited it in the thirteenth century A.D. (Wright's Marco Polo). For other derivations of the name of Silan, sce Col. Yule's Travels of Marco Polo, Vol. II, p. 254, sote. Lata-1. Southern Gujarat including Khandesh situated between the river Mahi and the lower Tapti : the Larike of Ptolemy (Garuda P., ch. 55; Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology ; Dr. Bhandarkar's Hist. of the Dekkan, sec. XI, p. 42). It is mentioned in the Kamasutra of Vâtsyâyana. It comprised the collectorates of Surat, Bharoch, Kheda and parts of Baroda territory (Antiquities of Kathiawad and Kachh by Burgess). According to Col. -Yule, Låda was the ancient name of Gujarat and Northern Konkan (Marco Polo, Vol. II, p. 302 n). It is the Lathikâ of the Dhauli inscription and Rästika (Ristika) of the Girnar inscription of Asoka. According to Prof. Bühler, Lata is Central Gujarat, the district between the Mahi and Kim rivers, and its chief city was Broach (see Additional Notes, It-sing's Records of the Buddhist Religion, by Takakusu, p. 217; Alberuni's India, I, p. 205). In the Copperplate Inscription found at Baroda, the capital of Låta or the kingdom of Latesvara is said to be Elapur (v. II). The inscription also gives the genealogy of the kings of Lâtesvara (JASB., vol. VIII, 1839, p. 292). But it is doubtfal whether Låta and Latesvara are identical kingdoms. Laja was also called Lada in the Biddhasdlabhaji jika: Olladesa appears to be identical with Lâța (see olla). The Nâgara Brahmins of Lâta (Gujarat) are said to have invented the Nagri character. The Devanagari character, however, is said to have been derived from the Brahmi alphabet. 2. Radha : the Låda of Upham's Mahd pamia is a corruption of Radha in Bengal (see Radha). Latthivans-Same as Yashtivana (Jataka, Cam. ed., IV, p. 179; Mahavagga, I, 22). Lavan —The Lun (Looni) or Nun Nadi which rises near Paniar and falls into the Sind at Chandpursonari in Malwa (Malati-madhava, Act IX ; Arch. 9. Rep., Vol. II, p. 308). Lavapard-Called also Lavakota or Lavavarâ afterwards called Lohawar : Lahore, founded by Lava, the son of Ramachandra (Tod's Rajasthan, I, p. 224). The ruins of the ancient city still exist near the present city of Lahore. In the Jaina Inscriptions at Satruñjaya, it is called Labhapura (Ep. Ind., Vol. II, pp. 38, 54). Lilajand-The river Phalgu : but, in fact, the western branch of the river Phalgu, which joins the Mohâná few miles above Gaya, is called by that name. See Nilajana. me)

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