MAHOBA, an ancient city, in lat. 25° 17' 40" N., and long. 54' 40" E., in the N.W. Pro vinces of India, at the foot of a low granite hill 54 miles to the south of Hamirpur, at the junction of the Betwa and Jumna, 34 miles to the north of Khajuraho. Its mime is a contraction of Mahotsava-nagara, or 'the ity of the great festival,' which was celebrated there by Chandra Varmma, the founder of the Chandel dynasty. To the west of the city lies the great lake of Kirat Sagar, about lj mile in which was constructed by Kirtti Varmma, who reigned from A.D. 1065 to 1085. To the S. is the Madan Bagar, about three miles in circuit, which was constrIP,ted by Madana Varmma, who reigned from A.D. 1130, to 1165. To the E. is the small lake of Kalyan Em Sagar, and beyond it lies the large deep lake of Vijay Sagar, which was constructed by Vijaya Pala, who ruled from A.D. 1045 to 1065. The last is the largest of the Mahoba lakes, being not less than four miles in circuit, but the most picturesque of all the sheets of water in the beautiful lake district of Bundelkhand is the Madan Sagar.
According to the legend, as related by the poet Chand, the Chandels are sprung from Hemavati, daughter of Hem-raj, the Brahman Purohit of Indrajit, Gahirwara of Banaras.
Hemavati was very beautiful; and one day, when she went to bathe in the Rati Talab, she was seen and embraced by Chandrama, the god of the moon, as he was preparing to return to the skies. Hemavati cursed him. ' Why do you curse me ? ' said Chandrama. ' Your son will be lord of the earth, and from him will spring a thousand branches.' Hemavati inquired, ' How shall my
dishonour be effaced, when I am without a hus band?' Fear not,' replied Chandrama. ' Your son will be born on the bank of the Karnavati river ; then take him to Khajuraya, and offer him as a gift, and perform a sacrifice. In Mahoba he will reign, and will become a great king. He will possess the philosopher's stone, and will turn iron into gold. On the hill of Kalinjar he will build a fort. When your son is 16 years of age you must perform a Bhanda jag to wipe away your disgrace, and then leave Banaras to live at Kalinjar.' According to the prophecy, Hemavati's child, like another Chandrama, was born on Monday, the 11th of the waxing moon of Vaisakh, on the bank of the Karnavati, the modern Kayan or Kane river of the maps. Then Chandrama, attended by all the gods, performed a great festival (Mahotsava), when Vrihaspati wrote his horoscope, and the child was named Chandra Varmma. At 16 years of age he killed a tiger, when Chandrama appeared to him and presented him with the philosopher's stone, and taught him polity (rajah). Then he built the fort of Kalin jar, after which he went to Kharjurpur, where he performed a sacrifice (Jag or Yajnya) to do away with his mother's shame, and built 85 temples. Then Chandrama Rani and all the other queens sat at the feet of Hemavati, and her disgrace was wiped away. Lastly, he went to Mahotsava or Mahoba, the place of Chan drama's great festival, which he made his capital. —Cunningham, Ancient Geog. of p. 486.