Description of Tirth (Auspacious places ) of Garhwal in Mahabharata

History of Garhwali Literature

History of Garhwali Poetry

Description of Tirth (Auspacious places ) of Garhwal in Mahabharata

Bhishma Kukreti

In Indian Sanskrit literature creation, there is importance of Garhwal area from the tie of Vedas. It is said that Rishis and Mahrshis created Vedas in Garhwal area. Maharshi Ved Vyas created Mahabharata with the help of lord Ganesh in Garhwal area. There is a place called Vyas Chatti (banelsyun patti, Pauri Garhwal at the meeting place of rivers Ganges and Nayar) where sage Vyas did tapah.

The greatest poet of Sanskrit Kalidas belonged to Kaviltha village in Chamoli Garhwal. Kalidas described Garhwal beautifully and in details in Abhigyan Shankutalam and Kumar Sambhav.

Before Kalidas, we find the description of Garhwal in terms of geographical and demographical detailing in Mahabharata which was created before five thousand years back.

In ninety th chapter of Vanparv or Teerthparva , there is full details of geographical description of Garhwal (from 1 to 34 Shlokas) .

Mahabharata creator described the following rivers:

1- Yamuna

2- Sarswati

3- Ganges/Bhagirathi

4-Dwasdati

There is description of hot springs in Badrikashram (Badrinath )along with the bank of Ganges (Alaknanda )

From places point of view , the following shlokas are very important for knowing the historical back ground of Garhwal wherein the creator described about :प्लेसेस
सनतकुमार: कौरव्य पुण्यम कांखलम तथा
पर्व्तश्च पुरुर्नाम यत्र यात: पुरुरवा: (वनपर्व -९०, २२ )
भ्रिगुर्यत्र तपस्तेपे महर्षिगणसेविते
राजन स आश्रम: ख्यातो भृगुतुंगो महागिरी: (वनपर्व -९०, २३)
नारायण: प्र्भिवुष्णु शाश्वत: पुरुषोत्तम (वनपर्व, ९०, २४
तस्यातियशस: पुण्या: विशाला बद्री मनु
आश्रम: ख्याय्ते पुणय स्त्रीसु लोकेषु विश्रुत : (वनपर्व, ९०, २५ )
There is description of following areas in the above shlokas

1- Gangadwar (Haridwar)

2- Kankhal (Today’s Kankhal (haridwar)

3- Bhrigushring ( Today’s Bhrigukhal, Udaypur patti Pauri Garhwal near Haridwar )

4- Puru Parvat (the hill range starting from Haridwar to Kalon Dand (Lainsdawn)

5- Badrika Ashram (Badrinath area)

6- ganges near badrikashram (Alaknanda)

7- Nar Narayan mountains

There is also description of Kirat and Kinnars the original inhabitants of Garhwal in this chapter of Mahabharata

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukret, Mumbai, India, 2010