204 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. [Extra No. 2, 
Section IX. —The Northern Districts op Kramarajya. 
125 . The ancient localities in the Vitasta Valley below Varaha- 
miila have been noted by us already in connection with the route which 
leads through it. We may therefore proceed now to those Parganas 
of the ancient Kramarajya which lie to the north of the river and the 
Volur lake. 
The district which adjoins Kruliin in this direction, is known as 
Hamal (map ‘Hummel’). Its ancient name 
District of Samala. c - _ j. i . T ., £ •, . ,. 
was Samala from which the former designation 
is the direct phonetic derivative. 1 S'amala is very frequently mentioned 
in the last two Books of the Rajataraiigini, particularly on account of 
its feudal chiefs or Damaras who played a prominent part in all the 
civil wars of the later reigns. The pretender Bhiksacara in particular 
had his most powerful adherents in S'amala and often took refuge with 
them. The village of Vanagrama which is mentioned on one of these 
occasions, is probably identical with the present Vangam , situated circ. 
74° 25' long. 34° 19' lat. 2 3 Kakaruha , another place in S'amala, referred 
to in connection with Bhiksacara’s campaigns, can no longer be traced. 
To the north of Hamal we reach the Pargana of Mach i pur 
(map ‘ Mocliipoora.’) Its ancient name is no¬ 
where mentioned. In it lies the sacred site 
of Svayambhu which owing to the apparently 
volcanic phenomenon there observed has from early times been renowned 
as a Tirtha. Kalhana in his introduction duly notes the ‘ Self-created 
Eire’ ( Svayambhu ), which “rising from the womb of the earth, 
receives with numerous arms of flame the offerings of the sacrificers.” s 
The spot meant is still known as Svayambhu , or to the villagers as 
Suyam. It lies on a low ridge about half a mile south-west of the 
village of Nich^hom (not shown on map) and about one and a half miles 
north of Tsak a vadar (map ‘ Sheikwadda.’) Visiting it in 1892 I found 
there in a shallow hollow the soil bright red like burned clay and 
furrowed by narrow fissures. In certain years steam has been known 
to issue from these fissures. The ground then becomes sufficiently hot 
to boil the S'raddha offerings of the pilgrims who at such times flock to 
the site in great numbers. The phenomenon which may be either truly 
volcanic or, according to a modern authority, be caused by hidden seams 
of coal taking fire, was last observed in the year 1876. Occurrences at 
Tirtha of 
Svayambhu. 
1 See Rdjat. vii. 159 note. 
2 See Rdjat . viii. 1438, 
3 See Rdjat. i. 34, and for further references the note thereon. 
