Braj Mandal
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Braj Mandal / ब्रजमंडल
Braj Mandal extends for about 168 miles (eighty-four kosas). Garga Sanhita (Khanda 2) states:[1]
"That land between Bahirsad (Barhada) in the north-east, Yadupura (the village Bateshwar of Shursen) in the south and Sonitpura (Sonhada) in the west, and which measures eighty-four kosas, has been called Mathura mandal, or Braj, by learned persons."
F.S. Growse in his Mathura — A District Memoir quotes the following verse:[2]
"On one side is Bara, on another side, Sona and on the third side is the town of Shursen; these are the limits of the Braj Chaurasi, the Mathura circle."
It is clear from this couplet, that Bara marks the boundary of one side of Braj, Sonhada marks another side, and Bateshwar, or the village of Shursen, marks the boundary on the third side. Bara is situated in the present district of Aligarh in the north-east corner of Braj Mandal. Sonhada lies in the present district of Gur gaon in the state of Haryana, which is in the north-west corner of Brajmandal. Its ancient name is Sonitpura. The village of Shurasen is the village of Bateshwar in the revenue district of Baha. The area between these places is called Braj-mandal.
Border of Braj Mandal
The borders of Braj-mandal are also mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana.[3]
According to this Purana, Hasyavana lies in the east of Braj-mandal, Janhuvan in the south, Parvatavana in the west and Suryapattanavan in the north. Corresponding to this description, Hasanagadha of the Agra district, which lies in the east, is known as Hasyavan; in the west, Bahadi-gram near Kamyavan in Rajasthan is known as Parvatavan; in the south, Jajau-gram of the Dhaulpur revenue district is famous as Janhu; and in the north, near Jevara-gram of the Aligarh district, lies Suryapattanavan.
In the eighty-four kosas of Braj-mandal, there are forty-eight different forests (vanas), which includes upavanas (sub-forests), prativanas and adhivanas. According to the Padma Purana, there are twelve principal forests situated east and west of the Yamuna. They are
(1)Mahavan,
(2)Kamyavan,
(3)Madhuvan,
(4)Talvan,
(5)Kumudvan,
(6)Bhandirvan,
(7)Vrindavan,
(8)Khadirvan,
(9)Lohvan,
(10)Bhadravan,
(11)Bahulavan and
(12)Belvan. Of these twelve forests, seven lie on the western side of the Yamuna – Madhuvan, Talvan, Kumudvan, Bahulvan, Kamyavan, Khadirvan and Vrindavan. The remaining five – Bhadravan, Bhandirvan, Belvan, Lohvan and Mahavan – are situated on the Yamuna's eastern side.
The Varaha Purana mentions Twelve Upavanas:
(1) Brahmavan,
(2) Apsaravan,
(3) Vihvalvan,
(4) Kadambavan,
(5) Svarnavan,
(6) Surbhivan,
(7) Premvan,
(8) Mayurvan,
(9) Manengitavan,
(10) Sesagaylvana,
(11) Naradvan and
(12) Paramanandavan.
References
- ↑ pragudicyam bahirsado, daksinasyam yadoh purat
pascimayat sonitapuran, mathuram mandalam viduh - ↑ it barhad it sonahad ut shursen ka gaon
braj chaurasi kos mein mathura mandal manh - ↑ Chaturdiksha pramanena purvadikramatoganat, purvabhage sthitam konam vanam hasyabhidhanaka
bhage ca dakshine konam subham janhuvanam sthitam, bhage cha pashchime kone parvatakhyavanam sthitam
bhage hyuttarakonasyam surya patana sarhjnakam, ityeta Braj maryada chatuskonabhidhayini