REMNANTS OF ANCIENT VISHNU TEMPLE AT HUMAYUN TOMB SITE, NEW DELHI

A photo taken some time before 1893 is reproduced here from page 78-79 of  the book 'The World of Ancient India' which indicates that the site where the Humayun Tomb stands today was the site of an ancient Vishnupada Temple. The book, 'The World of Ancient India' is the English version of Dr. Gustave Le Bon's original French work titled 'Les Monuments de L'Inde' which was published in Paris in 1893. The English translation was published by David Macrae, Tudor Publishing Co., (New York) in 1974.

'Vishnu Pada' (विष्णुपद) or 'Vishnu Charan' (विष्णुचरण) temples are significant in the context of the legend that Vishnu, in the avatara of Vamana, strode across the world and planted his feet at three sites on earth. These sites are unknown but many temples in India commemorate this legend of Vishnu. 'Pada' and 'Charan' both mean 'feet'. The destroyed Vishnupada temple at the site where Humayun Tomb stands today was one such site.

Oblivious of this fact, the Hindus still believe that the only significant Vishnupada temples that ever existed were the one at Gaya in Bihar located on the Niranjana river now known by the meaningless name 'Falgu', and the other, which too was destroyed by the Slave Dynasty rulers of Delhi, at the Kutub Complex in Delhi.

However, there is evidence of a third site of a Vishnupada temple which was built in antiquity on the original course of the Yamuna river. The tract of land that connects the site of the present-day Humayun Tomb and Purana Kila is more or less accepted as the site of the Indraprastha city of Mahabharata.  The Yamuna River course has of course, since then shifted. 

Here is the evidence in the form of a photograph of the Vishnu footprint slab, or Vishnu-pada taken at the Humayun Tomb site in Delhi which appeared in Dr. Gustave le Bon's English version of the French book Monuments De L'Inde. The slab had survived at least until 1893 when the picture was taken. The photograph was captioned in the English version of the book 'The World of Ancient India' as 'Vishnu's "Footprints", Tomb of Humayun'.

Vishnu's Footprints from the ancient temple at Humayun Tomb, photographed around the year 1893 at the Humayun Tomb.
From Gustave Le Bon's  book 'Les Monuments de L'Inde'

Above is the caption from the English version of Le Bon's book
titled 'The World of Ancient India'

A page from Le Bon's book

There are other indications that the Humayun Tomb was constructed by the Moghuls on the site of an ancient Hindu temple. Some remnants of those ancient structures still remain.

Ancient Temple Pillars were used as construction material.

Here we see eroded carvings of elephant trunks on the pillars of Humayun Tomb rampart.

Another view of the pillars taken from destructed Hindu Temples
and used for construction of Humayun Tomb. In the background
is a section of a typical Moghul fortress wall at the Isa Khan Tomb within the Humayun Tomb Complex.

Notice the 'elephant head' engravings at the bottom of the pillar -
a characteristic of Vedic and Hindu art.

A closer view of a less eroded
'elephant head' engraving.

Ancient Temple Pillars were used as construction material at Humayun Tomb. Notice that the pillars were placed upside down in this 'canopy structure' by the artisans in Moghul times.

The white quartz structure which is a remnant of the ancient temple is far more eroded than the red-sandstone rectangular structure dating to Moghul times. Sandstone erodes faster than quartz. The fact that the sandstone piece is in better shape than the quartz structure proves that the quartz pillars are much older than the sandstone piece.

Eroded engravings on Temple Pillars, which were used for the construction of the tomb of Isa Khan at the Humayun Tomb Complex, indicate that they belong to a different era.

That Humayun Tomb was built over the site of a Hindu temple is beyond doubt. But as Gustave Le Bon states in his book 'The Crowd', " The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste. preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master, whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim."

THE COSMIC DANCE OF SHIVA AND THE BIRTH OF SANSKRIT

Dr Fritjof Capra, an eminent American Physicist, who wrote the book 'The Tao of Physics' in 1975, connects the rhythmic pulsation of the subatomic particle with the Cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.  He says, “Every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, but also is an energy dance, a pulsating process of creation and destruction, without end. For the modern physicists, then Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter...... Modern physics pictures matter, not as passive and inert, but as continuously dancing and vibrating. This is very much like the Eastern mystics description of the world. Both emphasize that the universe has to be grasped dynamically. It structures are not static, rigid ones, but should be seen in terms of dynamic equilibrium.”

The Cosmic Dance of Shiva
Statue presented by Indian Government in June 2004 to
CERN (European Centre for Research in Particle Physics),
Geneva, Switzerland. CERN is the seat of the Hadron Collider

Lord Shiva performs the Tandava Nritya (ताण्डव नृत्य) which is a divine dance. Rudra Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. The Rudra Tandava marks the destruction of one cycle of creation followed by the beginning of a new cycle. 

नृत्तावसाने नटराजराजो ननाद ढक्कां नवपञ्चवारम्।

उद्धर्त्तुकामो सनकादिसिद्धादिनेतद्विमर्शे शिवसूत्रजालम्॥
At the end of His Cosmic Dance,
Shiva, the Lord of Dance,
with a view to bless the sages Sanaka and so on,
played on His Damaru fourteen times,
from which emerged the following fourteen Sutras,
known as Shiva Sutras or Maheshwara Sutras.

The new beginning is marked by Shiva playing his 'damru' from which the first sounds appear in the newly born universe. The sound is popularly known as Maheshwara Sutra. Amazingly the fourteen verses of Maheshwara Sutra that emanate from Shiva's Damru at the beginning of the new cycle of Creation are also the phonemes of the Sanskrit language. A phoneme is a basic unit of a language's phonology, which is combined with other phonemes to form meaningful units such as words.

Thus, as per the Rig Veda, the Maheshwara Sutra is the first organized sound on earth. To listen to it click here. Hence, it is believed that the sound of Sanskrit words and the science of Sanskrit grammar (much like mathematics) has existed eternally. The ancient Vedic grammarians Panini, Katyayana and many more conceived and visualized Sanskrit grammar and merely re-established the revealed knowledge in their treatises.

The mouth of the Hadron Collider, Geneva
An Interpretation
Courtesy: 'AboveTopSecrets.com'

THE TAMING OF THE GANGES

The unfinished task Though King Sagara, the dynamic ruler of the Ikṣvāku dynasty and forefather of Śrī Rāma, had prepared a channel for the descent of the Gaṅgā and even constructed a reservoir to hold her waters, the greater task remained incomplete. The sacred river surged unchecked in many directions, while the carved channel lay barren and dry. The epic remembers this pause not as failure, but as the moment when human effort reached its limit and divine intervention became necessary. To read more about the 'Channelling of the Ganges', click here. 

The long vigil of the dynasty: Sagara ascended to heaven, and his grandson Anshuman could not advance the work either; the task remained formidable. Another generation passed; King Dileepa, though he spent long years in the Himalayas studying the challenge, made no progress. The channel lay waiting, carved into the earth, its reservoir upheld by the four pillars, yet dry and silent. The Gaṅgā surged elsewhere, untamed, her waters flowing in many directions, while the prepared course remained barren.

At last, when his son Bhagirath came of age, the dynasty was prepared to attempt the undertaking, but only under the guidance and power of Lord Shiva. The Ramayana tells us that thousands of years had elapsed—a metaphor for the long passage of time—since King Sagara had completed the first phase of the work. Now, at last, the ashes of his sons—incinerated by Sage Kapila for disturbing his sadhana—were destined to be sanctified by the descent of the Ganga.

Brahmā’s counsel and Śiva’s acceptance: It is said that Brahmā and the other celestials counselled Bhagiratha to seek the aid of Lord Śiva, for the task was beyond the reach of lesser beings. Brahmā decreed that the Gaṅgā must descend to sanctify the ashes of Sagara’s sons, yet warned that her torrent was too mighty for the earth to bear. 

Lord Śiva accepted the plea and resolved to master the descent of the Gaṅgā. He planned to break the river’s furious torrent upon the Himalayas, tempering its force, and then guiding the waters gently down to the plains, where they would flow into the channel already carved by the sons of King Sagara.

Śiva’s channelling of the torrent: It is said that Lord Śiva first bound the Gaṅgā within the coils of his matted locks—perhaps a metaphor for the ridges, ravines, rocks, and roots of the Himalayas—and thus broke the force of her descent. He tempered the torrent by channelling it through lakes and reservoirs, dispersing the waters into many streams before releasing them to flow onward. In this way, the barren course carved by Sagara’s sons was at last filled, the reservoir brimming, the sacred river flowing as both myth and reality.

Bindu Sarovar: The great lake created to slow the descent of the waters bound in Shiva’s matted hair came to be known as Bindu Sarovar. Its vast expanse tempered the river’s force, allowing the torrent to settle. From there, the waters were divided into seven streams: three flowing eastward, collectively known today as the Brahmaputra; three directed westward, forming the Sindhu; and the seventh, the Bhagirathi—the Ganga herself—guided into the central channel prepared for her descent.

The gods beheld the descent of the Ganga from the skies, and Valmiki’s description is wondrous. He writes: “Some of the gods, in aerial craft vast as cities, some astride prancing horses, and some upon mighty elephants, entered the firmament at the sight of the plunging Ganga.” [Valmiki Ramayana 1‑43‑18b, 19a].

Bhagirath directs the water: From the verses that follow, it is evident that the celestials watched from above, borne in aerial vehicles. Even Bhagirath himself guided the river’s release from an airborne chariot—not a horse‑drawn conveyance, but a hovering craft. Had he been earthbound, the torrent newly freed would have engulfed both chariot and charioteer in an instant.

Bhagirath flew ahead of the surging Ganga, tracing her course over the channel already prepared. Behind him, the river followed—swift in some stretches, slower in others, at times colliding with her own waters—yet always pressing forward along the path he marked.

Bhagirath hovers over the river's course
As he directs the waters into the previously dug channel

In one legend, Skanda, son of Śiva and Gaṅgā, is said to have been born upon the banks of the sacred river, radiant with six faces and nourished by the milk of six divine nurses. Yet the imagery of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa evokes a deeper vision. Beyond Bindu‑Sarovar stood a mighty dam, its gates releasing torrents of water. 

Skanda’s six faces may thus symbolize not merely nurture but creation itself — the six gates of the dam through which the celestial waters were tamed and directed.

Skanda, being nourished by six divine nurses.
Perhaps he is just overlooking the
flowing milky waters of the Ganga

Skanda seems to embody the very act of construction—the myth perhaps arising from scenes like the one captured above, of water gushing forth from the gates of a dam. Skilled in engineering, Skanda is said to have drilled a tunnel through Mount Kailash in another of Shiva’s undertakings. He was not only the son of Shiva, but his helper and collaborator in works of immense scale.

Śiva tamed the torrent, Skanda engineered its course, and Bhagiratha summoned its descent — together shaping the Gaṅgā’s sacred passage from heaven to earth.

THE CHANNELING OF THE WATER OF THE GANGES - 1

The descent of the Gaṅgā: The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa narrates in detail the celestial descent of the Gaṅgā, describing how the sacred river was brought down from the heights of svarga—the Himalayas—to the plains of Bhāratavarṣa. This episode situates the Gaṅgā not merely as a geographical river but as a divine current linking heaven and earth.

The role of King Sagara Long before Śiva was entrusted with bearing the force of the Gaṅgā’s fall upon his matted locks, the preliminary task was undertaken by the sons of King Sagara. Sagara, renowned as one of the mighty rulers of the Ikṣvāku dynasty—of which Śrī Rāma was a later scion—stands at the center of this narrative of dynastic duty and cosmic consequence.

The sons of Sagara: Sagara had one biological son, Asamañja, born of his senior queen Keśinī, and many other sons born of his junior queen Sumati. The Rāmāyaṇa describes these latter sons as nurtured in jars filled with ghṛta (clarified butter), sustained by nurses until their birth. The text gives their number as sixty thousand, a figure that should be read symbolically as “innumerable.” The reference to ghṛta may be understood as a metaphor for a life‑sustaining fluid, a poetic rendering of embryonic nurture.

Sumati, their mother, had received a boon that her progeny would be “highly energetic and of great renown,” while Keśinī’s boon ensured that her single son would carry forward the royal lineage. Thus, the narrative juxtaposes multiplicity with continuity: countless sons embody vigour and fame, while one son embodies dynastic succession.

Asamañja’s training of the brothers: In due course, Asamañja—the elder son of Keśinī—was charged with instructing his jar‑born siblings. The Rāmāyaṇa portrays him as cruel, noting his practice of immersing the boys in water until they surfaced gasping for breath. This harsh discipline suggests that the brothers underwent a form of rigorous initiation, preparing them for the monumental task ahead. The narrative foreshadows their destiny: once their mission is fulfilled, they are consumed by fire and reduced to ashes.

The Aśvamedha Yajña: The great undertaking begins with the Aśvamedha yajña. The brothers are commanded to follow the wandering aśva. Although conventionally translated as “horse,” the behavior attributed to the aśva in the epic does not correspond to that of a mere animal. Its mysterious movements invite interpretation: Vālmīki may be encoding a symbolic or technological referent, with the aśva functioning as a ritual or cosmic marker rather than a literal steed.

Present-day Ashva

The vanishing of the aśva The aśva repeatedly disappears from sight, only to reappear later. At one point, it vanishes for so long that rumors spread of Indra’s theft. Yet the brothers themselves witness it plunging into the earth, raising clouds of dust as it descends. This enigmatic behavior compels them to pursue it beneath the surface, transforming their ritual duty into a cosmic excavation.

The 'ashva' disappearing into the earth?

The vast excavation: Driven by necessity, the brothers dig relentlessly. Their search for the vanished aśva expands into an immense excavation, stretching from the Himalayan foothills to the Vindhya range, and onward until they reach the ocean. The scale of this endeavor is staggering, consuming an immeasurable span of time and effort, and inscribing their labor upon the very geography of Bhāratavarṣa.

The channel.

King Sagara’s vigil Throughout this enterprise, King Sagara remains steadfast. He declares that he will wait, together with his grandson Anśumān, until the brothers have penetrated the depths of the earth. Their quest extends to rasātala, the penultimate subterranean realm, lying just above pātāla. The excavation spreads far and wide, reaching the limits where the earth is encircled by the oceans. In this way, the epic situates the sons’ labor within a cosmological framework, binding dynastic duty to the layered structure of the universe.

The ashva as excavator As the search for the vanished aśva continues, Vālmīki’s description begins to suggest that the brothers themselves are not digging, but rather operating the aśva, which performs the excavation. The narrative shifts from human labor to a symbolic or mechanized agent, underscoring the enigmatic nature of the aśva.

The channel and the pillars The excavation produces a channel, and the imagery expands: the mountains are likened to elephants supporting the earth. Once the waters are released, the structure functions as a reservoir. The aśva digs so deeply that massive supports—likened to elephants yet appearing as mountains—must be erected to uphold the four quarters of the earth. These supports are named Virūpākṣa, Mahāpāda, Sumanāsa, and Bhadra, cosmic pillars stabilizing the terrestrial plane.

The surrounding mountains are like 'elephants'
the pillars that hold the Earth.

The confrontation with sage Kapila With the channel complete, the ritual of Sagara reaches its climax. The brothers discover that the supposed horse‑thief is not Indra but the sage Kapila. When they accuse him of repeated thefts, Kapila utters a single syllable—hum—and reduces them to ashes. The logic of the narrative reveals that there was never truly a theft: the jar‑born sons were created solely to labor, and once their task was fulfilled, they were dissolved.

The transition to Śiva’s role Although the channel is prepared, King Sagara cannot proceed with the second phase of the project. At this juncture, the task of bringing the Gaṅgā from the Himalayas into the plains is entrusted to Śiva, who has already demonstrated his cosmic capacity in undertakings such as the Sāgara‑manthana. The divine intervention marks the transition from human effort to celestial agency.

Dynastic succession and Bhagiratha’s vow Sagara’s jar‑born sons perish, and his elder son Asamañja is banished for cruelty. The lineage continues through Anśumān, who resolves to bring the Gaṅgā down to earth to sanctify the souls of his uncles. Yet it is only his grandson Bhagiratha who, through perseverance and with Śiva’s guidance, succeeds in accomplishing this task after a long interval. The Gaṅgā’s descent thus becomes inseparably linked with Bhagiratha’s name.

The reservoir and its legacy:  When the Gaṅgā is finally released, the four massive pillars serve as the reservoir’s supports. The epic imagery resonates into later tradition: temples bearing the names Virūpākṣa, Mahāpāda, Sumanāsa, and Bhadra stand as enduring reminders of this cosmological architecture. In this way, the mythic engineering of the Gaṅgā’s channel is memorialized in sacred geography and temple nomenclature.

POR BAJIN, SIBERIA IS THE CITY OF SRI KRISHNA

About a hundred years ago an archaeological site by the name 'Por-Bajin', also spelled 'Por Bayzn' was discovered in the Tere-Kol Lake, located across the Altai Mountain Range in Tuva, Southern Siberia. The secret of the fort at Tere Kol lake in Por Bajin has never been solved. But the answer to the many questions about Por Bajins history may lie in the story of the asura Vajranabha described in the Harivamsa Purana of India. In fact it may be asserted here that the ancient history of Por Bajin may be revealed by tracing the etymology of the name 'Por Bajin' itself, which can be decoded by studying the history of a city by the name Bajrapur, mentioned in the annals of ancient Indian history and literature. Many of these elusive texts are held by descendants of past royal families or by pandits in-charge of ancient Hindu temples.

Lt. Col James Tod, the Political Agent of the East India Company, who was stationed in India in the latter part of the eighteenth century had befriended the Maharaja of Jaisalmer and gained access to the ancient annals of Rajasthan and western India that had been handed down to the Maharaja by his ancestors. James Tod researched these ancient texts and in 1790 summarized his findings in his 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'*, which is now regarded as one of the major works that the British produced during their raj in India.

What James Tod wrote reveals interesting information about ancient tribes of India, their activities, their emigration to other countries and their conquests. In his study Tod found that the 'Yadhu Tribe', of whom Sri Krishna and his three sons were the most prominent members, spread the Yadhu empire westward and northwards, beyond the geographical boundaries of present-day India. One of the cities that was conquered by the Yadhu tribe was called Vajrapur (वज्र-पुर्), later called Bajra-pur. The city was located far away from Bharatvarsha. This magnificent city was known as the city of jewels and was located far beyond north of the Himalayan range. The Harivamsa Purana describes this city in some detail and states that it was surrounded by a lake.

Various ancient Indian sources, in particular the Harivamsa Purana, describe the conquests of Sri Krishna's son Pradyumna who extended the Yadhu Empire in the northern direction. One of the cities that he had had attacked was the city of Vajrapura, where he had defeated its king, known by the name Vajranabha. After his defeat, a truce was called and as a peace gesture Pradyumna married Vajranabha's daughter Prabhavati. The poetic versions of this war say that Pradyumna is transported from Dwarka by geese to a land far far away before he attacked the destination city of Vajrapur, indicating the great distance he had to travel.

Is it possible that 'Por-Bajin' is a distortion of 'Pur-Bajra', that is 'Bajra Pur' in reverse. That perhaps is the only explanation. As mentioned above, the ancient name 'Vajra', is commonly pronounced as 'Bajra'. In Sanskrit, 'Vajra' (वज्र) means 'impenetrable', 'Pur' (पुर्) means a city. Archaeologists at 'Por Bajin' have described the fortress there to be amazingly sturdy and have stated that in ancient times the fortress must have been almost 'impenetrable'.

In the local 'Tuvan' language 'Por Bajin' translates as 'Clay House' which does not describe the sturdiness of the Por Bajin structure at all. In fact, the Sanskrit 'Vajra Pur' is a much more apt word for describing an 'impenetrable fortress'. It therefore becomes evident that the name Vajrapur distorted to Bajrapur and then transposed to Pur Bajra before taking on the form of Por Bajin which could be explained by the local Tuvan language. 

The existence of a Sanskrit name at this site is not surprising. Por Bajin lies close to Mongolia, and there is a huge influence of Sanskrit on the Mongolian language. For example, in Mongolian, Sanskrit weekdays name are still in use, such as Adiya for Sunday (derived from Aditya-Sun), Soumiya for Monday (derived from soma- moon), Angarag for Tuesday, Bud for Wednesday, Barasbadi, derived from Brhaspati - Jupiter, Sugar for Friday, derived from Shukra or Venus and Sanchir derived from Sanischar or Saturn four Saturday. The ancient name of Mongolia is supposed to have been Mangala, Sanskrit for prosperity. It is obvious that in antiquity Por Bajin must have been influenced in a similar manner.

The Por-Bajin Structure at 'Tere Kol Lake', Siberia
Could this have been Lord Krishna's City of Vajra-Pur
or Bajra-Pur mentioned in ancient Indian annals.

Now a look at the name of the lake that surrounds Por Bajin. The name is Tere-Kol. Kol is an obvious distortion of Sanskrit 'Kula' (कूल)  meaning 'lake', 'pond' or 'pool'. ' In fact, the word kol appears in the names of many lakes in the region such as Ssayakol, Koshyarkol and Ala Kol. The name Tere of the lake can be explained by 'Teer' (तीर) is Sanskrit for 'shore' or 'bank' of a river, or the 'edge' of a pool or lake, or it may be a truncated form of a combination word.

Until now, the archaeologists have dated Por-Bajin site to only 8th century AD, but have not been able to figure out much else about it. Is 'Por Bajin' the Yadhu city that was established by Sri Krishna's sons in Southern Siberia? Could it be that traces of the city of the Yadhus still exist somewhere deep among the ruins of 'Por-Bajin'?

A look at ancient Dwarka, the city from where Sri Krishna ruled and was built prior to Bajra-Pur, may reveal the answer. Dwarka located off the coast of Gujarat is now submerged. What is uncanny though is the close resemblance of the foundation structure of Dwarka as described in the Harivamsa Purana and to that of Por Bajin.

An artist's conception of Sri Krishna's city
of 'Dwarka' based on descriptions in Hindu texts.
The city is now being explored by marine archaeologists
off the coast of Gujarat in India.

Aerial views of Por Bajin are almost identical to that of the description of Dwarka in Indian scriptures. Though artifacts found at Por Bajin have been currently dated to no earlier than medieval times, and though they reveal some links to China, it is also evident that if there were links to the Yadhu tribe of India as recorded in the Puranas, then the medieval structures that exist today at the site were constructed above or on top of  what was built by the Yadhus in about 3000- 4000 BC. However, the foundations must even today be the same as that of the earliest structure and can be studied to reveal the truth about the antiquity of this structure.

The name Siberia, it is said, originates from the Tatar-Bashkirs word for 'sleeping land' (Sibir) or 'beautiful land' (Siber). 'Siberia' translates as 'the beautiful land' from Sanskrit. In Sanskrit 'Su' (सु) means 'good' or 'beautiful' and 'Pura' (पुरा), 'Puri' (पुरी) or 'puram' (पुरम) all mean 'land' or 'city'. These is widely accepted in the Indian circles. The reason is that the Harivamsa Purana clearly states that Supura was a dependent city of the city of Vajra. In fact, when Pradyumna attacks the city of Vajra, the Harivamsa Purana states that Pradyumna made a stop at Supura before proceeding to Vajrapura. This perhaps explains the etymology of Siberia the best.

Others have contended that 'Sibir' (शिबिर) means 'camp'. Archaeologists have conjectured that, in antiquity, Por-Bajin was possibly used only as a summer residence, or a camp, given the extreme weather conditions of Siberia. Some have therefore contended that the name of Siberia in ancient Indian texts is 'Shibir', in reference to the temporary 'camps' that were set up there by travelers, but this view is not accepted for lack of authenticity. there is no text that states this in an obvious way, though places in Siberia may have been used temporarily during summer as a camp.

Some consider Por Bajin stronghold to be a temple and call it 'Russian Shaolin'. Others believe that this construction serves as the northern gates to sacred place Shambala, but no other text gives us more details than the Harivamsa Purana does.

Suggested Links
*Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan' (published- 1829 AD) by Lt. Col. James Todd of East India Company.
1. Lake Baikal and Angara River, Siberia - The Sanskrit Connection
2. Dwarka or Por Bajin
3. Yoni Worship in Siberia
4. Por Bajin - Fortress of Solitude
5. Pradyumna: Son of Krishna - Usha Narayanan

POR BAJIN, SIBERIA IS THE BAJRAPUR OR VAJRAPUR OF HARIVAMSA PURANA

About a hundred years ago, an archaeological site by the name 'Por-Bajin', also spelled 'Por Bayzn', was discovered in the Tere-Kol Lake, located across the Altai Mountain Range in Tuva, Southern Siberia. Mainline archaeologists say that the secret of the origins of the fort at Tere Kol lake in Por Bajin is lost in history.

But the answer to the many questions about Por Bajin's history may lie in the story of the conquest by Pradyumna, Sri Krishna's son, of a city by the name Vajrapur which existed during the times of the Mahabharata. The city of Vajrapur was constructed by an asura architect Nikumba for the asura Vajranabha described in the Harivamsa Purana - which consists of the description of Sri Krishna's life after the end of the Mahabharata war.

The ancient history of Por Bajin may be revealed by tracing the etymology of the name 'Por Bajin' itself, which can be decoded by studying the history of Vajrapur, later called Bajrapur, mentioned in the annals of ancient Indian history and literature. Many of these elusive texts were held by descendants of past royal families or by pandits in-charge of ancient Hindu temples, and some information from these texts has trickled down to us.

Lt. Col James Tod, the Political Agent of the East India Company, who was stationed in India in the latter part of the eighteenth century had befriended the Maharaja of Jaisalmer and gained access to the ancient annals of Rajasthan and western India that had been passed down to the Maharaja by his family. James Tod researched these ancient texts and in 1790 summarized his findings in his 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'*, which is now regarded as one of the major works that the British produced during their rule in India.

What James Tod wrote reveals interesting information about the ancient tribes of India, their activities, their emigration to other countries and their conquests. Colonel Tod says: “The Jaisalmer annals assert that the Yadu and the Balica branches of the Indu race ruled Korassan after the Great War, the Indo-Scythic races of Grecian authors. Besides the Balicas and the numerous branches of the Indo-Medes, many of the sons of Cooru dispersed over these regions : amongst whom we may place Ootooru Cooru (Northern Coorus) of the Puranas, the Ottorocurm of the Greek authors. Both the Indu and the Surya races were eternally sending their superfluous population to those distant regions.” 

The Great War is a reference to the Mahabharata war fought between the Kurus and the Pandavas. Cooru refers to the Kurus, Ootooru Cooru and Ottorocurm is Uttara Kuru of the Puranas, which is identified as the region beginning north of the Himalayas, right up to the Artic circle. The Yadhus are also known as the Yadavas. The Balicas is the Balikha tribe of Mahabharata and Korassan is Khurasan, a region in eastern Iran.

In other words, in his study of the Rajasthan annals, Tod found that the 'Yadhu Tribe', of whom Sri Krishna and his three sons were the most prominent members, spread the Yadhu empire westward and northwards, beyond the geographical boundaries of present day India. He states that one of the cities that was conquered by the Yadhu tribe was called Vajrapur (वज्र-पुर्), later called Bajra-pur. The city was located far away beyond the Himalayan range. Col. Tod states in his Annals and Antiquity, Vol 1, page 85, “The sons of Krishna eventually left Indus behind and passed into Zabulisthan, and peopled those countries, even to Samarkand.” Zabulistan is the present day region of Kabul and Ghazni in Afghanistan. They also peopled territories north of Afghanistan.

Other ancient Indian sources such as the Harivamsa Purana state the same story. It sates that Sri Krishna's son Pradyumna extended the Yadhu Empire in the northern direction. One of the cities that he had had attacked was the city of Vajrapura, where he had defeated its king, known by the name Vajranabha. After his defeat, a truce was called and as a peace gesture Pradyumna married Vajranabha's daughter Prabhavati. 

The poetic versions of this war says that Pradyumna is transported from Dwarka by geese to a land far far away before he attacks the destination city of Vajrapur. The Harivamsa Purana describes this city in some detail and states that it was a magnificent city, known as the city of jewels. It was located far beyond the Himalayan range and was surrounded by a lake. That Pradyumna is carried by geese to this city indicates the great distance he had to travel. An analysis of the description in the verses reveals that the geese were aerial cars or vimanas.

For example, in Vogel's 'The Goose in Indian Literature & Art', the author says that the powerful geese fly in military like formations leaving behind what he describes as 'strips of white sandalwood paste emitted from the golden tips of the wings'. This undoubtedly is a description of airplanes leaving behind chem- trails.

Scholar Hari Bilas Sarda arrived at the same conclusion in his research. In his book 'Hindu Superiority', Har Bilas Sarda, quoting Harivamsha Purana states that a band of Hindu settlers left India for Siberia, where they founded a kingdom, with Vajrapur, which later came to be called Bajrapur, as its capital. It is related that on the death of the king Vajranabh of that country in a battle, Pardyumna, Gad and Sambha, three sons of Sri Krishna, with a large number of Brahmans and Kshatriyas went there, and the eldest brother succeeded to the throne of Vajrapur. On the death of Sri Krishna, the three sons paid a condolence visit to Dwarka.

As mentioned above one of the cities that was conquered by the Yadhu tribe was Vajra-pur (वज्र-पुर्), later called Bajra-pur. An analysis of the verses of Harivamsa Purana and the location of 'Por-Bajin' bring us to the conclusion that the name Por Bazin is a distortion of 'Pur-Bajra' - or 'Bajra Pur' in reverse. That perhaps is the only explanation. The ancient name 'Vajra', is commonly pronounced as 'Bajra' in India. In Sanskrit, 'Vajra' (वज्र) means 'impenetrable', 'Pur' (पुर्) means a city. Archaeologists at 'Por Bajin' have described the fortress there to be amazingly sturdy and have stated that in ancient times the fortress must have been almost completely 'impenetrable'. That is exactly how the city is described in the Harivamsa Purana.

In the local 'Tuvan' language 'Por Bajin' translates as 'Clay House' which contradicts the fact that the one feature that stands out is the sturdiness of the Por Bajin structure. In fact, the Sanskrit 'Vajra Pur' is a much more apt word for describing an 'impenetrable fortress'. It therefore becomes evident that the name Vajrapur distorted to Bajrapur and then transposed to Pur Bajra before taking on the form of Por Bajin which could then be explained by the local Tuvan language. 

The existence of a Sanskrit name at this site is not surprising. Por Bajin lies close to Mongolia, and there is has been a huge influence of Sanskrit on the Mongolian language. For example, in Mongolian, Sanskrit weekdays name are still in use, such as Adiya for Sunday (derived from Aditya-Sun), Soumiya for Monday(derived from soma- moon), Angarag for Tuesday, Bud for Wesdnesday ,Barasbadi, derived from Brhaspati - Jupiter, Sugar for Friday, derived from Shukra or Venus and Sanchir derived from Sanischar or Saturn four Saturday. The ancient name of Mongolia is supposed to have been Mangala, Sanskrit for 'prosperity'. It obvious then that in antiquity Por Bajin must have been influenced culturally in a similar manner.

The Por-Bajin Structure at 'Tere Kol Lake', Siberia
Could this have been Lord Krishna's City Vajra-Pur
or Bajra-Pur mentioned in ancient Indian annals.

Now a look at the name of the lake that surrounds Por Bajin. The name is Tere-Kol, also called Tore-Kol. 'Kol' is an obvious distortion of Sanskrit kula (कूल) meaning 'lake', 'pond' or 'pool'. Though the most common Mongolian word for a lake is 'nuur', 'river' translates as both 'gol' and 'qol', the latter is a cognate of Sanskrit kula.  In fact, the word qol appears as 'kol' in the names of many lakes in this region such as Ssayakol, Koshyarkol and Ala Kol.

Located about 25 km away, is a lake regarded as scared of them all is a lake by the name Kara-Khol, located in the Western Tuva, in Bai-Taiga region. The lake is surrounded by steep cliffs which lend a dark colour to its waters, hence the name Kara which means black in the Tuvian language. It is likely that it was the Sanskrit kāla (काला) or black', which was adapted as kara in languages where /r/ was more dominant, or/l/ was less stable. This could be a substrate influence from an earlier language like Sanskrit in Central Asian or Turkic tongues or a semantic borrowing where the meaning of 'black' or 'darkness' was retained, but the phonetics shifted.

Another lake not too far away is called Uvs Nuur. Mainstram scholars are of the view that the term Uvs stems from older Mongolic or Turkic words like' 'ubsa' or 'ubsaq', which refer to briny water or salt marshes. Yet, it is more likely that 'ubsa' and 'upsaq' either related to Sanskrit apsa (अप्सा) meaning 'giving water', or to arshana (अर्षण) which means flowing'.  What makes this compelling is that the two Mongolian word for 'flow', 'ursa' and 'urus' are close cognates of Sanskrit apsa. 

Nuur, which means lake in Mongolian, derives from Proto-Mongolic root: naxur, appears to be linked to Sanskrit akshara (अक्षर) meaning water.

The Dating of Por Bajin:

Until now, the archaeologists have dated Por-Bajin site to only 8th century AD, but have not been able to figure out much else about it. But all fingers point to the fact that 'Por Bajin' might indeed have been the Yadhu city that was established by Sri Krishna's sons in Southern Siberia. Doubts had even been raised about the existence of Sri Krishna's city of Dwarka, but there certainly are remnants of old submerged structures in the Arabian Sea. Could it similarly be that the traces of the city of the Yadhus still exist somewhere deep inside the foundations of the ruined structure of 'Por-Bajin'?

A look at ancient Dwarka, the city from where Sri Krishna ruled and was built prior to Bajra-Pur, may reveal the answer. Dwarka located off the coast of Gujarat is now submerged. What is uncanny though is the close resemblance of  the shape of the  structure of Dwarka, as described in the Puranas, to that of Por Bajin. The Puranas describe Dwarka as a city built like a fortress, with high walls on the outside, and with four main gates on four sides. Within the city were built a palace, living quarters, temples, and military fortifications for the Yadava warriors

 An artist's conception of Sri Krishna's city
of 'Dwarka' based on descriptions in Hindu texts.
The city is now being explored by marine archaeologists off the coast of Gujarat in India.

Aerial views of Por Bajin are almost identical to that of the description of Dwarka in Indian scriptures. Artifacts found at Por Bajin have been currently dated to no earlier than medieval times. Scholars state that and these artifacts reveal some links to Chinese architecture. However, one must remember, that China itself was heavily influenced by Hinduism in antiquity and then later by Buddhism. In any case, no artifacts could have survived from the times of Sri krishna. If Por Bajin had links to the Yadhu tribe of India, then the medieval structures that exist today at the site were constructed above or on top of what was built by the Yadhus in about 3000- 4000 BC. However, part of the foundations must even today be the same as that of the earliest structure.

This tile excavated from Por-Bajin said to display
Chinese Buddhist features may in all possibility
be of Hindu origins

The name Siberia, it is said, originates from the Tatar-Bashkirs word for 'sleeping land', Sibir;  or 'beautiful land' (Siber). 'Siberia' translates as 'the beautiful land' from Sanskrit. In Sanskrit 'Su' (सु) means 'good' or 'beautiful' and 'Pura' (पुरा), 'Puri' (पुरी) or 'puram' (पुरम) all mean 'land' or 'city'. These is widely accepted in the Indian circles especially because the Harivamsa Purana clearly states in its description of Pradyumna's sojourn to Vajrapura, "Thereupon ascending the cars driven by Pradyumna, the great car-warrior Yadavas set out on the mission of the highly powerful celestials. Thereupon they arrived at Supura, a dependent city of Vajra". In other words Pradyumna made a stop at Supura before proceeding to Vajrapura.

Others have contended that 'Sibir' (शिबिर) means 'camp'. Archaeologists have conjectured that, in antiquity, Por-Bajin was possibly used only as a summer residence, or a camp, given the extreme weather conditions of Siberia. Some have therefore contended that the name of Siberia in ancient Indian texts is 'Shivir', in reference to the temporary 'camps' that were set up there by travelers, but this view is not accepted for lack of authenticity.

Some consider Por Bajin stronghold to be a temple and call it 'Russian Shaolin'. Others believe that this construction serves as the northern gates to sacred place Shambala.

Footnote: Related forms in other Mongolic languages suggest a shared etymological root for “salt” or “saline body”: Daur naur, Dongxiang no or noer, and Classical Mongolian ᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ (naɣur). The name Uvs Nuur—a large saline lake in western Mongolia—likely reflects this linguistic heritage, its high mineral content echoing the semantic field of salt. A parallel can be drawn with India’s Sambhar Lake, whose name derives from Sanskrit sāmbhara (“salt”), reinforcing the tendency of ancient place-names to encode elemental qualities.


Bibliography:

1. *Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan' (published- 1829 AD) by Lt. Col. James Todd of East India Company.
2. Lake Baikal and Angara River, Siberia - The Sanskrit Connection
3. Dwarka or Por Bajin
4. Yoni Worship in Siberia
5. Por Bajin - Fortress of Solitude
6. Pradyumna
7. Hindu Superiority : Har Bilas Sarda : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
8. vol 2, pt 1, stanza 12 c - The Secret Doctrine (theosociety.org)
9. History Of Ancient India (a New Version) : From 7300 Bb To 4250 Bc, - J.P. Mittal - Google Books
10. Pradyumna: Son of Krishna - Usha Narayanan - Google Books
11. Archaeology Magazine - Letter from Siberia - Fortress of Solitude - Archaeology Magazine Archive
12.Common World Inheritage: Yoni Worship in Siberia.
13. A Prose English Translation of Harivamsha (archive.org)
14.6 Chapter 2 - Gadre.pdf (hmlibrary.ac.in)
15.Altai sacred sites (unu.edu)

16. A_Prose_English_Translation_of_Harivamsh.pdf

17. Anacalypsis, an attempt to draw aside the veil of the Saitic Isis; or, An inquiry into the origin of languages, nations, and religions. : Higgins, Godfrey, 1773-1833 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
18, Indian antiquities vol.I : Maurice, Thomas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

19. Translation Mongolian-English-Mongolian - FREELANG online dictionary

THE RIVERS OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

While scholars hold differing opinions on whether the ancient civilizations of Europe once spoke a language closely tied to Proto-Indo-European or Sanskrit, there is no debating one fundamental fact: Sanskrit possesses an innate, structural intelligence capable of decoding the ancient names of rivers and mountains found anywhere across the globe.

Irrespective of one's stance on whether Sanskrit was the universal tongue of an all-pervading Vedic world, it remains one of humanity's most powerful analytical tools. It acts as a linguistic key, systematically peeling back the dense layers of time under which the true, interconnected history of human civilization lies hidden.

To demonstrate this universal decoding power outside of the Danube, we can turn our attention to the Balkans. Here is a revealing look at the ancient etymology behind the major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Rivers of the Balkans: Deciphering the Hydronyms of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The universal decoding power of Sanskrit becomes strikingly clear when applied to the major river systems of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The hydrographic network of this region centres heavily on the Drina River which is formed by the dramatic convergence of two primary alpine arteries: the Piva and the Tara. By holding these ancient geographical names up to the light of the Vedic tongue, we reveal a highly sophisticated system of physical and spiritual mapping. [1]

The Tara River: The Canyon of Transgression

The Tara River stands as one of the most prominent natural wonders of the Balkans. Stretching 82 miles in length, it carves through the landscape to form the Tara River Canyon. Dropping to a staggering depth of 1,300 metres, it is recognized globally as the deepest canyon in continental Europe and the second deepest in the world, surpassed only by the Grand Canyon. [1, 2, 3, 4]

When analyzed through Sanskrit, the names of this river and its headwaters unlock a deep, interconnected worldview:

• The Root Tar / Tāra: In the sacred lexicon, the words tār (तार) and tara (तर) carry meanings centered fundamentally around the act of crossing, surpassing, or navigating a passage. The root tara implies carrying across or a "descent to a river," bearing an exact semantic profile to the English prefix trans-. Additionally, tār carries connotations of something high, excellent, clear, or protective—an apt description for a river of unmatched purity and towering canyon walls.
• The Opasnica Confluence: The Tara River emerges from the meeting of two source rivers, the Opasnica and the Verusa. The name Opasnica phonetically preserves the Sanskrit word Upasana (उपासन), which signifies prayer, worship, or deep devotion. This is reinforced by Slavic linguistics; the Bosnian word for worship, obožavanje, shares its core prefix structure with upasana. [1]
• The Verusa Headwater: Interpreted locally within regional context as "Lord of the Waters," Verusa traces its roots directly to the Sanskrit Varisha (वरिषा), meaning rain, or Varsha, referencing the fluid downpour of the heavens.

Together, these names indicate that the ancient mappers did not view the Tara as a mere physical barrier, but as a sacred geographic space where heaven's rain (Varisha) combined with human devotion (Upasana) to create an excellent passage (Tara) across the earthly realm.

The Piva River: The Essence of Fluidity

Before merging with the Tara to form the Drina, the Piva River winds through dense gorges. Its very name bypasses complex historical abstraction and points directly to a foundational linguistic root: [1]

• The Cognate Pīvā: In Sanskrit, Pīvā (पीवा) translates directly to "water," fluid, or that which causes fatness/abundance. It stems from roots associated with swelling, drinking, and life-sustaining nourishment, demonstrating that the river's name was initially chosen to describe its most intrinsic, life-giving material property.

The Drina River and the Slavic Triveni

Mainstream historical geography states that the name Drina is derived from its Roman designation, Drinus, which evolved from the Ancient Greek Dreinos, ultimately stemming from an indigenous Illyrian hydronym. However, classical western linguistics fails to identify the functional meaning behind the Illyrian word. Sanskrit immediately solves this etymological dead-end:

• The Core Root Drava: The name Drina seamlessly aligns with the Sanskrit root drava (द्रव), which translates directly to fluid, liquid, motion, or the act of flowing swiftly.
• The Alter-Name 'Trini': Locally and historically, the Drina system has also been referred to as Trini. According to Grimm's Law of historical linguistics, the dental consonants /t/ and /d/ are highly interchangeable phonetic shifts across Indo-European languages. In Sanskrit, trini (त्रीणि) translates explicitly to the number "three."
• The Balkan Confluence: Just as Serbian and Bosnian languages retain tri for the number three, the ancient designation Trini marks the exact sacred confluence where three distinct water bodies—the Tara, the Piva, and the resulting Drina—unite. This mirrors the sacred Triveni Sangam of India (the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the hidden Saraswati), demonstrating that the ancient inhabitants of the Balkans used identical Vedic numerical and spiritual principles to map their sacred landscapes. [1, 2]

The Drina Confluence
The name Drina may be a distortion of the
Sanskrit 'Trini' meaning 'three-fold'.

Expanding the Balkan Grid—The Neretva and the Sava rivers:

The systematic predictive power of Sanskrit remains unassailable as we expand our focus to two more dominant lifelines of the Balkan Peninsula: the emerald Neretva River and the massive Sava River, the longest right-bank tributary of the Danube.

Examining both rivers reveals a stark contrast between mainstream etymological stagnation and the precise, scriptural clarity provided by the Vedic tongue.

The Neretva River—The Sacred Flow of Primal Water

The Neretva River is famed globally for its striking emerald-green hue, its intense coldness, and its passage through deep karst canyons. [1, 2]

The Mainstream Academic View: Western linguistics states that the modern name Neretva is derived from the Latin Narenta, which was adapted from an earlier Ancient Greek spelling, Naro. Mainstream philologists trace this back to an indigenous, pre-Roman Illyrian or Celtic root phrase, “Nera-Etwa,” which they loosely translate as “the divinity that flows”. However, Western academia is unable to explain why or how the phonetic unit "Nera" corresponds to a flowing divinity, treating it as an isolated regional phonetic artifact. [1, 2, 3]

The Sanskrit Decode

The moment this mystery is held up to the light of Sanskrit, the linguistic architecture becomes completely transparent:

• The Root Nīra (नीर): The ancient, foundational name for the river is Nera or Nira. In the Sanskrit language, Nīra (नीर / नीरम्) is one of the foundational, classical synonyms for "water" or "pure fluid". It carries the precise conceptual meaning of clarity, vital life-essence, and natural purification. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• The Suffix Tva (त्व): In Sanskrit grammar, the suffix -tva is applied to a noun or adjective to create an abstract noun denoting a state of being, quality, or essential nature (similar to the English suffix -ness or -ity). Therefore, combining the root Nīra (water) with the grammatical identifier Tva (the essence/state of) creates Nīratva (नीरत्व)—which translates perfectly as "the very essence of waterness" or "the divine nature of fluid." [1, 2]

This linguistic breakdown bridges the gap in Western research. The Illyrian meaning of "the divinity that flows" is not a separate invention. It is a direct translation of the built-in grammatical definition of Nīratva. [1]

Scriptural and Cosmic Context

In the Vedic text Nighaṇṭu—the oldest recorded dictionary of Vedic Sanskrit synonyms—Nīram is explicitly listed among the sacred words for water. Furthermore, Vedic creation hymns state that water (Nīra) was the primary element born directly from cosmic fire (Agni) during the dawn of the universe. [1, 2]

This scriptural reality is mirrored in the local folklore of the Neretva. For millennia, the native populations along the river banks preserved legends of the Vile—mysterious nature spirits and divine water fairies who lived in the deep gorges. Local lore holds that these fairies danced under the moonlight to make the emerald waters sparkle, acting as fierce protectors of the river’s purity. This folklore preserves the exact Vedic scriptural worldview: water is not a sterile chemical compound, but a living, conscious, divine entity (Nīratva) guarded by celestial forces. [1, 2]

The Sava River—The Rapid Current of Creation

The Sava River is a massive waterway flowing through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia before discharging its vast volume into the Danube at Belgrade. [1, 2]

The Mainstream Academic View: Standard dictionaries track the name Sava back to the Roman name Savus and the Ancient Greek designation Saos. Mainstream Indo-European philology links these names to a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root, *sewh₁-, which means "to press, take liquid, or push forth". Academic consensus stops there, viewing the river's name as a basic descriptor for a water body that "waters the ground." [1]

The Sanskrit Decode: Sanskrit bypasses this theoretical PIE reconstruction and offers an exact, active phonetic and semantic match that brings the river's true nature to life:

• The Root Srava (स्रว / स्रव): The name Sava maps directly to the active Sanskrit verbal root Sru (द्रु / स्रु), which means "to flow, pour out, stream, or gush forth." [1, 2]
• The Cognate Srava / Sravantī: From this root comes the direct Sanskrit noun Srava (स्रव), meaning "a continuous flow, stream, or current." In its feminine form, Sravantī (स्रवन्ती) translates explicitly as "a fast-flowing river." Through natural phonetic wearing over millennia, the internal vibrant consonant /r/ naturally dropped out in the European dialects, shifting Srava cleanly into Sava. [1]
• The Alternate Root Sava (सव): In its un-vocalized form, the word Sava (सव) in Vedic Sanskrit originates from the root su, which carries the profound meaning of "extraction," "initiation," "sacred libation," or the "instigation of life force." It refers to the dynamic, quickening energy that stimulates creation into motion. [1]

Scriptural and Cosmic Context: In the Rig Veda, the word Sava is used extensively in relation to Savitṛ—the solar deity of dawn, stimulation, and cosmic activation. The scriptures describe the Sava of Savitṛ as the divine, driving command that wakes the universe from sleep, pushes the rivers to flow, and activates life force across the earth. [1]

When applied geographically to the Balkans, the name Sava is a dual-layered masterpiece of Vedic engineering. Physically, it denotes the Srava—the immense, roaring physical flow of water that empties into the Danube. Spiritually, it denotes Sava—the life-stimulating, purifying artery that sustains the agricultural heartland of the Pannonian basin, serving as a sacred geographical blessing. [1, 2, 3]

Summary Reference Table: Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Historical River Name [1, 2, 3, 4] Region / Culture Sanskrit Cognate / Root Sanskrit Meaning Conceptual Connection to the Landscape Danubius / Danuvius Roman / Celtic Dānu (दानु) / Root: Dā (दा) Dew, sacred fluid; giving, purifying, protecting Represents the sacred, life-giving, and cleansing cosmic waters. Istros / Ister Ancient Greek / Thracian Iṣiram (इषिरम्) / Root: Iṣ- Rapid, vigorous, swift, quickening Describes the turbulent, rapid, and fast-flowing currents of the lower river. Donaris Dacian / Thracian Dhana (धन) / Dhanvati (धन्वति) To run, hasten, flow rapidly Used for the upper Danube, focusing entirely on its rushing physical flow. Matoas Thraco-Phrygian Mati (मति) / Matimat (मतिमत्) Wisdom, blessing, or "bringer of luck" Highlights the ancient belief that the river was an intelligent, benevolent deity bringing good fortune. Tara Bosnia & Montenegro Tara (तर) / Tār (तार) Passage, crossing over; excellent, high, protective Highlights the towering height of the canyon walls and its role as a major geographical crossing point. Opasnica Montenegro (Tara Source) Upasana (उपासन) Prayer, worship, religious devotion Preserves the spiritual reverence assigned to the origin of sacred waters. Verusa Montenegro (Tara Source) Varisha (वरिषा) Rain, or the fluid downpour of heaven Reflects the celestial, sky-born origin of the headwaters. Piva Bosnia & Montenegro Pīvā (पीवा) Water, fluid, life-sustaining drink A literal, primal definition for an abundant source of pure water. Drina (Trini) Bosnia & Herzegovina Drava (द्रव) / Trīṇi (त्रीणि) Fluid / Three (Signifying a triple confluence) Captures the physical liquid flow, while marking the Triveni confluence of the Tara, Piva, and Drina. Neretva (Narenta) Bosnia & Croatia Nīratva (नीरत्व) / Nīra (नीर) The essential state, purity, or divine nature of water Directly corresponds to its famed pristine quality and the local folklore of water-protecting spirits. Sava (Savus) Balkans (Danube Tributary) Srava (स्रव) / Sava (सव) Continuous stream, gushing flow; cosmic initiation Captures both the massive physical volume of the current and its role as a vital life-stimulator. The capital city of Bosnia is Sarajevo. The mainstream etymology of Sarajevo is traced to the Ottoman period: it comes from the Turkish word saray (“palace”) combined with the Slavic suffix -evo (“place”), meaning “the place around the palace.” This reflects the governor’s residence built during Ottoman rule, which gave the city its official name. Yet, it is obvious that the town or settlement must have had a name before the palace was constructed. Given that Sarajevo stands on four rivers — the Miljacka, Bosna, Željeznica, and Dobrinja — it is more logical to think that its identity was originally tied to this river geography. In this light, one is inclined to connect the name Sarajevo with the Sanskrit root sara, meaning “lake” or “flowing water,” which resonates with the city’s watery foundations and suggests a deeper, older layer of meaning than the later Ottoman palace. Another word for lake in Serbian and other South Slavic languages is 'jezero'. The word is inherited from Proto‑Slavic ezero, which itself comes from Proto‑Balto‑Slavic éźeran, a root shared with Baltic languages like Lithuanian (ežeras) and Latvian (ezers), Yet it bears a great resemblance to the Sanskrit jhara, which refers to waterbodies such as lakes and waterfalls. For a note on the Sanskrit connection to the name River Danube, click here.