India is a country rich in culture and heritage. Our country has seen such a civilization in history that our ancestors have left us with a lot of heritage sites. A number of beautiful monuments, forts, palaces, lakes, and cities are there in our country which attract tourists from all over the world.
India has seen a massive change since the very past era. The era which was famous for its beauty. Although now most of the known places in India are modernised, still every city has some history associated with it. Let's go through some of the very oldest cities in India.
1. Varanasi
Varanasi also known as Benaras or Kashi is one of the ancient cities in the world. Situated on the bank of river Ganga, it is prominently a pilgrimage site for Hindus. Varanasi is a holy city where it is believed that the pilgrims get free from all the sins and attain Moksha if they die here.
In the mythology, it is believed that Pandavas also came to Varanasi to get rid of the sin they did by Brahmanhatya (killing of a Brahmin) and fratricide (Killing their brothers) during the war of Mahabharata. A number of scholars also visited the beautiful city to feel the presence of God.
Varanasi also has one of the important temples in India i.e Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of the 12 jyotirlings and has the world’s tallest temple tower.
Varanasi doesn’t only have temples, it is a place where we can see a lot of religions being practiced together. There are famous mosques and Jain temples as well.
Mark Twain in 1897 said “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”
Apart from all the beliefs, all the stories, I would just say that Benaras is beautiful enough to visit atleast once in life.
2. Patna
The capital city of Bihar was the capital city of the Magadha empire back in about 460 BC. The city was known by the name of Patliputra. Patna also has a rich history and heritage. It was the centre of knowledge and arts.
It has some historical sites like Nalanda and BodhGaya. It was the birthplace of Aryabhatta and Chanakya.
History of Patna says that Gautam Buddha travelled through this place in the last year of his life. Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh was also born here. Patna was the commercial hub in the ancient times. Its economic stability started to decline after British rule in India.
3. Ujjain
Known for one of the 12 jyotirlings, MahaKaleshwar temple and the Kumbh Mela, Ujjain is also one of the most ancient cities in India. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti Kingdom.
The city was a part of Mauryan empire and was once ruled by Chandragupta and Bindusara. One of the greatest rulers, Ashoka even served as a viceroy of Ujjain under the rule of his father.
Around 600 BC, Ujjain served as the political, cultural and literary centre as well. The mentions of Ujjain can also be found in the works of famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa.
Today, due to the presence of a large number of temples, Ujjain is one of the famous pilgrimage sites.
4. Pushkar
Known for the only temple of Lord Brahma, Pushkar is one of the oldest cities in India as well. It is one the prominent cities of Rajasthan. It is a kind of centre of attraction for a lot of tourists from everywhere.
Pushkar has its mentions in mythological books of Hindus. But about historical records, they were first found in Islamic texts.
The city is famous for its annual Pushkar fairs that lasts for five days and attracts a lot of tourists. Other than that, Pushkar is famous for Sikh Gurudwaras, Brahma temple and Pushkar lake.
5. Madurai
Madurai is one of the world’s longest living cities. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu. The city has been believed to be ruled by the Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar empire, Madurai Sultanate and the British East India company.
There is a belief that Madurai got its name as the sweet nectar or honey (Madhu) fell from the locks of Lord Shiva. The city is a major temple- city as it is built around the famous Meenakshi temple. It also has some of the famous temples of South India.
Madurai has been mentioned in the works of Magasthenes, Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta.
The list doesn’t just end here. As said above, India is rich in heritage, it has some ancient cities in all the directions. Haridwar, Rishikesh in North, Thanjavur in South, Puri in east and Dwarka in west are just a few examples of the ancient cities in India which are major tourist attractions.
Written By: Nidhi Jha
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