1899.] 
THE K AS'Ml It CHRONICLES. 
33 
enjoys as flie dwelling-place of Nila, king of Nagas, and of many other 
of his tribe. 1 
Kalhana’s frequent references to sacred springs and other Tirthas 
are of topographical interest, because they enable us to trace with 
certainty the earlier history of most of the popular pilgrimage places 
still visited to the present day. The list already mentioned acquaints 
us with the miraculous springs of Papasudana and Tri-8amdhycl, 
Sarasvatfs lake on the Bheda hill, the ‘ Self-created Fire’ ( Svayambhii ), 
and the holy sites of Nandiksetra, S'drada, Cakradhara and Vijaye£a. It 
shows which were tlie Tirthas most famous in Kalliana’s time. The 
legends connected with the early semi-mythical kings give the chronicler 
frequent occasion in the first three Books to speak in detail of particular 
sacred sites. Almost each one of the stories furnishes evidence for the 
safe location of the latter. 8 But also in the subsequent and purely histo¬ 
rical portions of the work we read often of pilgrimages to such sacred 
places or of events which occurred at them. 
Kalhana shows more than once so accurate a knowledge of the 
topography of particular Tirthas that his personal visits to them 
may be assumed with great probability. This presumption is parti¬ 
cularly strong in the case of Nandiksetra which his father Canpaka is 
said to have often visited as a pilgrim and to have richly endowed, 
and of the neighbouring shrine of Bhute&varas* Also the distant Tirtha 
of Sarada, in the Kisanganga Valley seems to have been known person- 
nally to the Chronicler. 41 Considering the popularity which pilgrimages 
to sacred sites have always enjoyed among Kasmirians, the conclusion 
seems justified that Kalhana owed perhaps no small part of his practical 
acquaintance with his country’s topography, to the tours he had made 
as a pilgrim. 
19. A second fruitful source of valuable topographical notices is 
contained in those very numerous references 
Kalhana’s references 
to foundations. 
by particular kings. If we leave aside the curious list, i. 86-100, taken by 
1 Rajat. i. 28-31. The Nagas are supposed to have come to Ka6mlr when 
Kasyapa, their father, had drained ‘ the lake of Sati,’ and to have found there a 
refuge from Garuda ; comp. Nilamata, 59 sqq. 
2 Compare the legends of the Sodara spring, i. 123 sqq. ; of the Krtyasrama 
Vihara, i. 131 sqq. ; of the Jyestharudra at Nandiksetra and S'rinagari, i. 113, 124 ; 
the story of the Susravas Naga, i. 203 sqq. ; the description of the pilgrimage to the 
Taksaka Naga, i. 220 sqq .; the story of the Isesvara temple, ii. 134; of Ranasvamin, 
iii. 439 sqq., etc. 
3 See vii. 954; viii. 2365 and note v. 55 sqq. Compare also below, § 57. 
4 See Note L, viii. 2492, § 4. 
J. i. 5 
which Kalhana makes to the foundation of 
towns, villages, estates, shrines, and buildings 
