182 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. [Extra No. 2, 
Nilanaga. 
(Samdhya), it is held sacred to the goddess Samdhya. At the season 
indicated it is visited by a considerable concourse of people. 
The small spring, which is usually dry for the greater part of the 
year, has owing to the curious phenomenon above indicated always 
enjoyed great fame as one of the ‘ wonders ’ of the valley. Kalhana 
duly mentions it immediately after Kapatesvara. The Nilamata too 
knows it. Abu-1-Fazl describes it in detail, and Dr. Bernier made it 
a special point to visit this ‘ merveille de Cachemire.’ 1 He has observed 
the phenomenon with his usual accuracy. The ingenious explanation 
he has recorded of it, shows how closely he had examined the topogra¬ 
phical features of the little valley. 
Close to the Trisamdhya spring there is another Naga, sacred to 
the Seven Rsis, but not sharing the former’s peculiar nature. There 
are no ancient remains in the neighbourhood deserving special notice. 
114. To the south of Bring lies the valley of the Sandran River 
which forms the Pargana of Shahabad. This 
name is of comparatively modern origin, as 
Abu-1-Fazl still knows the tract as Ver . 2 This designation still survives 
in the designation Vernag, i.e ., ‘ the Naga of Ver,’ popularly given to 
the fine spring which we have already noticed as the habitation of the 
Nilanaga and the traditional source of the Vitasta. Abu-1-Fazl saw 
still to the east of it ‘ temples of stone.’ These have now disappeared, 
their materials having been used probably for the construction of the 
fine stone-enclosure which Jahangir built round the spring. The deep 
blue colour of the water which collects in the spring-basin, may possibly 
account for the location of the Nilanaga in this particular fountain. 
Kalhana’s reference to the “ circular pond ” from which the Vitasta 
rises, shows that the spring had also in ancient times an artificial 
enclosure similar to the present one. 3 4 
Reference has already been made to the sacred spring of Vith^vutur 
only about one mile to the north-west of 
Vernag. The small village near by is men¬ 
tioned by Kalhana as a town under the name of Vitastatra 4 Asoka 
is said to have erected there numerous Stupas. Within the Dharmciranyci 
Vihara there stood a lofty Caitya built by him, but of these structures 
no remains can now be traced above ground. Vitastatra could never 
have been a large town as the ground is too confined. But some 
importance is assured to the site by the Ban a hal route which leads past 
Vitastatra. 
1 Compare Ain-i-Akb., ii. pp. 355 sq.; Bernier, Travels, pp. 410 sqq. 
8 See Aln-i-Akb., ii. pp. 361, 370. 
3 See Raj at. i. 28. 
4 See Rdjat. i. 102 note. 
