1851.] Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. 259 



less stones and dark cavities in the ravines, are dignified with these 

 names. Loca-mdtd the mother of mankind, is the chief deity, and 

 before her temple, they strip naked, and rolling themselves upon the 

 rough pavement, like madmen, call out " Ai-mata ! Ai-mata ! cleanse 

 us from our impurities." Ai-mata signifies the woman our mother lite- 

 rally, but here it implies our lady, and mother. Musulmans, who 

 take her to be Eve, have translated Ai-mata by Bibi-Ndni our blessed 

 lady, and grandmother. She is styled in the Puranas S'ri-Mdtd, our 

 blessed mother ; Devi-Mdtd, the goddess our mother, and Loca-mata. 

 There is a part of the rock supposed to be a statue of Gan'es'a, but 

 his head, Mud' an, is several cos further. Baba-Nana has also there 

 a place dedicated to him. The pilgrims remain there one or two days, 

 and then return the same way they came. 



The valley, between the western ridge, and the fort of Chandicd, 

 I suppose to be about eight miles broad : it inclines to the east of 

 north, and forms a slight curve in that direction. The river Ghaur 

 runs through it, and is fed, in the lower part, by many rills from the 

 ridge to the west of it. 



Through this ridge is a famous pass, leading to the westward, called 

 Rdjdhdn, or Rdjdhdn't, that is to say the place of the discomfiture, 

 and total overthrow, of the Rajas : for Rama, both in the character of 

 Parasti, and of Chandra, overthrew there, the confederate kings of the 

 Cufs : hence it is called Cophanta by Ptolemy, from Cuf-han't, the 

 place of the discomfiture of the Cufs. I never saw but one pilgrim, 

 who had visited this place ; though it was known by name to others. 

 There were no inhabitants : he saw one or two pools of good water, 

 and its distance from Hinglaj, he supposed to be two or three days' 

 journey. It was then twenty years since he had been there, but as 

 far as he could recollect, it was at a considerable distance from the 

 river Haur. A high road from ThaYtha, through Kij on the Hdb f 

 and Cdrd-Beileh, leads through this pass. 



Card, or C'hdrd-Beileh is a pretty little town for the country, situated 

 in a beautiful spot, well cultivated, and on the banks of a little river, 

 supposed to be the Haur, or Ghaur. 



This place is known by name to several pilgrims : but I never saw 

 but one who had been there. He was a Sikh priest, and a well 

 informed man. According to him, it is four days from Hinglaj, 



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