Pragjyotishpura


Pragjyotishpura, now deemed to be a region within modern Guwahati, was an ancient city and capital of the medieval Kamarupa Kingdom under Varman dynasty. The earliest mention from local sources come from the 7th century.

Etymology

The Pragjyotishpura is derived from Sanskrit. 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

According to the epic Ramayana, Pragjyotishpura city was built on Varāha mountain. No inscription up to the 12th century, when the kingdom of Kamarupa came to an end, give an indication of the location of Pragjyotisha, and the exact location is not known. Three late medieval inscriptions seem to suggest that Pragjyotishpura included the Ganeshguri, Southern slope of Nilachal hills and Navagraha temple. 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.