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Sonitapura-The ancient Sonitapura is still called by that name, and is situated in Kumaun
on the bank of the river Kedar-Ganga or Mandakini about six miles from Ushämatha and at a short distance from Gupta Kasi (Harivaunsa, ch. 174). Ush&matha is on the north of Rudra-Prayaga, and is on the road from Hardwar to Kedarnatha. Gupta-Kasi is said to have been founded by Bana Raja within Sonitapura. A dilapidated fort still exists at Sonitapura on the top of a mountain and is called the fort of Raja Bana. Sonitapura was the capital of Bana Raja, whose daughter Ushå was abducted by Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna (Hariva risa, ch. 175). It was also called Umávana (Hemakosha and Trikan. dasesha). Major Madden says that Kotalgad or Fort Hastings of the survey maps situated at Lohool in Kumaun on a conical peak, is pointed out as the stronghold of Baņasura, and the pandits of Kumaun affirm that Sooi on the Jhoom mountain is the Soņitapura of the Puranas (JASB., XVII, p. 582). The Matsya Purana (ch. 116) says that the capital of Bana Raja was Tripura (Teor on the Nerbuda). A ruined fort situated at Damduma on the bank of the river Punarbhavå, fourteen miles to the south of Dinajpur, is called " Bana Raja's Gad," and it is said to have been the abode of Båna Râjâ, whence they say Ushå was abducted by Aniruddha, and various arguments are brought in to prove this assertion. But the route of Krishna from Dwaraka to Sonitapura as given in the Hari. vamsa (ch. 179) and the description of the place as being situated on a mountain near Sumeru, do not support the theory that Damdama was the ancient Sonitapura. An in. scription found in the fort proves that it was built by a king of Gaud of the Kamboja dynasty. Bâna Raja's fort in the district of Dinajpur is as much a myth as the Uttarayogriha (northern cowshed) of Râjâ Virata at Kântanagar in the same district. The Assamese also claim Tejpur as the ancient Sonitapura. Devikote on the Kaveri in the province of Madras and also Biana, 50 miles south-west of Agra, claim the honour of being the site of tho ancient Sonitapura. Wilford identifies it with the Mañupattana
(Asiatic Researches, Vol. IX., p. 199). Sopatma-See Surabhipattana (Periplus, Schoff, p. 46.) Soreyya-Not far from Takshagila (Kern's Manual of Ind. Buddhism, p. 104; SBE., XX,
p. 11). Revata lived here, he presided at the Vaisali Council. Sotthivati-Same as Suktimati, the capital of Chedi (the Cheti of the Buddhists). Sovira-See Sauvira. Sravana-beligoja-Sravana-Belgola, a town in the Hassan district, Mysore, an ancient
seat of Jaina learning, between the hills Chandrabetta and Indrabetta which contain Jaina iascriptions of the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. On the top of the former is a colossal statue of the Jaina god Gomatesvara. See also Vindhya-påda Parvata. Bhadrabahu, the great Jaina patriarch who had migrated to the South with his followers in order to escape the twelve years famine which took place during the reign of Maurya Chandragupta, went to Sravaņa-Beligola from Ujjayinî, where he died in 357 B.C. Hence it ia very sacred place to the Jainas (Ind. Ant., II, pp. 265, 322 ; III, p. 153; Rice's Mysore Inscriptions , Intro., p. lxxxvi). See Kundapura. Maurya Chandragupta became a Jaina ascetic in the latter
part of his life, and he is said to have died at this place (Rice's Mysore Gazetteer, I, p. 287). Sråvasti-Sahet-Mahet, on the bank of the river Råpti (ancient Airavatî or Achiravati) in the district of Gonda in Oudh. It was the capital of Uttara-Kosala, ten miles from Balarampur, 58 miles north of Ayodhya and 720 miles from Rajgir (Ramayana, Uttara, ch. 121). The town was founded by Sravasta, a king of the Solar race (Vishnu Purana, IV, ch. 2, v. 13). Ramchandra, king of Oudh, when dividing his kingdom, gave Sravasti to his son Lava (Vayu P., Uttara, ch. 26). Sravasti is the Savatthi or Savatthipura of the Buddhists' and Chandrapura or Chandrikåpuri of the Jainas. At the time of Buddha, Prasenaditya or Prasenjit was king of Uttara-Kosala and his capital was at Sråvasti; he visited Buddha while the latter was residing at Rajagriha (see Kundagama). Buddha
