Hastinapura (హస్తినాపురం)
Today: 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 the whole Mahabharata. The Pandavas and Kauravas grew up here together as cousins, learning from the same gurus. But this is also where the terrible dice game was played, where Krishna's last plea for peace was refused, and where, after everything, Yudhishthira was finally crowned king.
What happened here
- Bhishma's Vow: Bhishma makes his great vow for this throne
- The Guru and His Students: The princes train under Drona
- The Birth of the Pandavas & Kauravas: The Pandavas and Kauravas grow up as rivals
- The Game of Dice: The dice game; Draupadi is humiliated
- Failed Peace Negotiations: Krishna's peace embassy is refused
- The Aftermath & Coronation: Yudhishthira is crowned king