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Gaurisánkar, in Nepál, the highest peak of our globe as yet
measured, attaining a height of 29,002 ft., Lat. 28°, Long. 86° गौरीशङ्कर Sanskr.

Gáuri, white or fair, is one of the surnames of Párváti, the wife of Síva; Sánkar, or Sán-
kara = Síva, much venerated by the Pándits of Nepál. This name shows a remarkable
identity with Chamalháti; Cháma = Gáuri; Lha = Síva; but to the Tibetan name ri, moun-
tain, is added; whilst the Hindus consider it, not a mountain called after Gáuri and Síva,
but as one of the forms assumed by them.

The name Gaurisánkar, used for incorporations of Mahadéo and Párváti, or personifi-
cations of Línga and Yóni, is not unfrequently met with on Indian antiquities. Compare
Maisey, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1849, p. 190. Its application to geographical objects was,
however, as novel to me as unexpected; happily, the name Chamalháti most perfectly, and
quite independently, confirms the application of this name to be congenial to Hindu my-
thology.

In Tibetan this peak is called Chingo-pá-ma-ri, a word for which I could obtain no
explanation. The G. T. S., besides the usual accurate definition by longitude and
latitude, gave to it the name Mount Everest, or No. XV. See our Vol. II., Hypsometry,
p. 297.

Mr. B. H. Hodgson, who with his well known scientific energy, made numerous inquiries
from Darjiling, to ascertain the proper native name of this peak, had the kindness to com-
municate to me, before I came to Kathmándu, the following names:—
Nepalese names: Devadunga, Bhairalthan, Bhairablangur.
Tibetan names: Gnalham, Tangla, Gnalham thangla.

In his Papers on the Himálaya mountains and Nepál (Calcutta, Govt. Selections, 1857,
XXVII.), he had printed: Nyanam, Dhevadhunga and Bhairablangur (p. 108), as the names
then most probable to him.

However, when in the spring of 1857 my visit to Nepál enabled me to direct my tele-
scope, in the presence of Jhang Bahádur and several of his well-informed Pándits to this
mountain, which is such a prominent object in most of the views of the Sikkim and
Nepál Himálayan crest, they, most positively only called it Gaurisánkar, or Chingo-pá-ma-ri
in Tibetan; and when then asked about the other names they had mentioned to Mr. Hodg-
son, they repeatedly averred that they had not so clearly understood which was the parti-
cular mountain meant in the previous questions, alluding to the difficulty of finding the
exact peak asked for without any other definition than the latitude and longitude.

Gáya in Bahár, Lat. 24°, Long. 84° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . गया Sanskr.

The name of a saint in whose honour the town received this name, and who is venerated
here by the pilgrims. It was Vishnu, who granted the sanctity of the town to the prayers
of its dying chief, killed by the deity. Wilson, Dict.
The Mussalmáns call it Sáhib-gánj.

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