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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 23, p. 128.


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n z8 SUKKUR TD W.N
The municipality, established in r86z, had an average revenue dur-
ing the decade ending r9or of 3 lakhs. In r9o3-4 the income was
z lakhs, composed chiefly of octroi (Rs. 94,000), Landar or port fees
(Rs. z4,ooo), rent of houses and lands (Ihs. r r,ooo), and house tax
(Rs. ro,ooo); while the expenditure amounted to r~6 lakhs, including
Rs. 50,000 for administrative charges, Rs. 4q,ooo for extraordinary
charges and debt, Rs. z r,ooo for education, and a similar sum for
conservancy.
Suklatirtha (or Shukla firth).-Village in the Broach tteluka of
Broach District, Bombay, situated in z r° 45' N. and q3° q' E., on the
northern bank of the Narbadà, ro miles from Broach city. Population
(r9or), z,348. The most important fair in the District is held here
every year, about November, on the occasion of the full moon of the
month Kàrtik. It lasts for five days, and on an average z5,ooo people
attend. Within a short distance of each other are three sacred ghâts,
or t rthas-the Kàvitirtha, the Hunkàreshwartirtha, and the Sukla-
tirtha. (here is a temple at Hunkàreshwartirtha. The name of
Hunkàreshwar is said to have been given to the god because with
a cry of ° hun' the image carne up from the water of the Narbadà.
fhe following is the legendary account of the discovery of Sukla-
tïrtha. In former times men were aware that somewhere on earth was
à spot holy enough to purify from all sin ; but none, even the wisest,
knew where it lay. A certain king of Ujjain, Chànakya, growing old
and thinking over the evil of his life, longed to find out this Suklatïrtha,
or purifying spot. I3e therefore told the crows, whose feathers were
at that time white, and who alone of birds had leave to enter the
realms of the gods, to fly to Yama, the ruler of the infernal regions,
and to tell him that king Chànakya was dead. 'The crows were to
listen to the plans of the god Yama for the treatment of the king's
soul, and were to discover from his words the locality of Suklatïrtha.
They were able, on their return, to tell the king to start down the
stream of the Narbadà, in a black-sailed boat, and when the blackness
left his sail and it became white, he might know that he had reached
his goal. The king obeyed; and after pàssing down-stream for several
days, looking in vain for a change in the colour of his sail, he suddenly
saw it flash white and knew that his journey was over. Leaving his
boat he went on shore, bathed, and was purified. Yama, however,
hearing of the deception practised upon him, was angry, and forbidding
the crows to appear again i:n the realms of the gods, tarnished their
plumage with stains, from which till this day they have failed to free
themselves. There is more than one instance in legend or ancient
history of men in high position coming to Suklatïrtha for purification.
Perhaps the best known is that of Chandragupta and his minister
Chànakya, coming to be cleansed from the guilt of the murder of
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