Friday, September 5, 2014

Atala The White Island


One of the oldest of the Hindu Puranas called The Vishnu Purana, speaks of "Atala, the White Island," one of the seven dwipas (islands) belonging to Patala (Book II, chaps. i, ii, and iii). This ancient text locates Atala geographically on the seventh (heat, or climate) zone, which according to Francis Wilford (the translator) is 24 to 28 degrees north latitude, putting it in the same latitude