Indraprastha: Rajdhani of Pandava Saamrajya

The vivah of Pandavas to Draupadi laid the foundation for the establishment of the new capital following the separation of the Kuru kingdom. To neutralise the tension between Pandavas and Kauravas created following the failure of the latter in getting Draupadi’s hand, Dhritarashtra proposed giving half of the kingdom to the Pandavas which was backed by Bheeshma and Dronacharya. On their return, Pandavas were given a royal welcome and Grihapravesh of Draupadi to the Kuru Kingdom was a ceremony in itself. The proposal of the separation was placed before the Pandavas which they willingly accepted as a matter of respecting their Maharaja and Gurujans.

According to Hindu Itihas, on their arrival at their kingdom, Pandavas seek the help of their cousin, Shree Krishna to establish the capital city. Residing on the banks of the river Yamuna, a forest named Khandava Forest was present which covered a land piece called Khandavaprastha. Pandavas found this piece the most ideal for the setup of their city but there were a lot of barriers they had to overcome to establish this heavenly place. Cursed by the Devraj Indra to be an infertile land, it was ruled by Naga Ruler Takshaka where Nagas and Rakshasas were inhabitants. It was at this moment, that the Fire God Agni reached out to Shree Krishna and Arjuna to help him devour the forest to satisfy his hunger. On getting their support, Agnideva set the Khandavaprastha on fire leading to the displacement of the inhabitants who raged the Devraj Indra. Indra engaged in a fight with Shree Krishna and Arjuna during which Arjuna used the most powerful bow –‘Gandiva’ and a chariot named ‘Nandighosh’ which had Kapidhvaja on it was conferred upon him by Jaldevta Varun on the request of Agnideva. Pleased by the might and bravery of Arjuna, Devraj Indra gave them the entire forest for the establishment of their capital and that’s how it was named ‘Indraprastha‘ – the capital of Khandavaprastha Mahajanapada. Shree Krishna called Vishwakarma, the architectural wizard and Maya to help Pandavas in setting up the wonderland of Indraprastha.

Itihasic Khandavaprastha comprises present-day Sonepat (Sonipat), Panduprastha (Panipat), Vyagprastha (Baghpat), Tilpat and Indraprastha. According to the Buddhist literature, this land was known as Indapatta during Maurya Saamrajya. Presently, Indraprastha covers the many parts of Delhi which primarily includes Purana Qila, and this whole belt stretches from Mehrauli to Rajghat to Naraina to Raisina. A village named Indrapat existed till the year 1913 within the walls of the Purana Qila. According to the Hindu Itihas, Indraprastha is described as a district in the Delhi region dated back to the year 1327, which was later discovered in the Raisina area of New Delhi. A 12th-century Jain scripture mentions the presence of Yogmaya Temple relating to Mehrauli, which is believed to be built by Pandavas post-Mahabharata Yudha. This only pre-sultanate period surviving temple lies 260 yards from the Iron Pillar in Qutub Complex and within the Lal Kot Walls. Apart from this, the fact that this kingdom flourished with peace and prosperity during Pandava Rule has to be emphasized. A week-long Indraprastha Festival is organised by Draupadi Dream Trust and the Union Ministry of Culture in association with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) every year in Purana Qila and National Museum, New Delhi to preserve the glorious cultural heritage.