Pragjyotishpura () or Pragjyotisapura, now deemed to be a region within modern
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
, was an ancient city and capital of the
Varman dynasty
The Varman dynasty (350–650) was the first historical dynasty of the Kamarupa kingdom. It was established by Pushyavarman, a contemporary of Samudragupta. The earlier Varmans were subordinates of the Gupta Empire, but as the power of the Gu ...
(350 - 650 A.D). Though the earliest mention of Pragjyotisha in local sources come from the 7th century, the form was changed to ''Pragjyotishpura'' in the 9th century which describes it as the city of Naraka within Kamarupa. In
Puranic text like the
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
, Pragjyotishpura is described as the fortress of
Narakasura
Naraka, also known as Narakasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology. In Assamese tradition, he is regarded as the legendary progenitor of all three dynasties of Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa, and the founding ruler of the legendary Bhauma dyna ...
on mount Varaha located in the north-west of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
in what is modern-day
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
and
Sindh.
Etymology
The Pragjyotishpura is derived from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
. Prag means former or eastern and 'jyotisha' a 'star', 'astrology', 'shining', 'pura' a city thus meaning ' city of eastern light ' otherwise 'city of eastern astrology'.
Location of Pragjyotishpura
No inscription up to the 12th century, when the kingdom of Kamarupa came to an end, give an indication of the location of Pragjyotishpura, and the exact location is not known. Three late medieval inscriptions seem to suggest that Pragjyotishpura included the
Ganeshguri
Ganeshguri is locality in Guwahati, Assam, is named after lord Ganesh, also known as Heramba. There was a Heramba kingdom. There is also a Ganesh Temple located in its southern part. Situated in capital complex of Guwahati city, it is a major co ...
(inscription from Dununtarai, 1577), Southern slope of Nilachal hills (inscription from Dihingiya Borphukan 1732) and Navagraha temple (inscription Tarun Duara Borphukan, 1752). There are various other theories that modern historians have put forward, but none of them are backed by archaeological evidence.
The location of a temple of planet worship called Navagraha, meaning abode of nine planets of the solar system, and its connection with ancient research on astronomy and astrology lends weight to the origin of its name.
See also
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Durjaya
Notes
References
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Kamarupa (former kingdom)
Ancient Indian cities