| Temples & Legends Of Assam |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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INTRODUCTION |
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| The Kalika Purana,
a work of the 10th century A. D., says, "Formerly Brahma staying here created the
stars; so the city is called Pragjyotisapura, a city equal to the city of Indra".'
The historians of Assam have followed this etymologicalexplanation given by the Kalika
Purana. Gait writes, "Prag means former or eastern and jyotisa a star, astrology,
shining. Pragjyotisa may be taken to mean the city of Eastern Astrology. The name is interesting in connection with the reputation which the country
has always held as a land of magic and incantation and with the view that it was in Assam
that the Tantrik form of Hinduism originated.'’ K. L. Barua accepts the etymology but
reads it in a different connotation. "It is significant that to the immediate east of
the town of Gauhati there is a temple on the crest of a hill known as Citracala, and this
temple is dedicated to the Navagrahas or the Pine planets, It is probable that this temple
is the origin of the name Pragjyotisapura.'’ Pragjyotisa according to B. Kakati seems
to be connected with topographical features of the land rather than with any religious
cult. |
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