Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/149

Rh legend of her being the daughter of the Saktimat mountains and the wife (by force) of the Kolahala mountains.

But we have other evidence for the probability of my identification of the Saktimat range of hills. The Vishnu Purân says that the Rishikulya Kumâri and others flow from the Saktimat mountains.

This Rishikulya must not be confounded with another Rishikulya, which flows past Ganjam.

As a matter of fact, the Kiyul and the Kaorhari rivers actually do flow down from the range I have identified as the Saktimat range; the Kiyul I take to be the Rishikulya, and the Kaorhari to be the Kumâri of tile Vishnu Purân.

I would in passing suggest that the name Giriyak is derived, not as General Cunningham suggests, from Giri and eka, but from Girika, the allegorical daughter of the Saktimati river; this would imply that a branch from the Saktimati river went eastwards close to the place; as a matter of fact, traces of an old channel of the Sakri are still to be seen to the east of Giriyak, starting from the Sakri near Bellari, and Government at the present day expend annually a small sum of money to keep in repair a bund at the spot to prevent the waters of the Sakri flowing down this channel to the injury of the zemindars. The works were under my charge when I officiated as Executive Engineer of the Burhee Division.

The Saktimati is said in the Mahábháratá to flow past the capital of Chedi; this would, if the identification be correct, place the Chedi country about the sources of the Kiyul and Sakri rivers, and its capital somewhere on the Sakri. I have heard of extensive ruins at Dumduma, and near Mahâvar hill and in the vicinity; but the country has hitherto not been examined. I will note, however, that General Cunningham tells me the capital of Chedi was Tripura, modern Tewar, near Jabalpur, and this would be fatal to my identification; but there is no river at all approaching in name or features the Saktimati as described in the Mahábhárat flowing past it, for the Narmmada is evidently not the Saktimati. I give my speculation for what it is worth, and only note from personal knowledge that, in the district indicated by me, and also in the vicinity, the name Chedia is a very common one among the lower classes. I also append a description of the Chedi country from the Mahábháratá, Chap. 63, sl. 8:—

"Oh, King of Chedi! the Chedi country abounds in wealth and grain, and is suited for the habitation of animals, very clean, deserving