Kanyakubja

(“[city of ] humpbacked maidens”)
Ancient name for the site now known as
Kanauj, which was the capital for several
northern Indian dynasties in the latter
half of the first millennium. The name
Kanyakubja comes from a tale about a
king who has a hundred daughters. One
day the daughters’ games disturb the
meditation of a local sage who is filled
with desire for them. The king worries
about angering the sage and promises
him one of his daughters in marriage.
Ninety-nine of his daughters flatly
refuse to marry the sage because of his
advanced age and gruff demeanor, but
the youngest agrees to do so in obedience to her father. The sage accepts the
youngest daughter and curses the others
to become humpbacked so they will
never be able to marry.