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.

SUDAN - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

The ancient Nubian Civilisation was located in Northeast Africa, which is today within the political boundaries of Sudan. The land of the Nubians was referred to as Nubia, or the Kingdom of Cush or even Ethiopia (not to be confused with the modern-day Republic of Ethiopia).

Biblical sources trace the earliest ancestry of the Nubians to Noah, and later to Noah's son Ham. Ham was the father of the greatest ever Nubian ruler, Cush, who ruled from his capital city Kerma. Genesis says, "The country Cush was named after the man Cush, the first son of Ham, son of Noah" (Genesis 10:6). The existence of Cush's reign is tentatively estimated at around 3000 BC.

The Nubian names Ham and Cush have led some to conjecture that their legend might have its source in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. The Ramayana is the story of the great ancient Indian God-King, Sri 'Ram', who is said to have ruled the world from the city of Ayodhya. Interestingly, Sri Ram had a son by the name 'Kush'.

The Ramayana traces the lineage of Sri Ram to Manu, the first man on earth, much like how later the Nubian texts trace the lineage of Ham to Noah, the first man.

Sri Ram had two sons, Kush and Lava. In Sanskrit, 'Kush' is translated as 'grass'. It is said that 'Kush' was 'created' by Rishi Valmiki (also the author of the Ramayana) from 'grass'. One morning, Valmiki is requested by Sita, the mother of Lava, to look after Lava when she goes out to the river. Valmiki is absorbed in composing the Ramayana. Noticing his preoccupation, Sita considers it best to take Lava along as she goes out. Valmiki soon realises that Lava is missing. Before Sita's return from the river, Valmiki creates a clone of 'Lava', from grass twigs. The clone gets the name 'Kush' (कुश), Sanskrit for 'grass'. What is interesting is that in ancient Indian texts, Africa was known as 'Kusha-dwipa' (कुश द्वीप), 'the island of grasslands'.

In the Nubian texts, the etymology of the name 'Cush' has not been deciphered. However, it has been suggested that 'Cush' might mean 'dark-skinned '. Some sources say that 'Cush' might mean 'spindle' but no particular reason is given for this. Uncannily, the Nubian king Cush had a grandson by the name 'Ramaah'.

The capital city of the Sudanese Kingdom of Cush was known as 'Kerma' (dates vary from 3000 BC to 1785 BC). The name 'Kerma' is probably a distortion of the Sanskrit 'Karma' (कर्म) meaning 'action'. A close cognate, 'Kurma' (कूर्म), means 'turtle' or 'tortoise'. 'Kurma' is the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Indian Puranic context. 'Kurma Purana' contains a description of the self-begotten Manu and his dynasty, the Ikshvakus, of which Lord Rama and Kush were later descendants.

Biblical sources say that the name of the father of 'Cush' was 'Ham'. It is highly likely that these sources are inadvertently referring to Lord Rama. Unlike the name Ham, whose origin has never been deciphered, the name ram has a known etymology. It stems from the Sanskrit 'rama' (राम) and means 'charming', 'pleasing', 'beautiful', 'handsome' and 'delightful', which summarises the qualities of the God-King Rama. It is known that the name Ham was originally spelt as 'Rham' and later, with time, the letter 'H' was dropped.

Another important Nubian city was 'Meroe'. A close cognate of 'Meroe is 'Meru' (मेरु) which translates as 'Divine Mountain' from Sanskrit. Meroe is the site of the 35 ancient pyramids, which were discovered in 2010 in Sudan. The link between Meroe and Meru is not that far-fetched, considering that Tanzania too has a mountain by the name of Mt. Meru, the second-highest peak after Mt. Kilimanjaro.  

'Uttara Ramayana', the Indian text that traces the story of Luva and Kush, mentions that Kush had a great-great-grandson by the name Nabha'. In Sanskrit, NAbha (नाभ) means 'centre' or navel, and Nabha (नभ) means 'sky'. Additionally, 'naabh' (नाभ्) means 'spring'. Many scholars from India have argued that Lord Rama's son, Kusha expanded his empire westward into Africa. Hence, Africa was known as Kushadwipa to ancient Indians. Though his capital city was 'Ayodhya', Kush also made a city by the name 'Kushapur'. 

What is interesting is that there is yet another Kush in the lineage of the Ikshvaku's, the dynasty, to which Lord Rama belonged. And he precedes the birth of Lord Rama. In fact, the Valmiki Ramayana, considered the oldest text in the world, says that Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, had a son by the name 'Kusha', referred to as the one with the 'Highest Soul'. Kusha had four sons, whom he encouraged to rule and govern piously. Kusha's four sons developed four cities, including one that was named Kusha Nabha. The source of the word 'Nubia' is not clear, and it is difficult to say whether or not the word Nubia has a link to 'Kusha Nabha'. 

Up north from Sudan in Egypt lies the ancient archaeological site by the name 'Nabta Playa'. Nabta Playa is an ancient stone observatory aligned to the Sun and constellation Orion. The entire sky can be mapped from Nabta Playa, and therefore the link with Sanskrit word 'Nabha' which means 'sky' is conclusively ascertained.

The Sudanese culture too has been greatly influenced by the Indian culture and much has already been written about it.

A Nubian Lady from Sudan
dressed in a sari-like wrap called 'thobe',
wearing a 'tika' and a 'nose-ring'.
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

Henna on the hands of a Sudanese Bride.
The hand jewelry is identical to what is
prevalent in the Indian Sub-continent culture
Photo Courtesy: tumbir.com

Suggested Links:
1. 'None but India' by Jagat Motwani
2. About Nubia
3. Ancient Kingdoms in Land of War
4. Ancient Sudan : Nubia
5.Dravadin, Mande and Elamite by Clyde Winters
6. Nubia and Nubians
6.Son of Ham: Cush
7. http://w045b.htmlww.ccg.org/english/s/p

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