Kānyakubja, also called Kanauj, is one of the great ancient cities of northern India. It lies along the Gaṅgā-Yamunā corridor. It is named in the Mahābhārata’s Vana Parva as part of the tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage tour) route and of the regional setting.

Name

The name Kānyakubja is linked with the “hunchbacked maidens” (kanyā-kubja) of the region.

Location and importance

Kānyakubja lies in the land between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā in northern India. In the Mahābhārata’s sacred geography it belongs to the wide network of tīrthas and kingdoms through which Lomaśa led the Pāṇḍavas. Its closeness to the Gaṅgā makes it a place of purifying merit (puṇya). Later Purāṇic writings also name it as a famous northern city linked with various kings and ṛshis.

Sources

Mahābhārata, Vana Parva (Vana Parva 3)