STORIES · THE TWO EPICS ON ONE MAP
STORIES · THE TWO EPICS ON ONE MAP
Flight from the house of lac — Mahabharata: Varanavata → Ganga crossing (boat) → Forest of the Hidimba episode → Matsya, Trigarta, Panchala, Kichaka countries (wandering) → Ekachakra → Panchala (Drupada's capital, Kampilya)
Arjuna's twelve-year exile — Mahabharata: Indraprastha (departure) → Gangadvara → Kauravya's Naga mansion → Agastyavata, Vasishtha's peak, Bhrigu's peak, Hiranyavindu → Naimisha → Vanga and Kalinga → Mahendra mountain → Manipura → Five waters on the southern ocean: Agastya, Saubhadra, Pauloma, Karandhama, Bharadvaja → Manipura (second visit) → Gokarna → Prabhasa
Digvijaya: Arjuna north — Mahabharata: Kuninda (Kulinda) → Anarta / Kalakuta → Pragjyotisha → Kashmira → Kamboja → Daradas → Harataka and Lake Manasa (Guhakas, Gandharvas) → North Harivarsha / Northern Kurus
Digvijaya: Bhima east — Mahabharata: Panchalas → Gandakas and Videhas → Dasarnas (Sudharman) → Chedi (Sisupala) → Kasi (Suvahu) → Southern Mallas → Magadha / Girivraja (Jarasandha's son) → Karna (Anga) → Pundra (Vasudeva) → Vanga → Tamralipta → Sea-coast Mlechchhas, Suhmas and Lohitya
Digvijaya: Sahadeva south — Mahabharata: Surasenas → Matsya → Charmanwati and Narmada → Avanti (Vinda and Anuvinda) → Pandya → Kishkindhya caves (Mainda, Dwivida) → Mahishmati (Nila) → Surparaka, Talakata, Dandakas → Dravida, Andhra, Kalinga coast peoples → Vibhishana at the sea-shore
Digvijaya: Nakula west — Mahabharata: Rohitaka → Desert country (Marubhumi) → Dasarnas → Sivis → Trigartas → Malavas → Abhiras → Country of the five rivers → Ramathas, Harahunas, Yadavas → Sakala of the Madras (Shalya) → Sea-coast Mlechchas (Palhavas, Kiratas, Yavanas, Sakas)
To Girivraja to kill Jarasandha — Mahabharata: Kuru realm (Indraprastha) → Kurujangala → Kalakuta hills → Gandaki → Sarayu → Eastern Kosala → Mithila → Charmanwati, Ganges and Sone crossing → Goratha hills → Girivraja
Forest exile and Lomasha's pilgrimage — Mahabharata: Kamyaka vana → Dvaitavana → Naimisha → Prayaga → Gayasira (Gaya) → Agastya's asylum at Durjaya (Manimati, Vidarbha) → Mahendra, Kalinga, Vaitarani → Godavari and Agastya's tirtha in the Dravida country → Suparaka (Shurparaka) → Prabhasa → Payosni, hill of sapphires, Narmada → Yamuna and Plakshavatarana, Kurukshetra and the Sarasvati
The year in hiding at Virata — Mahabharata: Yamuna south bank, Yakrilloma, Surasena → Panchala to the right, Dasarna to the left → Matsya dominions → Shami tree → Viratanagara → Upaplavya
Krishna's peace mission — Mahabharata: Upaplavya → Salibhavana → Vrikasthala → Hastinapura → Vidura's house → Out of the city with Karna
Balarama's Sarasvati pilgrimage — Mahabharata: Dvaraka → Prabhasa → Chamasodbheda → Udapana → Vinasana → Subhumika, Gandharvas' tirtha, Gargasrota, Sankha, Dwaita lake, Nagadhanwana → Naimisha on the Sarasvati → Samantapanchaka / Kurukshetra → Sapta-Saraswat → Prithudaka → Vasishthapavaha → Plakshaprasravana, Karapacana, Mitra-Varunas' asylum, Yamuna spot
The Ashvamedha horse's route — Mahabharata: Hastinapura → Trigarta → Pragjyotisha (Vajradatta) → Saindhava country → Manipura → Magadha → Chedi → Kasi, Anga, Kosala → Kirata, Tangana → Dasarna → Nishada kingdom → Dravida, Andhra, Mahishaka, hills of Kolwa
The last walk to the Himalaya — Mahabharata: Hastinapura → Sea of red waters (Lauhitya) → Dwaraka (sunken) → Himavat → Mana / Satopanth / Swargarohini → Vast sand desert → Mount Meru
Vishvamitra takes the princes: Ayodhya to Siddhashrama to Mithila — Ramayana: Ayodhya → Sarayu south bank, first night → Sarayu-Ganga confluence (hermitage between the rivers, 'Kama's ashrama') → Ganga crossing by boat; Malada and Karusha → Tataka's forest → Siddhashrama → Sona river camp (night) → Ganga bank (camp), then boat crossing to north bank → Vishala (King Sumati; one night) → Gautama's ashram (Ahalya) → Mithila
The wedding party returns to Ayodhya — Ramayana: Mithila → Meeting with Parashurama → Parashurama departs to Mount Mahendra → Ayodhya
The exile route (Valmiki's text): Ayodhya to Panchavati — Ramayana: Ayodhya → Tamasa river bank, first night → Kosala boundary; Vedashruti, Gomati, Syandika rivers → Ingudi tree near Ganga; Guha at Shringaverapura → Ganga crossing by boat; Vatsa country → Bharadvaja's ashram at Prayaga → Yamuna crossing on a raft; Shyama banyan → Chitrakuta (Valmiki's hermitage; leaf hut; Malyavati) → Atri and Anasuya's ashram → Entry to Dandaka (Janasthana, ashram cluster) → Viradha's forest; Sharabhanga's ashram → Sutikshna's ashram
VARIANT - Ram Van Gaman Path: the Chhattisgarh exile circuit (state tourism claim) — Ramayana: Ayodhya (start; UP forest road section) → Sitamarhi-Harchowka (Koriya) → Ramgarh (Surguja) → Shivrinarayan (Janjgir-Champa) → Turturia (Balodabazar) → Chandkhuri (Raipur) → Rajim (Gariaband) → Sihawa Saptarishi Ashram (Dhamtari) → Jagdalpur (Bastar) → Ramaram (Sukma) → Bhadrachalam / Parnasala
Bharata's journey to Chitrakoot and back to Nandigram — Ramayana: Ayodhya → Ganga bank at Shringaverapura (Guha); army encamps → Bharadvaja's ashram → Route to Chitrakuta: Mandakini on its north side → Chitrakoot → Return: Yamuna, Ganga, Shringaverapura ('Shringibhera') → Nandigrama
Messengers to Kekaya; Bharata's recall to Ayodhya — Ramayana: Ayodhya → Aparatala and Pralamba; Malini river → Hastinapura (Ganga crossing); Panchala, Kurujangala → Saradanda, Kulinga, Abhikala, Ikshumati → Bahlika and Mount Sudaman; Vishnupada; Vipasa and Shalmali → Girivraja / Rajagriha (Kekaya) → Return: Sudama, Hladini, Shatadru at Eladhana → Saraswati-Ganga confluence; Bharunda woods; Kulinga; Yamuna → Pragvata on the Bhagirathi; Kutikoshthika, Jambuprastha, Varutha, Ujjihana, Sarvatirtha, Uttanika, Kapivati, Sthanumati, Gomati at Vinata, Kalinga city → Ayodhya (reached at dawn)
Ravana's abduction flight (text) — Ramayana: Panchavati / Janasthana → Jatayu's challenge (in the air); his fall → Five vanaras on a mountaintop (ornaments dropped) → Pampa region (passed below) → Ocean crossing → Lanka; Ashoka grove
VARIANT - Where did Jatayu fall? Rival modern claims — Ramayana: Text: fall site unnamed → Claim 1 - Lepakshi → Claim 2 - Chadayamangalam (Jatayu para) → Claim 3 - Vijayaraghava Perumal temple (Thiruputkuzhi)
Rama's search: Jatayu to Kabandha, Shabari, Pampa, Rishyamukha, Kishkindha — Ramayana: Jatayu's cremation → Krauncha forest; Matanga hermitage seen; cave of Ayomukha → Kabandha's place on the path → Pampa lake (western bank) → Matanga Vana and Shabari's hermitage (Pampa's west bank) → Rishyamukha → Kishkindha → Prasravana (rainy-season camp)
East: Vinata's party — Ramayana: Bhagirathi, Sarayu, Kaushiki, Yamuna, Kalinda, Sarasvati, Sona, Mahi → Videha, Malava, Kashi, Kosala, Magadha, Pundra, Anga, Koshakara → Mount Mandara; Yava Island (seven kingdoms); golden and silver islands → Shalmali island; Garuda's mansion; Milk Ocean → Udaya Mountain (Saumanasa peak)
South: Angada, Hanuman, Jambavan — Ramayana: Vindhya; Narmada, Godavari, Krishnaveni, Mahanadi, Varada → Mekhala, Utkala, Dasharna, Avanti, Vidarbha, Maheehaka, Vanga, Kalinga; Dandaka; Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Pandya, Kerala → Mount Malaya; Kaveri; Agastya's seat → Tamraparni; Pandya's golden gate → Southern ocean; Mount Mahendra (leap point) → Island of Lanka (100 yojanas); Pushpitaka, Suryavan, Vaidyuta, Kunjara, Bhogavati, Rishabha → Yama's abode (closing limit)
West: Sushena's party — Ramayana: Surashtra, Bahlika, Chandrachitra → Western ocean shore; Muraci, Jatapura, Avanti, Angalepa; Alakshita forest → Hemagiri at the Sindhu's mouth → Mount Pariyatra → Vajra, Chakravan, Varaha (Pragjyotisha), Meghavan, Meru Savarni → Astagiri (sunset mountain)
North: Shatabali's party — Ramayana: Mleccha, Pulinda, Shurasena, Prasthala, Bharata, Kuru, Madraka, Kamboja, Yavana, Shaka, Darada → Himalaya; Devadaru woods; Soma hermitage; Kala, Sudarshana, Devasakha → Kailasa; Kubera's mansion → Krauncha, Kama, Manasa, Mainaka; Maya's mansion; Kimpurusha; Vaikhanasa lake; Shailoda → Uttara Kuru; northern ocean; Mount Soma
Hanuman's leap from Mahendra to Lanka — Ramayana: Mahendra mountain (launch) → Mainaka → Surasa; Simhika → Rameswaram (temple claim of the leap) → Lamba mountain; sight of Lanka
VARIANT - The two Mahendras — Ramayana: Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli → Mahendragiri, Gajapati → Parashurama's retreat (Bala 76)
The march to the sea and the bridge — Ramayana: Kishkindha → Sahya and Malaya → Mahendra peak; first sight of the ocean; shore woodland camp → Rama's three-night vigil on kusha grass → Rama's arrow to Drumatulya/Maru → Setu (Nala's bridge) → Suvela (night camp) → Lanka on Trikuta
The return in the Pushpaka — Ramayana: Lanka on Mount Trikuta; the battlefield → Seashore night; Nala Setu; Mainaka; Setubandha → Kishkindha (the car halts) → Rishyamukha, Pampa → Janasthana, Panchavati, Godavari → Agastya's ashram; Sutikshna's and Sharabhanga's → Atri and Anasuya; Chitrakuta → Yamuna; Bharadvaja's hermitage (halt) → Ganga; Shringaverapura (Guha) → Sarayu; Ayodhya → Nandigrama (Hanuman reaches Bharata, ~2 miles from Ayodhya)
Sita's exile to Valmiki's ashram — Ramayana: Ayodhya → Hermitage on the Gomati bank (night) → Ganga bank; boat crossing → Sita left on the far bank (forest, peacocks) → Valmiki meets Sita on the Jahnavi bank → Alt: Turturiya → Alt: Valmikinagar