Malayasthali
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Malayasthali (मलयस्थली) was a region in ancient Pandya Kingdom. It was located in hilly areas between Mysore and Kerala. [1] It was very rich in production of Chandana, Tāmbūla, Pūga, Lavanga, Ela (Alpinia cardamomum), Marichi (black-pepper) etc. [2]
Origin
Variants
- Malayasthali मलयस्थली (AS, p.716)
History
The Malaya region abounded in the fragrant sandal wood. Chandana, Sirium myrtifolium, is a kind of large myrtle with pointed leaves. Its paste was much used in toilet in ancient India. Its fragrance is supposed to harbour snakes among the roots and on the trunk of the tree. It grew wildly in the Malayasthali along with the tāmbūla creeper, the cardamom plant and the pūga and tamāla trees. The sandal tree had a red variety called raktachandana. Lavanga is the clove tree and it grew, besides the area of Malaya, in the neighbouring islands of India. Tamāla is another tree with big leaves. This region also produced the cardamom, Alpinia cardamomum (ela), and the black-pepper (Marichi) plants. It may be noted that cloves, cardamom and black-pepper were used as food spices as now [3]
मलयस्थली
मलयस्थली (AS, p.716): मलय पर्वत का प्रदेश जो प्राचीन काल में पांड्य देश के अंतर्गत था-- 'ताम्बूलवल्लीपरिणद्धपूगास्वेलालतालिङ्गितचन्दनासु, तमालपत्त्रास्तरणासु रन्तुं प्रसीद शश्वन्मलयस्थलीषु'-- रघुवंश 6,64 . देखें (पांड्य). इसकी स्थिति वर्तमान मैसूर तथा केरल के पहाड़ी भागों में समझनी चाहिए. [4]