One of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, Mahabharata and Ramayana hold a special place in the hearts of all the Indians. Not only do they serve the purpose of great learnings, but they act as a direct link with the great history of India. It is a matter of fact that the places and cities mentioned in these epics are still habitats for many Indians. Through this article, let us discover the ancient cities around the story of The Mahabharata revolves:

1.   Magadh – Once ruled by Jarasandh, the city of Magadh lies in today’s south of Bihar. The only daughter of Jarasandh was married to Kans, whose life was spared by Lord Krishna after he killed Kans for his Karma.

2.   Vrindavan – One of the tourist attractions places of Uttar Pradesh, located just a 2-hour drive from Agra and 10 KM from Mathura, Vrindavan holds a special place amongst all the devotees of Lord Krishna. India witnesses a huge celebration of the Holi Festival every year at Vrindavan.

3.   Indraprastha – After the destruction of Khandava Van by Pandavas, they established Indraprastha. It is situated south of Present-day New Delhi. This city of Indraprastha became the Capital of Pandavas and was designed by Vishwakarma.

4.    Ujjanak – Guru Dronacharya, who taught archery, fighting techniques, and life lessons to both, Pandavas and Kauravas, lived here. The place is situated near Nainital, known as ‘Kashipur’ today. Another name for the place is ‘Bhimshankar’.

5.    Takshashila – A place that no more lies within the geographical boundaries of today’s India, Takshashila was once the capital of Gandhar Desh. Today it is located near Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

6.   Kurukshetra – The most renowned places of the other that are mentioned in the Mahabharata. The place where the final battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas took place. The place that served as the battlefield for the two is located in Haryana, 50 KM from Ambala. It is believed that before the epic battle began, Lord Krishna took a dip in the Brahma Kund, known as Brahma Sarovar today.

7.   Hastinapur – The capital of the Kauravas, Hastinapur, is located in Uttar Pradesh. Today it is known as Meerut. This is the place where the great gamble took place and Yudhisthir lost to his brother (Kauravas). The place where the Epic of Mahabharata truly began.

8.  Gandhar – Another place that lies outside the geographical boundaries of India, is Gandhar. Located near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Gandhari was married to Dhritrashtra and her brother Shakuni is known to be the fire that ignited the great between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

9.     Kaushambi – Located near the Ganges in Allahabad (Prayagraj), the capital of Vatsa Desh supported the Kauravas in the war of Mahabharata.

10. Dwarka – To protect the Yadavas, Lord Krishna took this great step of shifting his capital from Mathura to the west of Gujarat, called ‘Dwarka’.

Few places are renamed, few places lie outside the geographical boundary of India and few places have gone completely extinct today, but the royal grandeur of the great Epic of Mahabharata still remains prevalent in the soil of India. It still proclaims the victory of truth over lies & teaches the philosophy of life across all ages.