Topography in the Puranas �Pnrusottamaksotra

Summary

The Skanda Purana provides detailed topographical descriptions of sacred sites (Purushottamaksetra) in ancient India, particularly in present-day Orissa. It characterizes Purusottamaksetra as a ten-yojana area bounded by the ocean (Bay of Bengal) to the south and the Mahanadi River or Bhuvanesvara (modern-day Cuttack) to the north, with Nilicala hills (likely in southern Cuttack) near the coastline. The text highlights contradictions in boundaries: some passages describe the northern limit as the Mahanadi River, while others mention Ekamravana (Bhuvanesvara) or the Mahanadi’s Gandhavati River. The ksetra likely encompassed modern South Cuttack and Puri districts, with Nilicala Parvata referring to southern Cuttack’s coastal hills, not northern ones. The region was part of Utkala, a broader area along the Bay of Bengal, stretching from the Rsikulya (Rasikoila) to the Suvarnarekha River, corresponding roughly to modern Orissa. The analysis notes discrepancies in geographical claims, such as conflicting distances from the sea and overlapping boundaries, reflecting evolving ancient geographical understanding.