‘Celestial Place’ [Ganderbhavan, Gandhavana] City/District, Jammu & Kashmir
From Ksh: bal, ‘(of a) place‘ ‘place (with)’: a place name suffix; Ksh: gandarv/gandur, celestial; gand/gānd, ‘stinky’. smelly’, dirty’; gand, ‘dam’.
The ‘bal’ suffix is used for place names, usually preceded by an object or a description. The selection of that is complex and controversial and all the sources disagree. I’ve randomly chosen one.
There are also suggestions that it was named after a spring (Ganderbhavan), or a ‘forest’ or ‘wood’ [Skt: vana], or a hill or mountain (range) [Ksh: bāl].
The jury is out for the duration.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Jammu & Kashmir place names.
