Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/364

 BHA GIRA THl—BHA G WANG OLA.

354

and had ninety-nine times performed the Aswamedha jajna or great Horse Sacrifice, which consisted in sending a horse round the Indian world, with a defiance to any one to arrest its progress. If the horse returned unopposed, it was understood to be an acquiescence in the supremacy of the challenger, and the animal was then solemnly sacrificed to the gods. King Sagar made preparations for the hundredth performance of this ceremony, but the god Indra having himself performed the sacrifice, and jealous of being displaced by a rival, stole the horse and concealed it in a subterranean cell, where a holy sage was absorbed in heavenly meditation. The sixty thousand sons of Sigar traced the horse to its hiding-place, and believing the sage to be the author of the theft, assaulted him. The holy man, being thus aroused from his meditation, cursed his assailants, who were immediately reduced to ashes, and sentenced to hell. A grandson of Sagar, in search of his father and uncles, at last found out the sage, and begged him to redeem

The holy man replied that this could only be Ganga (the aqueous form of Vishnu and

the souls of the dead. effected

the

if

waters of

Lakshmi) could be brought to the spot to touch the ashes. Now residing in heaven, under the care of Brahma the Creator, and the grandson of Sagar prayed him to send the goddess to the earth. He was unsuccessful, however, and died without his supplication being granted. He left no issue, but a son, Bhagfrath, was miraculously born of his widow, and through his prayers Brahma allowed Ganga

Ganga was

to visit the earth.

Bhagirath led the way to near the sea, and then

declared that he could not show the rest of the road.

Ganga,

order to

make

sure of reaching

Whereupon,

the bones of the

dead, divided herself into a hundred mouths, thus forming the delta of the Ganges. One of these mouths arrived at the cell, and by washing in

the ashes, completed the atonement for the sin of the sons of

King

Sagar.

Bhagirathi. (lat.

30°

8'

— River

in

30" to 30" 56'

Garhwal N.,

long.

State,

North-Western Provinces

78° 38' 15" to

79“ 6' 45" E.);

one of the head-waters of the Ganges ; rises from the Gangotri Peak, in the Native State of Garhwal; flows through a wild and rocky bed,

and

with numerous shoals

rapids,

and

joins

the

Alaknanda

at

Thenceforward the united stream is known as the Ganges. The Bhagirathi, though inferior in importance and volume to the Deoprayag.

.‘Vlaknanda,

is

regarded

sacred

stream, and

Ganges

at

among

the Hindus as the chief feeder of the

branch thrown Chhapghati more than 1000 miles below. identified with the

is

off

by the

21° Bombay Presidency. — Seaport Surat Average annual value of trade years ending 1881-82 — exports, ^1^2093 imports, ;£b22. ’lMurshidabad Bhagwangola. — River mart on the Ganges,

Bhagwa.

in

Lat.

District,

24' N., long. 72° 40' E.

for five



in