Two Pauranic Sites of Vidarbha

Two Pauranic Sites of Vidarbha [vidarbhasya pauranikasthaladvayam] / By Sri D. P. Dikshit; Dept. of Ancient Indian History and Culture, Nagpur University, Nagpur. / 277-283

[ adhikataresu puranesu prakhyata bhaugolikasthalanam pradesavisesanam prasiddhaksetranam va paricayatmakam varnanam samullekhascopalabhyate | etadevasmin laghutame lekhe vicaritam vartate | pratisamksepenatra lekhakamahodayena 'ganesopa- purane uparvanitayoh vidarbhamaharastrayoh carca krta | visesatah vidarbha- pradesasya samskrtikapunarnirmanoddesyena spastataram paricayatmakam citram prakasitam vartate | vartamananagapuramandalantargata 'savanera ' ksetre 'adasa ( sonapura ) gramasya pracina vidarbhasthadosapurena, kalam (kalamba ) purasya ca kadambapurena ( cintamani ksetrena ) purnatadatmyam ganesapuragasya loke pracalitapravadanam ca saksyadharena sthapitamasti | vamanena tapascaritam, sadaksaramantrena ganesah sraradhitah, ganesa- mandiram vinirmitam ; sarvametat puranavarnanam satyam pratibhati | vidarbhasya mandira - madyapi latavrksadiyuktam sradasaparvatesu devi -bhairava- maruti- tryambakadimandiraih sardham virajate | mandirasya yadavakale nirmitih samjata, tato'pi purvam veti sambhavyate | ganesasya vighnanathasya vidarbhadese pracuryena pujapracarah guptakala - purvata evasiditi suvicaritamasti | cintamaniksetrasya ca sthitih ganesapurana- racanakale srasiditi nastyatra sandehaleso'pi | kalambapurastha kundapravaho jato'vakkale evaitadapi vicaritam vartate | sthaniyajanesu dantakathaisa pracalati yat vartamanaganapatimurtih purvam kasmiraprastarajatam murtimacchadayati | samanjasyena varnanametat puranollekhamanuvadatiti sarvam sadhu nirupimasti | ] In the Pauranic Literature of India,-Upapuranas claim a considerable number. Majority of them are regional and describe their respective regions in detail. Ganesa Purana, an Upapurana, is peculiar to Maharashtra and Vidarbha. It mentions many places of considerable importance in the above mentioned region and thus helps to reconstruct the cultural and religious annals of Vidarbha and Maharashtra. I propose to discuss references to two ancient towns of Vidarbha in this small article. (1) ADOSHAPURA OR ADOSHAKSHETRA. Ganesa Purana¹ which deals with the the sect of Ganapati 1. Ganesa Purana (Modavrittakara Edition) •

278 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IX., No. 2 the lord of Siddhi and Vighna, mentions many places related to the worship of this deity. Ganapati claims a good number of devotees in this region. The antiquity of Ganesa Worship is a matter of controversy, going on since long among scholars. Some say it was prevelent in Pre-Gupta period and others hold the view that it developed in post-Gupta period. But the recent researches as well as other evidences claim to Century A. D.3. However, there are counted among the sacred places connected with lord Vighnesha and are situated in Vidarbha. assign it a date in the 2nd many localities which are In Chapter 31 (Kridakhanda) of Ganes Purana', we are informed that Bhagawan Vamana visited Vidarbha and selected a site for performing penances which was full of several herbs and trees and was also beautified with tanks. bhramata dadrse tena vidarbhe sthanamuttamam | latavrksasamakirnam kasaraparisobhitam || In the same context, it is narrated that Bhagvan Vamana performed penances there and worshipped Ganesa, chanting Shadakshara mantra, keeping fast for a year. tatra padmasanam krtva nanapa tam manum subham | sadaksaram varsamatram niraharo jitendriyah || Vinayaka was pleased with Vamana and appeared there and bestowed boons on him that no one should be able to defeat him and he may be able to save Indra whose kingdom was threatened by Bali the king of Asuras. After this Vamana established, at the above mentioned place of Vidarbha an image of Ganapati 2. Please see a few recent articles. Shembawanekar K. M., NavaBharata (Marathi), September. 1964, Pages 26-35. Mirashi V. V. Nava-Bharata (Marathi), Jan., 1965, Pages 18-23 & Feb., 1965, Pages 10-12. Deshmukh, R.R., Nava-Bharata (Marathi), Feb. 1965, p. 1-9. 3. Dutta K. K., I. H. C., Session, 1959, Pages 150. 4. G. P. (Kridakhanda), Ch. XXXI V-7, Page 118. 5. G. P. do do V-8, Page 118.

July 1967] TWO PAURANIC SITES OF VIDARBHA 279 fashioned from Kashmiri Stone having 4 hands, three eyes and trunk.6 There Vamana constructed a temple with pearl and gold and giving a village to a Brahmana arranged the worship of the deity three times a day and went to his home and then the famous episode of Vamana and Bali is narrated. prasadam karayamasa ratnakancananirmitam | ' In this way Vamana saved Indra as well as his kingdom. Now the place where Vamana worshipped Ganesa before going to beg the land sufficient to take three steps is mentioned as Adoshapura which was in Vidarbha. adosakhye pure tena sthapitasya mahatmana | dasabahoh prasiddhasya deva daksinabhagatah || Now Adoshapura being in Vidarbha can be safely identified with modern Adasa (Adasa Sonapura) a village in Savanera Tahsil of Nagpur Distt. and situated at a distance of about 24 miles by road from Nagpur. On a visit there was found an ancient temple of Vakratunda Ganapati along with the temples of Devi Bhairava-Maruti and Tryambakesvara on the hills at Adasa. All built in rough Hemadpanti style and can be safely assigned to early yadava period.⁹ Local people narrate that the present image of Ganapati hides another small image of Ganapati made of Kashmiri Stonewhich plainly corroborates the statement of Ganesa Purana. The presence of seven old tanks-locally called tirthas, its hilly position 6. "kasmiropalajam so'ya sthapayanmuttimuttamam || v. 21- caturbhujam trinayanam sundadandavirajitam | " V. 22, G. P. (Kridakhanda), Ch. XXXI. V. 21-22 Page 120. 7. G. P. do 8. G. P. do do 23 Page 120. do 48 Page 122. 9. N. U. J. Vol. XVII. No. 1, Page 26 (Nagpur University Journal).

280 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IX., No. 2 and surrounding herbs and trees on the hill reflect the grandeur of the site and support the statement of Ganesa Purana. latavrksasamakirnam kasaraparisobhitam || 10 Henry Cousens also describes the temples of Adasa in short and says "that this part of the country was in old times called Vidarbhadesa and the present locality-Adasakshetra".11 It appears that Cousens' Adasakshetra stands for Adoshakshettra or Adoshapura of Ganesa Purana. Moreover the present term Adasa appears to be corruption of Sanskrit term Adosha. The temples of Adasa are referred to in Nagpur Distt. Gazetteer'-12 The Imperial Gazetteer of India also makes a passing reference to the temples of Adasa. 13 Even to-day many people from surrounding region come everyday to pay homage to Lord Vighnesa here and regard it as one of the tirthas related to Ganesa. We do not find any inscription at Adasa; therefore it is not possible to give a definite date to the Site. But on the basis of architecture of the temples there and other remains roughly it can be assigned early Yadava period. Though the mention of Adasa in Ganesa Purana as a place visited and selected by Bhagvan Vamana demands an earlier date. 14 However, what has been said above, indicates the ancientness of the site and reflects that for a very long period this place had been a place of veneration for the people of Vidarbha. KADAMBA NAGARA OR CHINTAMANI NAGARA In chapters 30 to 33 of Ganesa Purana" we come across the famous episode of Ahilya, the wife of Rishi Gautama, and Indra, with the result that Indra was cursed to have 1000 Bhagas on his face. Due to shame and fear he took the shelter in the leaves she-lotuses in a tank, at the request of all the Rishis Gautam was satisfied and advised Indra to worship Ganesa by 10. G. F. (Kridakhanda) Ch. XXXI, V. 7, Page 118. 11. Cousens' List of Antiquarian Remains C. P. and Berar Page 1. 12. Page 308 (Pub. 1908). 13. Vol. XVIII (N. Ed.) P. 308 14. N. U. J. Vol XVII No. 1, Page 37. 15. Upasana Khanda, Pages 96 to 106.

July 1967] TwO PAURANIC SITES OF VIDARBHA 281 chanting Shadakshara-mantra. Indra performed penances at a place under a Kadamba tree for 1000 years and Vinayaka was pleased at last and appeared at the same place. Then Indra recovered his godly body and 1000 eyes and demanded the boon along with others that this Kadambanagara where he was penancing should be known as Chintamaninagara. anyamekam varam yace yatastvah cintitarthadah | idam kadambanagaram cintamanipuratviti || " Lord Vinayaka granted him all the boons and bestowed on him his lost position and also stated that who ever would bathe in the tank (where Indra was biding) at Kadambanagara will be relieved of all his troubles. Saying this Ganesa disappeared and Indra there established a godly and well-featured crystal image of Gajanana and constructed a good temple with pearl and gold and went to his abode." avirbhavena te karyam sarvam sampadaye'nisam | idam cintamanipura khyatam bhuvi bhavisyati || kadambapuramityettattirtham cintamaniti ca | atra snanena sarvesam siddhayo'pikare sthitah || cintitam ca pradasyami cintamani vinayakah | 18 that the same In the same narration it also states Chintamani Sarovara is famous on the earth. The Ganges even to-day comes to get the image of Lord Chintamani bathed here, on the orders of Indra. tadetadbhuvi vikhyatam cintamani saro mahat || adyapi sa subhanala gamga sakrasya sasanat | krtva'bhisekam tanmurti yati svadhama sarvada || " 19 16. G. P. Upasana khanda ch. XXXIV. V. 25, page. 108. 17. do do ch. XXXIV, V. 37 = 38. page 109. 18. do do ch. do V. 33-34-35, page 109. 19. do do ch. do V, 39-40 page 109, 9

282 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IX., No. 2 This Chintamani tirtha has also been called Ganes tirtha. It has been referred to as Chintamanikshetra at two other places in the Purana. drstava tirtham ganesakhyam divya deho babhau nrpah || gramyanam sarvalokanam cakre snana vidhim nrpah | 20 21 cintamani ksetram gatam tirthe ganesa samjnake || " 22 cintamani ksetragatam mahatmyam tirtham sambhavam | " Ganesa Purana places Kadambanagara in Vidarbha.. There is a place named Kalam or Kalamba in the Yeotmal Taluka and Distt. It is about 14 miles from the Distt. head quarter. This place is considered sacred by the devotees of Ganesa of the surrounding region and regarded as an ancient centre of Ganesa Worship. The manuscript (Pothi) of Kalamba or Kalamba mahatmya calls it Kadambanagara in Chintamanikshetra and describes the Sarovara Chintamani. Ganesa Purana also deals with all the above mentioned details and associates the site with Indra's worship of Ganesa. The above mentioned manuscript also says that the temple at Kalamba was established the by Indra with all the details of Ganesa Purana about Kunda (Pond). Taking all the legends of Mahatmya and local traditions as well as statements of Ganesa Purana into consideration it appears quite probable that present Kalamba is identical with ancient Kadambanagara or Chintamaninagara. Even to-day there exists an under ground temple at Kalamba or Kalam having an inage of Ganapati, locally known as Chintamani. There is also a Kunda in front of the image of Chintamani. It is said that it gets overflooded at its own and the whole temple is submerged into the water. Local people confirm this myth to the best of their 20. do 21. do 22. do 23. do ch. do ch. do ch. XXXV. V. 15 XXXV. V. 39 page 113. XXXV. V. V. 47 page 113. page 111. "vidarbhe nagaram khyatam kadambamiti samjnaya " | G. P. Upasanakhanda ch. XXIX V. 11. Page 94.

July 1967] TWO PAURANIC SITES OF VIDARBHA 283 confidence. My friend Shri M. S. Wabgaonkar 24 informed me that he witnessed in person this act of overflooding of Kunda at its own in 1955-56. This clearly confirms the statements of the Ganesa Purana. Henry Cousens also writes in his List of Antiquarian Remains of C. P. and Berar that "It (Kalam) has an underground Therefore the Chintamani of temple dedicated to Chintaman.' local traditions and Chintamani Vinayaka of Chintamanikshetra, Kadambanagara of Ganesa Purana and Chintaman of Cousens stand for the same deity enshrined in a small temple at Kalamba. The Gazetteer of Yeotmal Distt. also refers to this site as well as god Chintamani. 26 It follows from the above discussion that the present Kalam or Kalamba is definitely old Kadambapura or Chintamaninagara where Indra worshipped lord Ganesa. No inscription from this place has come to light upto now; so it is difficult to give a definite date to the site. But its mention in the Ganesa Purana indicates that it was in existence prior to the composition of the said purana. Dr. R. C. Hazra has fixed the date of Ganesa Purana, on the basis of its contents, beween 1100 A. D. to 1400 A. D.27 Though Mr. J. N. Farquhar places it between 900 A. D. to 1350 A. D.28 Therefore, safely, we can place the antiquity of the site between 800 A. D. to 1000 A. D. 24 A lecturer in Marathi Deptt. of Nagpur University. I am thankful to him for the help received. 25. Page 86. 56. Page 217-218. 27. Jour. Ganga Nath Jha Res. Inst. Vol. IX. Page 97. 28. Out line of the Religious Literature of India P. 226-270.