Places

The places topic hub collects all places mentioned in the janapada sources and links each entry to its role in the wider civilizational narrative.

Topics

  • Ahikshetra: Capital city of the north-panchalas, nestled at the foothills of the himalaya. A long and glorious past, it was founded as a simple ashrama by maharishi atri.
  • Aosnara: A far-west outpost of bharatavarsha, critical for trade with kushavarsha and lands further west of it. Has often been controlled by mlecchas over its long history.
  • Ayodhya: Ancient and grand capital of the suryavanshis, founded by ayuddha who was great-grandson to the solar founder ikshvaku. Was abandoned after the haihaya sack and reclaimed by sagara.
  • Bhagirathapura: The ancient village in the upper himalaya. It began as a site of tapasya by Bhagiratha, and is now a place of pilgrimage for the suryavanshi and janaka Tribes.
  • Bhairavaghati: The forgotten settlement beyond the himalaya, location of the 4th great battle between daityas and adityas. Visited by Sudas paijavana during his travels.
  • Bharatapura: Established as a retirement ashrama by chakravartin Bharata after he stepped down from rule. Became capital city for his son suhotra, it is now a pilgrimage town.
  • Girivraja: Remote and fortified city of the eastern anavas. Precise location is unknown, but it controls all trade that flows to the east.
  • Haradvara: The northern of the two cities founded by dushyanta aila, along the banks of the ganga. One of bharatavarsha’s most ancient cities. A site of pilgrimage for people of the pancha-gana and the suryavansha alike. For the latter, it has special status as the site where Bhagiratha resided for ten years.
  • Hastinapura: Ancient city that was nearly razed to the ground by chakravartin Mandhatra. Rehabilitated by chakravartin Bharata, it is now a capital city to the primary Bharata lineage.
  • Hemapura: Dasa stronghold that was final base of Shambara. Was sieged and destroyed by the final campaign of rajan Divodasa. Currently a grain and small arms storage site.
  • Kalivangana: A large and prosperous city along the sarasvati river, said to have been settled by vaivasvat manu himself. Was gifted to Pururava at his marriage, and has remained in Puru control since except for the brief period when chakravartin Mandhatra was regent.
  • Kampilya: Capital city of the southern panchalas. Grand, awe-inspiring, and historic. Was marked for becoming the capital of chakravartin Mandhatra, who commissioned kampilya’s famous surya and indra temples.
  • Kanvakund: Sacred site for the Puru-bharatas, this is where young dushyanta first met shakuntala, and the chakravartin-to-be Bharata was conceived.
  • Kanyakubja: Large urban center founded by chakravartin Bharata. Named after a young hunch-backed girl he met here, who sold to him flowers and brought him respite during his ardous ashvamedha.
  • Kashi: Large urban center and possibly bharatavarsha’s most ancient city. It was abandoned in the previous eras and rediscovered by sunahotra, the younger son of chakravartin Bharata during the latter’s ashvamedha. Gifted by Bharata to his daughter, who he named kashi in the city’s honour.
  • Madra: An ancient settlement on the sarasvati river, said to have been the site of prahlad’s tapasya in the ancient epoch. Underground dwellings and cave paintings have been discovered here, and madra is now a primary source of mined bronze for the Bharata janapada.
  • Mathura: A settlement by the yamuna that has grown to become a large city. Was briefly occupied by asuras led by lavana, and reclaimed by the suryavanshis during the reign of chakravartin rama dasharathi. Gifted to the Vrishni yadavas in marriage.
  • Mohandvara: The southern of the two cities established by dushyanta aila. Situated at the western bank of the sindhu river, its purpose is to defend against mlecchas from the west and act as advance guard to the inner cities.
  • Nandigrama: The village founded by Bharata, brother of chakravartin rama dasharathi (not to be confused with chakravartin Bharata daushyanti). Sacked by haihaya yadavas many times over, and resettled each time.
  • Navaghati: The south-western port city at the point where sarasvati meets the ocean. Founded by the early Yadava clans and still settled primarily by their descendants.
  • Plaksha: Ancient town founded by maharishi kashyapa. The birthplace of Bharata, his sons, of Divodasa and of Sudas paijavana. Sacred pilgrimage town for all Puru-bharatas.
  • Prasthala: Large urban center situated on the drishadvati river. Focal town for the flow of trade into and out of bharatavarsha. Briefly ruled by the anavas, it is now firmly under Bharata control.
  • Pratishthana: The ancient name for prayag - confluence of ganga and yamuna, and still used by the city’s old families. Was founded by ila, daughter of vaivasvat manu, and was the first capital of the somavanshi dynasty.
  • Prithupura: Distant west city outside of bharatavarsha, but named after its first chakravartin - prithu vainya, who is said to have founded it. Key point on the international trade route that goes from Prasthala to Ur, via Aosnara and prithupura.
  • Pushkara: Ancient site along the sarasvati, revered as a site where the adityas of the previous epochs resided. Underground caves in pushkara have revealed elaborate halls and architecture.
  • Rohitashva: The suryavanshi refuge along the ganga, downstream of Kashi. Was constructed by the suryavanshi rohit, after the sack of Ayodhya by the haihayas. Today it serves as a suryavanshi fort.
  • Sakala: Grand capital of the anavas, founded by maharishi kashyapa and later developed by samrat Abhyavartin chayamana. Sacked several times by the dasas, especially during the era of Dasa Shambara. Resettled and constructed grander each time.
  • Shaktivati: A Yadava town on the charmanvati river, abandoned after the sack of haihayas.
  • Sivipuri: The old capital of the anavas, named after its founder - chakravartin sivi ausinara. Routinely faced attacks by Dasa warriors before the reign of rajan Divodasa. Now a peaceful, growing city.
  • Ur: Far western city beyond kushavarsha. Major trade partner to the Bharata janapada.
  • Vitabhya: Ancient city at the confluence of the shatadru and sindhu rivers. Now abandoned, after repeated mleccha raids.
  • Vrindavan: Village near Mathura, favoured grazing ground for the cattle herds of the Vrishni yadavas.
  • Yamaprastha: Gandharva capital city during the era of chakravartin Nahusha.
  • Yaudheya: Ancient town along the sarasvati that was home to Havishmana surya, and then to his son marici. In the ancient eras, people of yaudheya lived in underground dwelling pits.