Atri, Markoh (Cave of)

Various descriptions

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Unidentified travellers (no names mentioned) told WILFORD (1801: 497) about a hermit's cave on hill called Már-coh (note 1) and he hastens to fetch far to conclude that On this mountain [note 2], it is declared in the Puranas, was the Parnasala [note 3] or Parnasa of Atri: There they shewed formerly a cave in which he used to retire occasionally. Compare –>Sang-e Surakh, Chahardeh. SITUATION: Markoh, the hill east of Jalalabad (on the road to Khyber Pass), has been noted by many travellers and nima.mil/geonames (accessed 28.05.2004, WGS84) lists PPL (village) Markoh N34°20'26”: E070°36'27” (Rodat district); SLP (slope) Markoh N34°19'49”: E070°37'41” (Rodat district); HLL (hill) Markoh N34°15'26”: E070°49'09” (Shinwar district, note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY: WILFORD (1801), a bit too keen to correlate local Afghan place names with those of ancient Greek geographers (Quintus Curtius, c. 40-47 CE; Flavius Arrianus, c.150 CE), arrived at the conclusion that Már Koh, Mar-coh, andMer-coh is the mythical mountain Meru of the classical Sanskrit scriptures and the Meros of Alexander the Great's historians. WILFORD (1801: 497) about a hermit's cave on hill called Már-coh (note 1) and he hastens to fetch far to conclude that On this mountain [note 2], it is declared in the Puranas, was the Parnasala [note 3] or Parnasa of Atri: There they shewed formerly a cave in which he used to retire occasionally. Compare –>Sang-e Surakh, Chahardeh. CULTURAL HISTORY: WILFORD (1801), a bit too keen to correlate local Afghan place names with those of ancient Greek geographers (Quintus Curtius, c. 40-47 CE; Flavius Arrianus, c.150 CE), arrived at the conclusion that Már Koh, Mar-coh, andMer-coh is the mythical mountain Meru of the classical Sanskrit scriptures and the Meros of Alexander the Great's historians. ABBOTT (1854: 345 note) doubts whether Markoh may have any more serious etymological signification, than the snake-hill, as understood by the natives.