Puranic Period

In the Puranic period, the mid Himalayan region of Garhwal and Kumaon in the present state of Uttarakhand used to be known by the name Kedarkhand and Manaskhand. It was variously known as:

Uttarpanchal by the poets who have compiled the Upanishads

Uttarkaushal by Valmiki

Uttarkuru by Ved Vyasa who wrote the epic Mahabharata

Uattarapatti for Panini and Kautilya

Kiratmandal for Kirats

Khashadesh for the Khas

Kartipur for Katayurs

Parvatkaran and Giryavali for the early historians

The various depictions in the literatures of the Puranic period in Uttarakhand are all centered around the mighty river Ganga. They may be summarized as follows:

• The Vishnu Purana narrates the birth of Ganga.
  
  
• According to another version, Goddess Ganga, once lived on Mount Kailash
  
  
• Then it so happened that Dilip's son Bhagiratha, after severe penance could make the Goddess, agree to come down to earth to rescue the tormented souls of the sons of Sagar.
  
  
• Bhagirath was patient enough to lead the river down to the sea from the mountains and this is the reason why the Ganges is also known as the Bhagirathi.
  
  
• Goddess Ganga began to flow down the heaven to the mighty hair of Lord Shiva.
  
  
• There was a curse cast by the sage Vasishtha, on the Astavasus by virtue of which they had to incarnate on Earth. They all took birth in the womb of Ganga. Ganga killed all of them as soon as they were born except the last child whom she named Devavrata. This child was later called Bhishma, one of the heroes of the epic of Mahabharata.
  
  
• Ganga has been also depicted as the sister of Goddess Parvati, daughter of Himavan who was the consort of Lord Shiva.
  
  
• The Shiva Purana tells us that the son of Lord Shiva had a destination to rescue Earth by leading the Devatas and drive away the Asuras.
  
  

Such was a brief on the Puranic period of Uttarakhand in a nutshell. The story about the Puranic period of Uttarakhand gives us a vivid idea about the age old legend.