Since Kadali vana (Plantain Forest) and Kadali nagaram (Plantain city) are most frequently mentioned in the Nāth Siddha legends as located near Tryambaka kṣetra (Nasik), we have to assume that the place-names mentioned here are in the vicinity of Nāsik (where Godāvari originated) in the state of Maharashtra (also see White 1998:113). There is a town named Ambad south of Nasik, and a few villages named Kelewadi (Kele < *Kadali 'banana') but not sure if any of them refer to the places you mentioned.

Another perspective is that if consider kṛṣṇa-giri 'black hill' same as Nallamala Hills (nalla' black', mala 'hill'), in Andhra Pradesh, then the reference may be about the region in and around Srisailam. There is, in fact, a Kadali Vanam at about 25 km distance from Srisailam. The caves here, also known as Akkamahadevi caves, are a big tourist attraction. The only problem with such association, however, is that the river near this region is not Godavari, but Krishna.

Suresh.

On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 1:43 PM, Stephen Hodge <s.hodge@padmacholing.plus.com> wrote:

Dear Colleagues,
In the the alchemical text, the Rasārṇava, there are the following lines, mentioning several toponyns. I presume the author is alluding to real places, so if anybody can help with identifying the locations etc of the places mentioned, I would find it very helpful for a long-standing puzzle arising from other research.

asti martye mahāpuṇyā pavitrā dakṣiṇā-pathe |
nadī godāvarī nāma prasiddhā jāhnavī yathā || Ras 12.236 ||
dakṣiṇe ca taṭe tasyāḥ kadalī-nagaraṃ param |
tasya dakṣiṇataḥ śailaḥ sarva-lokeṣu viśrutaḥ || Ras 12.237 ||
nāmnā kṛṣṇa-giriś ceti dṛśyate sarva-maṅgale |
suprasiddhâmbikā nāma grāmas tasyāsti saṃnidhau || Ras 12.238 ||

These are the places I need suggestions / help with:

kadalī-nagaraṃ (of course, not the Kadali near the Andhra coast, just north of the Godāvarī delta)
kṛṣṇa-giriḥ
ambikā

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge