Art. II.—Aśwakrāntā, near Ganhati

Extract

Amongst the many interesting places that lie near the old town of Pragjotishpur or Ganhati is Aśwakrāntā, or, as some people call it, Aśwakrāntā. It is called Aśwakrāntā because the route of Krishna is said to have been viâ Aśwakrāntā when he was carrying off his bride, Rukmini (Aśwa ‘horse’ and krāntā ‘passed by’). If it is called Aśwakrāntā, it means the place where the horse was tired; klāntā meaning ‘tired’ or ‘ weary.’ It should also be remembered that r and l are often interchangeable. Compare Sukreshwar, which is often called Sukleshwar. Aśwakrāntā, or Aśwakrāntā, is on the north side of the Brahmaputra, a little to the west of the island of Umananda, which lies in the midst of the mighty Brahmaputra. The people at the temple show you various holes in the rock at Aśwakrāntā, which, they say, are the footprints of Krishṇna's horses. It is at this place that the people bathe during the Asokastami festival, the day when the current of the Brahmaputra is thought to flow backwards, the reverse current being popularly supposed to be the holy Gangā. The origin of the festival is said to be due to Aśwakrāntā having been the bathing-place of Rukminī. This goddess bathed in the river, but was annoyed by people staring at her from the opposite bank, upon which Krishṇa promptly interposed what is now known as the “ Ar parbat” as a screen.