November 14, 2026

Akhanda Bharath

The vastness of the Bharath, the land rich in heritage and cultural diversity

Akhanda Bharath Heritage Temples and Places

Kashi in the Mahabharata: The Ancient Kingdom of Varanasi and Its Role in the Kurukshetra Age

In modern geographical terms, the heartland of Kashi corresponds most closely to Varanasi and adjoining parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The exact political boundaries of a Mahabharata-era kingdom cannot be reconstructed with modern district-level precision, so any modern map should be treated as an approximate geographical representation rather than a fixed ancient frontier. The Government of Uttar Pradesh likewise identifies Varanasi with the ancient name Kashi.

By Kautilya / August 9, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Art and Culture Diplomacy Heritage Neighborhood Temples and Places

India and Nepal Restore Historic Prathamshree Mahavihar in Patan

Prathamshree Mahavihar forms part of Patan’s historic network of Buddhist monasteries, locally associated with the traditional bahi and bahal architectural traditions of the Kathmandu Valley. These complexes serve as places of worship, ritual practice, community gathering and preservation of Newar Buddhist traditions. The project covered the Gusthal Bahi and its Agam, a sacred component of the monastic complex used for religious and ceremonial functions.

By Kautilya / July 29, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Heritage Indian Legends

Palakkad Rajas: Guardians of Kerala’s Strategic Eastern Gateway

The early history of Palakkad contains a mixture of inscriptional evidence, royal genealogies and regional traditions. After the decline of the Chera Perumals, Kerala became divided among hereditary chiefs and royal houses exercising authority over different nadus or territorial divisions. The prominent powers of the Palakkad region included the Valluvakonathiri of Valluvanad, the Kollengode Rajas of Vengunad and the Sekharivarma Rajas of Palakkattussery.

By Kautilya / July 27, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Art and Culture Heritage

Janakpur: Nepal’s Sacred City of Sita, King Janaka and the Divine Marriage of Rama

For generations of pilgrims from Nepal and India, Janakpur represents the maternal home of Sita. Ayodhya is remembered as the kingdom of Rama, while Janakpur is cherished as the city from which Janaki entered the royal household of Raghu. The sacred relationship between the two cities has shaped pilgrimage routes, devotional songs, wedding customs and family traditions across the Himalayan and Gangetic regions.

By Kautilya / July 25, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Heritage Indian Legends

Valluvanad Rajas: The Vellattiri Dynasty and the Struggle for Mamankam

The ruler of Valluvanad appears under several titles and spelling variations in historical records. These include Valluvakonathiri, Valluvakkonathiri, Vellattiri, Vellatiri, Velatra, Velnatera, Arangottu Udayavar and Vallabha Raja. British-era treaties and administrative documents frequently referred to the territory as the kingdom of Vellattiri and used Vallabha Raja as a formal designation for its ruler.

By Kautilya / July 24, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Art and Culture Heritage

Sri Lanka and the Ramayana: Lanka, Ravana and a Living Civilizational Bridge

Archaeology documents Sri Lanka’s ancient settlements, temples, maritime connections and religious institutions. The identification of individual landscapes with particular Ramayana episodes comes primarily through sacred tradition, temple practice, folklore, place memory and pilgrimage literature. Together, these different forms of heritage make Sri Lanka one of the most important countries in the global Ramayana tradition.

By Kautilya / July 24, 2026
Akhanda Bharath Heritage Indian Legends

Parappanad Rajas: The Malabar Royal House That Shaped Travancore’s Lineage

The name Parappanad referred both to the territory and to the ruling swarupam, or royal lineage. Like several ruling houses of medieval Kerala, the dynasty consisted of different branches residing in separate kovilakams, the palace households through which political authority, property and succession were organised. The collective legacy of these branches reached far beyond the boundaries of their original kingdom.

By Kautilya / July 23, 2026

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