Delhi, the capital of India is often known to be the heart of the country. Not only does its location justify such a phrase but the traction by the rulers over the centuries as well. Each Indian city is a reflection of the past that this land has gone through. Some have British imprints, some French, some Portuguese, some dutch, some Mughals, some Turkish but in the end, it’s our Indian heritage that outshines all.
Even though normally we detest the continuous invasions and robbery by suitors all across the globe, our country would not have been the same without them. The beauty of losing everything and working hard towards achieving, even more, is a journey well walked through.
Delhi is the heart of our country because of all the past it holds. The gigantic museums and marvelous libraries are enough for anyone to know more about India than any other place. But did you know, India is more than just an invasion witnessing country? The rich cultural beliefs are the pillars upon which our country stands.
And one of the most important places of the past happens to be the old Delhi. By now we all must be wondering about the past that is ready to unfold and also as to what was the name of old Delhi?
So, the name of old Delhi was Indraprastha which means land of lord Indra. The Vedic period is the most important period that led to the creation of an amazing subcontinent therefore we must get to know about it.
Vedic Period Of INDIA
The tridev: Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma are highly hailed in India by Hindus. According to Hindu texts and scriptures, these three gods are responsible for the normal functioning of the Earth. The Gods protect us from evil and lead to situations that are best for us.
The incarnation of these gods, especially Lord Vishnu has somehow streamlined the entire Vedic period for the Indians. As you might know, the holy scriptures tell us that there prevail 4 yugas.
- Satya Yuga
- Treta Yuga
- Dwapar Yuga
- Kali Yuga
The Satya yuga is considered to be the best yuga out of the four with less turmoil and better understanding, virtue, and wisdom amongst people. The reason why Indians love celebrating the festival of lights – Diwali lies in the Treta Yuga.
Treta yuga is devoted to the life of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The yuga teaches us, humans, about the weightage that the thought process of the society we live in can affect our normal life. And we often find ourselves conspiring in the middle of these to fit in while the actual peace lies in sharing wisdom and taking an honest stand.
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The Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India talks about the entire journey of Lord Rama and is often quoted to married couples so that they can learn from the teachings of Lord Rama and his wife Devi Sita. It might be just another mythological book for some but it holds strong grounds in our country whether we believe it or not.
The next comes the Dwapar yuga. The yuga of Lord Krishna, the eighth and the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu until now who came to the earth to spread love. An Indian can easily start smiling by hearing the name of Lord Krishna and remembering all the mischievous stories we have been hearing from our grandparents since childhood.
It is very difficult to understand the feeling of love that Lord Krishna tried to make us understand, but the love story sure does make its readers believe and fall in love someday. During the Dwapar Yuga, the second great epic of India, the Mahabharata, happened.
Mahabharata depicts the fight between children of the same family now torn down to two sides. One side follows the path of honesty while the other the path of greed. It is through this epic that the gods have tried to make us humans understand that following the dharma and being on the right side is what makes us closer to God.
To narrow it down, the fight of Mahabharata was based on one city, the Indraprastha which happens to be the old name of Delhi. The Pandavas, a group of five brothers who won the battle in Mahabharata built themselves a marvelous kingdom of Indraprastha which was built by the lord of architecture, Lord Vishwakarma himself.
The beautiful city of Indraprastha along with its connectivity with the river Yamuna made it the best city during the Vedic period. It is said that the remains of Indraprastha dating back to thousands of years are still present in the Kali Yuga.
The Purana Qila in Old Delhi has the oldest form of architecture, making it believable for historians to consider it as a part of the Indraprastha. So now we know that the name of old Delhi was Indraprastha, the strongest city even now due to its great connectivity and hold.
