Rama's Journey: Fourteen years from a palace in Ayodhya, into the deep forests, across the sea to war - and home again by the light of a thousand lamps.
The Pandavas' Road: The long road between two cities and one battlefield - from a burning palace, through forests and disguises, to Kurukshetra and a hard-won crown.
Krishna's Path: The story of a life that began in a locked prison cell at midnight - and went on to reshape the whole world, from a cowherd village to a golden city in the sea.
Places
Ayodhya (Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh): Ayodhya was the shining capital of the kingdom of Kosala, sitting on the banks of the Sarayu river. This is where Rama was born to King…
Mithila (Traditionally identified with Janakpur, in modern Nepal): Mithila was the kingdom of the wise King Janaka, who found baby Sita in a furrow while ploughing a field - which is why she is also called…
Shringaverapura (Singraur, Uttar Pradesh): When Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana left Ayodhya for their exile, they came to the wide Ganga river here. Guha, the chief of the boatmen, loved…
Prayaga (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh): Prayaga is the famous place where two great rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna, flow together and become one. The kind sage Bharadvaja had…
Chitrakuta (Chitrakoot, on the Uttar Pradesh–Madhya Pradesh border): Chitrakuta was Rama's first home in exile - a gentle green mountain where Lakshmana built a cottage of leaves and branches. Something very…
Dandaka Forest (Traditionally the forests of central India, spanning the Deccan): The Dandakaranya was an enormous, wild forest covering much of central and southern Bharatavarsha - so big it would take years to walk…
Panchavati (Nashik, Maharashtra): Panchavati, "the place of five banyan trees," sat on the banks of the beautiful Godavari - the same river that flows through Andhra Pradesh…
Lepakshi (Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh (Telugu tradition)): As Ravana flew south carrying Sita, the brave old eagle Jatayu attacked him in mid-air to save her - even though he knew he was too old to…
Kishkindha (Traditionally identified with Hampi, Karnataka): Kishkindha was the kingdom of the vanaras - the mighty forest people - set among giant golden boulders by the Tungabhadra river. This is…
Rameswaram (Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu): This is the very tip of the land, where the vanara army finally reached the roaring sea and set up camp - with Lanka somewhere far beyond…
Rama Setu (Adam's Bridge, a chain of shoals between India and Sri Lanka): How do you get a whole army across the ocean? You build a bridge - out of stones that float! The vanaras Nala and Nila had a special…
Lanka (Traditionally identified with the island of Sri Lanka): Lanka was Ravana's island kingdom - a city so rich that its palaces and walls were said to be made of gold. It was mighty and beautiful…
Ashoka Vatika (Traditionally identified with the Hakgala area of Sri Lanka): The Ashoka Vatika was a garden of flowering ashoka trees inside Lanka, and this is where Sita waited. Ravana offered her a golden palace…
Hastinapura (Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh): Hastinapura, "the city of elephants," was the capital of the Kuru kingdom on the banks of the Ganga - and the throne at the very heart of…
Varanavata (Traditionally identified with Barnawa, Uttar Pradesh): Duryodhana invited the Pandavas to a festival in this town - but it was a trap. He had a beautiful palace built for them out of lac, wax…
Hidimba Forest (Traditionally a forest east of the old Kuru lands): After escaping the burning palace, the Pandavas hid in this deep, dark forest - and while everyone else slept, Bhima kept watch. A rakshasa…
Ekachakra (Traditionally identified with Ekachakra, Birbhum, West Bengal): In this little town, the Pandavas lived in secret, disguised as poor brahmana students staying in a kind family's house. But the town lived…
Kampilya (Kampil, Uttar Pradesh): Kampilya was the capital of the Panchala kingdom, ruled by King Drupada - and the home of his daughter Draupadi. Kings from everywhere came…
Khandava Forest (Traditionally the forest lands around modern Delhi): When the kingdom was split, the Pandavas were given the wild, tangled Khandava forest - land nobody wanted. Then Agni, the fire god, came…
Indraprastha (Delhi): On the ground where Khandava once stood, the Pandavas built Indraprastha - a city so splendid it was compared to Indra's own heaven. Its…
Mathura (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh): Mathura, on the Yamuna river, is where Krishna was born - at midnight, inside the prison of the cruel king Kamsa, while guards slept and…
Dwaraka (Dwarka, Gujarat): Dwaraka was Krishna's own city - a golden fortress rising out of the western sea, built when he led his people far from Mathura to keep…
Virata (Traditionally identified with Bairat, Rajasthan): The thirteenth year of exile had a special rule: the Pandavas had to stay completely hidden, or start the whole thirteen years again. So…
Kamyaka Forest (Traditionally the forests west of the Saraswati river, Haryana): After losing everything in the dice game, the Pandavas spent twelve long years in the Kamyaka and Dvaita forests. Hard as it was, the…
Kurukshetra (Kurukshetra, Haryana): Kurukshetra is called dharma-kshetra - the field of dharma - and it is the most famous battlefield in all our stories. Here, in the quiet…
Girivraja (Rajgir, Bihar): Girivraja, a city ringed by five hills, was the capital of Magadha and the fortress of the mighty king Jarasandha - so strong that no army…
Gandhara (The region around Taxila and the Khyber, in modern Pakistan and Afghanistan): Far in the mountainous northwest, at the very edge of Bharatavarsha, lay the kingdom of Gandhara. This was the homeland of Gandhari, who…
Swargarohini (Swargarohini peak, Uttarakhand Himalaya): Long after the war, when their work in the world was done, the Pandavas and Draupadi set out on their last journey - the mahaprasthana …
Kashi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh): Kashi, "the city of light," is Shiva's own eternal city on the banks of the Ganga - people have lived and prayed here for so many thousands…
Tirumala (Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh): High on seven forested hills in Andhra Pradesh lives Venkateswara - Balaji - and his temple is the most visited temple on the whole planet.…
Bhadrachalam (Bhadrachalam, Telangana): On the banks of the wide Godavari stands the beloved temple of Rama at Bhadrachalam, in the very forests where, in many tellings, Rama…
Srisailam (Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh): Deep in the green Nallamala hills, above a gorge of the Krishna river, stands Srisailam - a place so special it is holy twice over. Shiva…
Ahobilam (Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh): Hidden in the wild Nallamala forest are nine shrines to Narasimha, the lion-man avatar of Vishnu - some easy to reach, some at the end of…
Simhachalam (Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh): On a hill near Visakhapatnam lives Varaha-Narasimha - a form of Vishnu that joins the boar avatar and the lion avatar in one. Here is the…
Vrindavan (Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh): Vrindavan is where little Krishna grew up - the groves by the Yamuna where he stole butter, played his flute so sweetly that the cows…
Haridwar (Haridwar, Uttarakhand): Haridwar, "the gateway of the Lord," is where the Ganga finally leaves the mountains and rushes out onto the great plains of Bharatavarsha.…
Gangotri (Gangotri, Uttarakhand): High in the icy Himalaya is Gangotri, honored as the place where the Ganga begins - a small, freezing, crystal-clear stream that will grow…
Mount Kailash (Mount Kailash, in Tibet): Far beyond the Himalaya rises Kailash, a lonely snow peak shaped almost like a perfect temple - and this, in many tellings, is the home of…
Badrinath (Badrinath, Uttarakhand): Tucked between snow peaks high in the Himalaya, the bright, colorfully painted temple of Badrinath is where Vishnu sits in deep meditation…
Kedarnath (Kedarnath, Uttarakhand): Kedarnath is the highest of all the twelve Jyotirlingas - a sturdy stone temple standing alone in a valley of snow and cloud, so high that…
Puri (Puri, Odisha): By the eastern sea in Odisha lives Jagannath - "Lord of the Universe," a wonderful wide-eyed wooden form of Krishna - with his brother…
Ujjain (Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh): Ancient Ujjain, on the Shipra river, is the city of Mahakaleshwar - Shiva as the Lord of Time itself, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, whose…
Somnath (Somnath, Gujarat): On the shore of the western sea stands Somnath, honored as the very first of the twelve Jyotirlingas. In many tellings, it was built by…
Kanchipuram (Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu): Kanchipuram is called the city of a thousand temples - walk down almost any street and a carved gopuram rises above the rooftops. It is one…
Madurai (Madurai, Tamil Nadu): In Madurai, something wonderful is true: the goddess rules first. Meenakshi - Parvati as the fish-eyed warrior queen - reigns over the city…
Kanyakumari (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu): At the very southern tip of the land, where Bharatavarsha finally runs out into the water, three seas meet - the Bay of Bengal, the Indian…