Ancient Indian Places and Cities: Ancient Indian cities help us give an insight into the different civilizations which existed throughout the country. These cities are first-hand sources of getting information on the daily life, customs, cultures, celebrations, festivals, religious observances, caste system, sports activities, education, architecture, the position of women etc and such other aspects.

As a matter of fact, most of the contemporary Indian cultural refinement has been largely influenced by these ancient Indian cities.

Ancient Indian Places and Cities

The ancient Indian cities were indeed well planned. The cities consisted of proper streets, pottery art, drainage ditches, and bulky granaries along with large bath sources. The large bath was used for the purpose of ritual cleansing. Most of the buildings were constructed with the help of bricks on a raised platform.

The size of these houses differed from simple two-room structures to enormous two-storied houses with courtyards. The history of ancient Indian civilization goes back to the Bronze Age. This period lasted from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Ancient Indian cities are all those cities which have existed prior to the arrival of Islam in India precisely before the 8th century. These ancient cities truly represent the diversified culture of India. Each of these ancient cities has a distinct peculiarity of its own and is hence unique.

Interestingly, all these cities have managed to retain their originality and also have its own tinge of modernity. In fact, most of the modern Indian cities have emerged from the ruins of the ancient cities in India.

Some of the famous ancient Indian cities are:

Aror – Aror is located about 8 kilometers to the east of Rohri which is in the present day Sindh, Pakistan. It was also the capital of Sindh. Subsequently, it was located on the banks of the River Indus. This city was the hub of trade and commerce. A variety of languages were spoken namely Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi as well as the Sindhi language. Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam were the main religions which were practiced.

Kannauj – This place was one of the most beautiful as well as most historical places in ancient India which were ruled by various rulers. This city was described as a city which raised its head and in strength as well as in beauty was unrivaled. On September 18th, 1997, this city became a part of the modern-day Uttar Pradesh.

Bairat – This was a highly celebrated and significant town situated in the northern Jaipur district in Rajasthan. This place is located 52 kilometers north of Jaipur and 66 kilometers west of Alwar.

Kalibangan – Kalibangan is a town situated in the Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan. This town is located on the banks of the River Ghaggar. This ancient city was the third important city amongst all the Harappan sites under the Indus civilization which were excavated. A number of terracotta bangles have been excavated here.

Sravasti – This place was an important Buddhist religious as well as the research center. This place is located in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.

Sagala – Sagala is considered to be the modern-day Sialkot. It was the nerve center of trade and commerce with promising business prospects.

Sitanagaram – This place is a very simple and humble ancient site which is situated in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Hansi – This is a place is a town located in the Hisar district of Haryana. This ancient city possesses as many as five gates to enter Delhi. These gates consisted of the Delhi Gate to the east, Hisar Gate to the west, Gosain gate to the north-west, Barsi gate to the south and the Umra gate to the south-west.

Kambhoj– Kambhoj was an ancient town located in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.

Kalpi – This place is located in the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh. This place was conceived to be the birthplace of the sage Ved Vyas. This city was also famous for its art of papermaking.

Bhinmal – Bhinmal is a town situated in the Jalore district of Rajasthan. It was also the capital of ancient Gujarat. Earlier, this place was called as Bhillamala.

Tamralipta – Tamralipta was such other city in the state of West Bengal. Today, this place is known as Tamluk. Tamluk derives its name from the Sanskrit word Tamra Lipta which meant ‘Full of Copper.’

Urayur – Urayur was another such city which is located in Tiruchirappalli in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Dwarka – The dwelling place of Lord Dwarka, located in Gujarat. The word ‘Dwarka’ means ‘a door.’

Ujjain – Ujjain is situated in the banks of the river Shipra in Madhya Pradesh. This city has a number of temples and is still today a popular tourist destination.

Osiyan – Osiyan is another such ancient city located approximately 65 kilometers from Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

Bayana – Bayana is a place located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The previous name of this city was Sripatha or Sriracha or even Shantipura. According to the mythological sources, this city was believed to be an accidental discovery by an asura named Banasur.

Chunar – Located in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, this place is famously known for its pottery particularly the clay toys.

Apart from this, there are some other such important historical cities in ancient India are:

Sopara, Agroha, Kurukshetra, Paithan, Vallabhi, Kalinjar, and Tirunelveli are some of the other cities. These ancient Indian cities are very well known for their cultural ethos with a population which was highly civilized.