INDIAN HISTORY THROUGH MAP- PART-B

(1) Babar Kot

• Babar Kot is an archeological site belonging to Indus Valley Civilisation located in Saurashtra region. It is152 km awy from Bhavnagar.
• Late Harappan period and measures about 2.7 hectares; Babar Kot had a stone fortification wall.
• Plant remains of millets,gram,bajra etc.Further, it is indicated that Bajra might be present at this site during third millennium BCE.
• Babar kot provided evidence of two crops, one in summer and another during winter

(2) Badami / Vatapi

Blue: Pattadakal, Green: Badami, Red: Aihole

• In the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. 
• Badami is surrounded by many pre-historic places including Khyad area of Badami, Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri (Junjunpadi, Shigipadi and Anipadi), there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.
• Vatapi was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka,Maharastra,Few parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakeshi I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirtivarma I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha(598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD)
• The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarma I seized it in 642 AD & destroyed the vatapi. Pulakeshi son Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD. and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas. The Rashtrakutascame to power in Karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance.



View of Yellamma and Malegitti Shivalaya temples from Badami caves



• Badami It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples. They provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

Inscriptions

• Badami has eighteen inscriptions. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakeshi I, the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesha in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. 
• One inscription near the Bhuthanatha temple also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

Cave temples:

• Badami is famous for its sandstone cave temples.The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples(6th and 8th centuries). The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers.  Cave 1 : Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3: Vishnu, and cave 4 :reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. 
• Cave temple 1 is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.  At its entrance Shiva’s door keepers;Beside him are Nandi, dancing Ganapati, etc. There are paintings of amorous couples on the ceiling. Other features include Shiva and his consort Parvathi and the 18 armed lord Nataraja in 81 dancing poses.

Top Left Clockwise:(1)Entrance to cave 1 (2) Nataraja frieze at entrance of cave no.1(3)&(4) Shiva image in Sanctum sanctorum inside Shaiva Cave No. 1

• Cave temple 2 is dedicated to Vishnu (as Trivikrama) with one foot mastering the Earth and the other the sky. Vishnu is also portrayed asVaraha and Krishna.

Wall relief and Frieze at entrance of cave no.2

• Cave temple 3: The façade of the cave has carvings of ganas on the plinth. It contains examples of Deccan art, illustrating the culture and clothing of the 6th century. There are high relief carvings of Vishnu with a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha, Varaha, Harihara and Trivikrama.

• Cave temple 4 relates to 6th century Jainism. There is a carving of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha. Mahavira is depicted in a sitting posture.

• Cave 5: It is a natural cave of small dimensions with a Buddha statue carved inside.

The Bhutanatha group of temples:

• A cluster of sandstone shrines dedicated to the deity Bhutanatha, in Badami. 
• There are two major temples here. Temple No.1, on the east side of the lake, called the Bhutanatha temple has a superstructure that resembles early South Indian style or North Indian style with its open mantapa (hall or Veranda) extending into the lake.
• The smaller Temple No.2 on the north-east side of the lake, sometimes called Mallikarjuna group of temples, has a stepped superstructure, commonly found in Kalyani Chalukya constructions.
• The inner shrine and mantapa (hall) of Temple No.1 were constructed in the late 7th century during the reign of the Badami Chalukyas while the outer mantapa, facing the Badami tank, was completed during the rule of the Kalyani Chalukyas of the 11th century.
• Badami fort lies east of the Bhuthnatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples.

(3) Badaun

• It was its capture by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1196, after which it became a very important post on the northern frontier of the Delhi empire. In the 13th century two of its governors, Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, and his son Ruknuddin Firuz, attained the imperial throne.

(4) Badagara (Vatakara)

• Vatakara is the capital of old Kurumbanadu, which was inhabited by a tribal folk known as Kurumbrar. 
• Vadakara is known as the birthplace of Unniyarcha, Aromal Chekavar, Thacholi Othenan, the legendary heroes of theVadakkanpattu (ballads of North Malabar).
• Also the temple for the memory of legend Thacholi Othenan is located at Vadakara.
• The martial art form Kalarippayattu has the largest number of exponents in Vatakara. Also a temple resides near to Vatakara town named as Kalariyullathil Temple.

(5) Badrinath

• One of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. Badrinath was re-established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century.
• Holy temple of Badrinath: Shankara discovered a black stone image of Lord Badrinarayan made of Saligram stone in the Alaknanda River. He originally enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.King of Garhwal moved the murti to the present temple.

(6) Bagasra

• Harappan site
• The settlement got its start perhaps from a small farming village. Subsequently a massive fortification wall measuring built in three successive stages.People not only lived inside the fortification in mud brick houses but that some of its population also seems to have lived outside the fortified area.

(7) Bagh

• Bagh(Dhar district,MP). These monuments are renowned for mural paintings of ancient India. Caves are not natural, but instead rock-cut architecture. 
• Buddhist is inspiration(like Bodhisttva painting)of the nine caves.
• All of them are 'viharas' having quadrangular plan. A small chamber, usually at the back, forms the 'chaitya', the prayer hall.
• The paintings: Ground prepared was a reddish-brown gritty and thick mud plaster, laid out on the walls and ceilings. Over the plaster, lime-priming was done, on which these paintings were executed.
• A copper plate inscription of Maharaja Subandhu, recording his donation for the repair of the vihara was found. Though, the date of the Bagh inscription is missing, his Badwani copper plate inscription is dated in the year (Gupta era) 167 (487). So the repair of Cave 2 took place in the late 5th century.

(8) Bairat (Viratnagar)

• Viratnagar was the capital of the ancient Mahajanapada of Machcha or Matsya. The kingdom came under the control of the neighboring Chedi Kingdomin the 5th century and was later part of the Mauryan Empire. (Akhnoor, a town in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is also considered as the ancient Virat Nagar.)
• The ruins of the Bijak-ki-pahadi, a Buddhist Chaitya(3rd century BCE) are the oldest free-standing Buddhist structures in India.The town is also home to ruins of a Buddhist monastery,a wood and timber shrine, and rock-cut edict from Emperor Ashoka; these date from the Mauryan period. 
• The town has a number of Mughal structures, including a Chhatri (cenotaph) with some of the earliest surviving murals in Rajasthan, and a lodge where the Mughal emperor Akbar hunted and stayed overnight on his yearly pilgrimage to Ajmer.

(9) Balambat (See Timargarha in Part T)
(10) Balasore / Baleshwar

• Balasore district was part of the ancient Kalinga which later became a territory of Koshala or Utkal. It was annexed by Moghuls in 1568 and remained as a part of their suzerainty up to the middle of eighteenth century (up to 1750–51). Then the Marathas occupied this part of Odisha and it became a part of the dominion of the Bhonsle Maratha Rajas of Nagpur. The first of English factories was established in this region in 1640.In 1763 Balasore became a Danish possession, governed from Tranquebar, as part ofDanish India. Due to the shallowness of its bay, the trading post was abandoned.
• Now It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program's Integrated Test Range

(11) Balathal

• Balathal is an archaeological site located in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. The Kataranadi River is very close to the site.
• Two cultural periods: the Chalcolithic and the Early Historic.
• The houses found at the site are square or rectangular made of mud brick, stone, and wattle and daub huts with mud plastered floor and two storage pits. It has been determined that the people practiced agro-pastoralism.
• In later phase, a  masive mud fortification wall in the centre of mound, multi-room structural complexes with kitchens and storages and potters' kilns were found.
• Pottery at the site tells much about life at this ancient site. Balathal is part of the Ahar-Banas Complex and can be connected to other Ahar-Banas culture sites through artifacts that have been discovered. Some of the pottery from Balathal was locally produced, while other types found at Balathal came from other sites in the Ahar-Banas Complex, such as Gilund, Ojiyana, Marmi, and Ahar.
• Pottery includes thin red,tan,black and red, and buffed colored pots. There was also a reserved slip ware.The thick and coarse ware included a red-slipped ware,plain red ware, burnished grey ware and plain grey ware. Very few microliths and a lot of copper artifacts were found.There were also bone tools, stone tools and terracotta balls and figurines of bulls and precious stones. Ornaments included neckless made of terracotta, steatite, semiprecious stones.Much of bones found were of domesticated animals.
• Plant remains included wheat,barley,millet,black&green gram,pea,fruits.
• It was contemporary with early Harappa phase at Kot Diji and as early as the Jodhpura-Ganeshwar culture of north-east rajasthan.

(12) Balbrahmeshwar

(13) Bamiyan/ Bamyan/ Bamian

• Bamyan is the capital of Bamyan Province in central Afghanistan.
• The city of Bamyan was part of the Buddhist Kushan Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era. After the Kushan Empire fell to the Sassanids, Bamyan became part of the Kushansha, vassals to the Sassanids. The Hephthalites conquered Bamyan in the 5th century.In 870, when it was conquered by the Saffarids. The area was conquered by the Ghaznavids in the 11th century.
• Three colossal statues were carved on mountain. One of them was 175 feet (53 m) high standing statue of Buddha, the world's tallest. The ancient statue was carved during the Kushan period in the fifth century. The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001.
• The world's earliest oil paintings have been discovered in caves behind the partially destroyed colossal statues.The oil paintings, probably of either walnut or poppy seedoil, are present in 12 of the 50 caves dating from the 5th to 9th century. The murals typically have a white base layer of a lead compound, followed by an upper layer of natural or artificial pigments mixed with either resins or walnut or poppy seed drying oils. Possibly, the paintings may be the work of artists who travelled on the Silk Road.

(14) Banawali / Banamali

• Banawali is an archaeological site belonging to Indus Valley Civilization period in Fatehabad district, Haryana and is located about 120 km northeast of Kalibangan.
• Period I: Pre-Harappan (Kalibangan) and  Transitional Phase (Proto-Harappan)(2500-2300 BCE)
• Period II: Mature Harappan (2300-1700 BCE)
• Period III: Post-Harappan (Banawali-Bara)(1700-1500 BCE)
• The of decline urban life at Banawali and Kalibangan appears to be all of a sudden.

Period I (2500-2300 BCE)

• Well planned houses constructed out of kiln burnt and moulded bricks. Pottery consisting of vase and jar Pottery assemblage is very similar to those of Kalibangan I period.

Period II (2300-1700BCE)

• Defence wall was found at this site.Well planned Harappan style chess-board pattern fortified town. This fortified area consisted of two adjascent areas, one thought to be for ruling class and other one for common people.
• In the area meant for common people, house blocks with north-south thourogh fares cutting at right angles, which further connected by east-west lanes. Houses, which were constructed on both sides of lanes,were having rammed earth floor, mud plastered walls, rooms, kitchen,toilet. Houses were having storage facilities, similar to strong rooms found at Kuntasi

Period III (1700-1500/1450 BCE)

• This period is represented by Bara culture ( a culture that emerged in the eastern region of the Indus Valley Civilization around 2000 BCE), which may be termed as post-Harappa or late contemporary Harappa.

Architecture

• Well constructed fort town of Harappan period overlaying an extensive proto urban settlement of pre Harappan Period.
• Houses, with rammed earthen floors, were well planned with rooms and toilets and houses were constructed on either sides of streets and lanes.
• Near South-eastern area of fortification, flight of steps is found rising from 'Lower town' to Acropolis. 

Houses

• In a multi roomed house having kitchen and toilet, several seals, weights were found, indicating the owner of the house may be a merchant.One more bigger house revealed large number of gold beads, lapis lazuli, carnelian, tiny weights and a 'touch stone' like stone with streaks of gold, indicating the house belonged to jeweller or ornament maker.Several houses in Banawali show evidence of fire altars, which were also associated with apsidal structures indicating ritualistic purposes.

Artetacts

• S-shaped jars, cooking vessels, ovens, tandoors, painted earthen pots etc. Painted motifs include, peacocks, pipal leaves, tree, deer, star, fish flowers, intersecting circles, checker board patterns,honey comb patterns. Harappan seals carrying pictures of Rhinoceros, wild goat, ibex,unicorn,composite animal with tiger body. Gold, copper, bronze pieces, gold beads, copper, lapis lazuli, bangles of shells etc. The pottery found, is comparable with Harappan pottery in fineness.
• A burnished greyware decorated with bucranian(curved decoration) motiffs, which closely resembles similar bovine beads occurring in painting on Pre-Harappan pots from Kot-Diji, Kalibangan etc.
• An unbaked clay figure of an which has deep cut on the back as well on one side of the neck, thereby imparting it an appearance of a horse. Other finds include ivory comb, a terracota cake with an engraved ass, human figures - both male and female, a tortoise shell etc. Many items of gold, silver etc. have also been found.
• The earlier bricks in Banawali had the Kalibangan ratio of 3:2:1, but later bricks had the ratio 4:2:1. The wall surrounding this site was probably to face floods of Sarasvati River, and the wall collapsed due to water damage.Marine shells were found at Banawali as well as at Harappa, Kalibangan, which are far away from sea shore and such findings indicate internal trade between the regions during early Indus period. 
• Seals were only found in lower town and not in citadel;several small stone weights and terrecotta plough model was also found. Large number of female figurines are found at this site as well as at Mohenjadaro, Harappa. 
• A touchstone bearing gold streaks was found, which was probably used for testing the purity of gold (a technique that is still being used in this area).

(15) Banaras / Benaras / Varanasi / Kasi

(16) Bangalore 

(17) Bhangarh 

• Bhangarh is a place between Jaipur and Delhi in Rajasthan known for its ruins and pre-historic site. 
• The most remarkable of its buildings are the Hindu temples of Gopinatha, Shiva (Someshwar), Hanumana, Ganesha, Vishal Devta, Lavina Devi and Keshava Rai. Other buildings, several havelis, a mosque, and a palace. The palace was protected by two inner fortifications across the valley. 
• The town was established in 1573 (VS 1631) during the rule of Bhagwant Das as the residence of his second son Sawai Madho Singh, the younger brother of Emperor Akbar’s general, Man Singh I. When the Mughal Empire became weaker after the death of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh II attached Bhangarh to his state by force in 1720.

(18) Banvasi / Konkanpura

• Banavasi is an ancient temple town in Uttara Kannada District. Huen Tsang the Chinese traveler-monk who was in India between 630-644 C.E, visited Konkanapura called Konkanapulo.
• Banavasi is the oldest town in the Karnataka state.It has grown up around the Madhukeshwara Temple built in the 9th century and dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• 
• 5th-century copper coin of Kadamba king was discovered here with an inscription in the Kannada script, one of the oldest such coins ever discovered. It proves that Banavasi had a mint in the 5th century.
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• Adikavi Pampa, the first poet of Kannada, wrote his epics in Banavasi.
• The town once was the capital of the Kadamba rulers, an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka.They established themselves there in A.D. 345 and ruled South India for at least two centuries.
• The annual December cultural festival, Kadambothsava, is a huge gathering, organized by the state government, and featuring folk dancers, drama troupes, classical musicians, art exhibitions, while drawing together performers, artists, and writers from all of south India.
• Banavasi has long been a cultural centre, especially the Yakshagana art form.

(19) Barabar Hills

• The Barabar Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, mostly dating from the Maurya Empire,some with Ashokan inscriptions in 24 km north of Gaya.
• These caves are situated in the twin hills of Barabar (four caves) and Nagarjuni (three caves).
• These rock-cut chambers date back to the 3rd century BC, Maurya period,of Ashoka (273-232 BCE) and his son Dasaratha Maurya. Though Buddhists themselves, they allowed various Jainsects to flourish under a policy of religious tolerance.
• The caves were used by ascetics from the Ajivika sect,founded by Makkhali Gosala, a contemporary of Gautama Buddha.
• Also present at the site are several rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu sculptures.
• Most caves at Barabar consist of two chambers, carved entirely out of granite, with a highly polished internal surface . The first chamber was meant for worshippers to congregate in a large rectangular hall, and the second, a small, circular, domed chamber for worship.
• Barabar Hill contains four caves, namely, Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and Visva Zopri. Sudama and Lomas Rishi Caves are the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India made in the Mauryan period, and became a trend the subsequent centuries,like the larger Buddhist Chaitya, that were found in Maharashtra, such as in Ajanta and Karla Caves, and greatly influenced the tradition of South Asian rock-cut architecture.Barabar caves have magnanimous arches which are few in ancient history.
• Lomas Rishi cave: The arch-like shape facade of Lomas Rishi Caves, imitate the contemporary timber architecture. On the doorway, a row of elephants proceed towards stupa emblems, along the curved architrave.



Lomas Rishi Cave



Interior of Lomas Rishi cave with inner sanctum

• Sudama cave: This cave was dedicated by Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka in 261 BC. The arches of Sudama cave are of bow shape. The caves consist of a circular vaulted chamber with a rectangular mandapa.



Sudama Cave(Not decorated like Lomas Rishi cave)



Left side is Sudama cave and right side in Lomas Rishi cave

• Karan Chaupar: Consists of single rectangular room with polished surfaces, contains inscription which could be dated to 245 BC.
• Visva Zopri: Reachable by Ashoka steps hewn in cliff, consists of two rectangular rooms.
• Nagarjuni Caves: Nearby caves of Nagarjuna are smaller and younger than Barabar caves [11]The three caves are:
• Gopi (Gopi-ka-Kubha): According to inscription, devoted by the king Dasaratha to Ajivika followers circa 232 BC.
• Vadithi-ka-Kubha cave : Located in crevice.
• Vapiya-ka-Kubha cave: Also devoted to Ajivika followers by Dasaratha.

(20) Baran

• Baran city was under Solanki Rajputs in the 14th -15th century. The main town of the twelve villages under Solanki's was being named as 'Baran'. 

(21) Basohli 

• Basohli is widely known for its paintings called Basohli paintings, which are considered the first school of Pahari paintings, and which evolved into the much prolific Kangra paintings school by mid-eighteenth century

(22) Bagor 

• The archaeological site of Bagor is a Late Mesolithic (pre-Harappa) archaeological site located on the Kothari river in the Bhilwara District.
• Evidence for the domestication of sheep, cattle and goats by the nomadic pastoralists of Bagor dating as early as 5000 to 3000 BC. 

(23) Bayana 

• Bayana or Bijayagadh, is a historical town in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, founded by Bana clan Jats.
• Bayana was their capital.Bayana is famous for Bijaigarh (Vijaygarh) fort which was built by Jadon Raja Bijai Pal in 1040 A.D. The Bijaigarh fort contains several old temples and a red sandstone pillar bearing an inscription of Vishnuvardhan, a feudatory of Samudragupta. The fort was described as one of the most famous forts in India by Babur. 
• There is a monolithic sandstone pillar, a curious combination of Hindu and Mohammedan styles, which bears many inscriptions.

(24) Bavali

• Stone structures resembling tombs of megalithic period(cist burials),dating back to 300 BC, have been found in a village Bavali in Kodagu district. Hand-axe found here belonged to the Neolithic age dating back to 1800 BC.
• The top of the stone has a niche carved into it, possibly to offer oblations to the dead after burial.

(25)  Babaricum / Barbarikon

• Barbarikon was the name of a sea port near the modern-day city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, important in the Hellenistic era in Indian Ocean trade. It is also a Greek version of the term Barbaricum, designating areas outside civilization and/or the Roman Empire.
• Barbarikon is mentioned briefly in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea:

(26) Baragaon  (Same as Banaras) 

(27) Barkhera / Bharkada

• Barkheda is a village in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh. Alternative English spellings of its name include Bharkada and Barkhera.
• Archaeological excavations at Barkhera have resulted in the history of early historical remains. These include pottery with close affinity to "Malwa ware" and acheulean( archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture) assemblages similar to the ones found at Bhimbetka.
• Barkhera has been identified as the source of the raw materials used in some of the monoliths discovered at Bhimbetka.
• The Betwa River originates near Barkheda.

(28) Baroda / Vadodara

• The first recorded history of the city is that of the early trader settlers who settled in the region in 812 AD. The province was mainly Hindu-dominated with Hindu kings ruling until 1297. The Gupta Empire was the first power in the region then Chalukya Dynasty. Finally, the kingdom was annexed by Solanki dynasty. 
• By this time Muslim rule had spread across India, and the reins of power were then snatched by the Delhi Sultans. The city was ruled for a long time by these Sultans, until they were overthrown by the Mughals. Marathas eventually took over the region. It became the capital of the Maratha Gaekwads. Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1875–1939), the most successful ruler, made many public and bureaucratic improvements in the region. Baroda remained a princely state until Independence.

(29) Baroli

• Badoli temples, is located in Baroli village in Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan. The complex of eight temples is situated within a walled enclosure; an additional temple is about 1 kilometre away. Four temples are dedicated to Shiva (including Ghateshwara Mahadeva Temple), two to Durga and one each to Shiva-Trimurti, Vishnu and Ganesha.
• They are built in the Pratihara style of temple architecture dated to the tenth century A.D.
• They werebuilt during the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire in the 10th–11th centuries.They are one of the earliest temple complexes in Rajasthan.
• The Nataraja images carved in these temples have 16 arms.

(30) Barygaza / Bharukachha / Buryagaza / Bhrigukachcha / Bharuch

• City at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat The city of Bharuch and its surroundings have been settled since times of antiquity. 
• It was a ship building center and sea port in the pre-compass coastal trading routes to points West. The route made use of the regular and predictable monsoon winds. Many goods from the Far East (the famed Spice and Silk trade) were shipped there during the annual monsoon winds, making it a terminus for several key land-sea trade routes. 
• Bharuch was known to the Greeks, the various Persian Empires, in the Roman Republic and Empire, and in other Western centres of civilisation through the end of the European Middle Ages.
• In the 3rd century, Bharuch port was mentioned as Barugaza. Arab traders entered Gujarat via Bharuch to do business. The British and the Dutch noted Bharuch’s importance and established their business centers here.

(31) Bassein / Vasai

• Vasai or Bassein Fort is a large fort in Vasai village, in the District of Palghar, Konkan Division, Maharashtra. The Vasai fort(Fort of St. Sebastian of Vasai) is a monument of national importance.
• The Portuguese first reached the west coast of India when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut in 1498.For several years after their arrival in India, they had been consolidating their power in north Konkan. They had established a strong foothold in Goa, which they captured from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510.
• The Treaty of Bassein was signed by Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat and the Kingdom of Portugal on 23 December 1534. Based on the terms of the agreement, the Portuguese Empire gained control of the city of Bassein, as well as its territories, islands, and seas. The Mumbai Islands under Portuguese control include Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Mumbai, Mazagaon, Worli, Matunga, and Mahim. Salsette, Daman and Diu, Thane, Kalyan, and Chaul were other territories controlled and settled by the Portuguese.
• At the time, the cession of Mumbai was of minor importance - but retroactively it gained a crucial importance when the place passed from the Portuguese to the English in 1661 as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, and became a major trade center - making this the treaty's most important long-range result.

(32) Basukunda (Kundagram is ancient name) / Basrah

• Vaishali was a city in Bihar, India, and is now an archeological site. It is a part of the Tirhut Division. It was the capital city of the Licchavi, considered one of the first example of a republic, in the Vajjian Confederacy (Vrijji) mahajanapada, around the 6th century BCE. 
• Ancient Vaishali is identified with present village of Basrah in Vaishali District, Bihar.
• It was here in 599 BCE the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Bhagwan Mahavira was born and brought up in Kundalagrama in Vaisali republic, which makes it a pious and auspicious pilgrimage to Jains. The Svetambaras state that Mahavira, was born and raised in Kshatriya kund district, Vaishali to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishila. 
• During Bimbisara, Gautama Buddha preached his last sermon before his death in 483 BCE, then in 383 BCE the Second Buddhist council was convened here by King Kalasoka, making it an important place in both Jain and Buddhist religions.
• It contains one of the best-preserved Ashokan Pillar, topped by a single Asiatic lion.
• The city finds mention in the travel accounts of Chinese explorers, Faxian (4th century CE) and Xuanzang (7th century CE).
• Vaishali is also renowned as the land of Amrapali, the great Indian courtesan, who appears in many folktales, as well as in Buddhist literature. Ambapali became a disciple of Buddha.

Notable Buddhist sites in Vaishali

• Relic stupa: Near the coronation tank is Stupa 1 or the Relic Stupa. Here the Licchavis reverentially encased one of the eight portions of the Buddha's relics, which they received after the Mahaparinirvana.Following figure shows Relic Stupa and Coronation Tank  near Relic Stupa.
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• Kutagarasala Vihara is the monastery where Buddha most frequently stayed while visiting Vaishali. It is located 3 kilometres from the relic Stupa, and on its ground can be found the Ananda Stupa, with an Asokan pillar and an ancient pond.(following figure shows Anand Stupa with Ashokan Pillar)
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(33) Bedsa / Bedse

• Bedse Caves are situated in Pune District, with comparatively large stupa, the other cave is monastery - vihara. Both the caves contain some carvings although are less ornate than later caves. There is also a small "Stupa" outside to the main caves.
• Nearby Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves. The trilogy of the caves (Karla - Bhaje - Bedse) in Mawal Region.

(34) Behmanabad 

(35) Belgaum / Belgavi /Belgaon

• In Belagavi district, Karnataka.The present city was built in the 12th century AD by the Ratta dynasty.The fort of Belgaum was built in 1204 by a Ratta officer .Belgaum served as the capital of that dynasty between 1210 and 1250, before the Rattas were defeated by the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri. 
• The Khiljis of Delhi invaded the region at the turn of the 14th century and succeeded in ruining both indigenous powers of the region, the Yadava and the Hoysalas, without providing a viable administration. This lacuna was supplied by the Vijayanagara Empire, which had become the established power of the area by 1336. 
• A century later, the town had become a bustling trading hub for diamonds and wood, owing to its favourable geographic location in the kingdom.
• In 1474, the Bahmani Sultanate, then ruling from Bidar, captured the fort of Belagavi. Shortly afterward, in 1518, the Bahamani sultanate splintered into five small states and Belagavi became part of the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur.

(36) Belur 

• In Hassan district
• The town is renowned for its Chennakesava temple(Vishnu).

• Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Halebidu is only 16 km away.
• There are two more shrines here that are still in use by devotees and there is a Pushkarni or stepped well to the right side of the main entrance. The Dravida style rayagopuram at the entrance which was a later addition by the Vijayanagar kings.
• The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 CE.
• The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (Shilabalikas).



Stone Carving in temple(Hoyasala Emblem)



1.The first moulding were the temple wall meets the jagati (platform) around the temple is made up entirely of afrieze of elephants.2.Frieze on moldings and perforated windows 3.A frieze pattern

• Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari (Lady with the mirror) carved on walls is one of major attractions in the complex.The doorways are guarded on either side by the gorgeously decorated dvarapalaka.
• An interesting sight with in the sanctum are the ancient jet-black Hoysala pillars, covered with bright vermilion smeared on by devotees. The main temple is surrounded by Temples of Soumyanayaki and Ranganayaki, beloveds of Sri Chennakesava.
• Hoysala sculptors have broken custom and signed their sculptures. They engraved their names, titles and even the place of their origin at the foot of their art work. Mallitamma was the most prolific of all known Hoysala artists and more than forty well-executed sculptures stand in his name. 



1.A view of Gopura (tower) over the entrance at the Chennakeshava temple complex.2.A view of Gopura (tower) over the entrance at the Chennakeshava temple complex.3.Dhwaja Sthamba (pillar) at the Chennakeshava temple.4.The Temple Courtyard.5.gopura(tower) over main entrance

(37) Besnagar (Near Vidisha, See Vidisha in part-V)

(38) Bhadrawati / Bhadravati

• The Gavrala,a small hamlet near Bhadrawati, has been excavated and unearthed fortifications of the Vakataka period.

(39) Bhadreshwar / Bhadrawati

• In Kutch district, Gujarat.
• The ruins of ancient city of Bhadrawati can be found here. Bhadrawati was ruled by King Sidhsen in 449 B.C. Later it was ruled by The Solanki rulers who were Jains, and they changed the name to Bhadreshwar. Then in 1315, a great famine struck Kutch, after which the town was renovated by Jagdusha, the Jain merchant 
• Centuries old Jain temple complex known as Vasai Jain Temple(One of the oldest Jain temples).

• There is also an ancient Shiva temple known as Chokhanda Mahadev situated at the sea-shore and the big square step well known as the Pandavs Kund

.

• Duda Masjid and a stepwell, Duda vaav, which is very old ( 12th century), meaning they predate the well known Islamic architecture of Ahmedabad.

(40) Bhagatrav 

• A minor archaeological site of Indus valley Civilization in Bharuch district near coastline and gives access to the agate-bearing mines and forested hills of the valleys of the rivers Narmada and Tapti.
• Bhagatrav have been an important port, as Lothal. 
• Flood was one of the reasons for decline/destruction of some Harappan settlements such as Bhagatrav, Lothal,Rangpur, Desalpur, Chanhu-daro etc.

(41) Bhagwanpura / Bhagpura

• Bhagwanpura, also called Bhagpura, is an archaeological site on the right bank of the Sarasvati river in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana .
• The site is notable for showing an overlap between the late Harappan and Painted Grey Ware cultures. Painted Grey Ware is generally associated with the Vedic People, so this area can be said as the junction of two great civilizations that India had seen.
• Archaeological finds like a humped bull-shaped carnelian pendant, terracotta beads and semi-precious stones.
• Bhagwanpura shows one period of habitation, with two sub-periods:

1. Sub-period IA: late Harappan culture(1700–1300 BCE)
2. Sub-period IB: overlap between late Harappan and PGW culture (1400–1000 BCE) 

• During sub-period IA, the late Harappan people lived in houses of burnt brick and built mud platforms to protect against flooding. During sub-period IB, the late Harappan pottery continued, but a new form of pottery (the PGW) was introduced. 
• Initially, the PGW people lived in thatched wattle-and-daub huts, but later they began to build mud-walled houses. One large house had thirteen rooms and a courtyard, and may have belonged to a chief. 
• Towards the end of sub-period IB, the PGW people began to used burnt bricks for the construction of Vedic fire altars. During both phases, cattle, sheep, and pig were domesticated, but horse bones only occur in sub-period IB. Six oval structures from this sub-period may have had some ritualistic use.

(42) Bhaja / Bhaje (Location same as Pune in Part P)

• Bhaja Caves or Bhaje caves is a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC located in Pune, near Lonavala (village of Bhaja), on an important ancient trade route running from the Arabian Sea eastward into the Deccan Plateau
• It belongs to the Hinayana Buddhism sect. The caves have a number of stupas. 

Architecture:

• The Bhaja Caves share architectural design with the Karla Caves. 
• The most prominent excavation is its Chaityagriha (Cave 12), with an open, horseshoe-arched entrance ,demonstrating prototypes of wooden architecture and a vaulted horseshoe ceiling.It is one of the earliest of the type.  Its vihara (Cave 18) has a pillared verandah in front and is adorned with unique reliefs. 



Wooden ceiling in Main Chaityagriha

• The chaitya has unique reliefs from Indian mythology.The carvings prove that tabla – a percussion instrument – was used in India for at least two thousand years. The carving shows a woman playing tabla and another woman, performing dance.
• Other caves have a nave(central area) and aisle(long narrow passage), with an apse containing a solid stupa and the aisle circling round the apse, providing the circumambulation path.
• Chaitygraha has some Buddha images. A cistern inscription shows the name of a donor from the 2nd century AD. 
• A wooden beam records two more inscriptions datable to 2nd century B.C., which indicates caves have been there for at least 2200 years.
• The sculptures feature elaborate headdress, garlands, and jewellery; they might have originally been painted in bright colors but later covered with plaster. Characteristic for early Buddhism, initially the caves had symbolic Buddha representation. After 4 A.D. Buddha was painted in physical form as well.

Stupas

• A notable part of the monument is a group of 14 stupas, five inside and nine outside an irregular excavation. 
• The stupas are relics of resident monks, who died at Bhaja, and display an inscription with the names of monks.
• The stupa particulars show the name of the monks and their respective titles. The stupas have been carved very elaborately and two of them have a relic box on their upper side. Names of monks have been titled with Theras.

(43) Bharatpur

• Bharatpur is a city in Rajasthan. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once considered to be an impregnable city and was the capital of the Jat kingdom later captured by the Marathas.
• In the 10th century, the Yadav people took control of Dholpur, which had earlier been ruled by the Rajputs. Dholpur was taken by Sikandar Lodhi in 1501.1527, the Dholpur fort fell to Babur and continued to be ruled by the Mughals until 1707. After the death of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Raja Kalyan Singh Bhadauria obtained possession of Dholpur, and his family retained it until 1761. After that, Dholpur was taken successively by the Jat ruler Maharaja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur; by Mirza Najaf Khan in 1775; by the Scindia ruler of Gwalior in 1782; and finally, by the British East India Company in 1803.In 1806, Dholpur again came under the Jat rulers of Gohad, when it was handed over to Kirat Singh of Gohad. Dholpur thus became a princely state, a vassal of the British during the Raj.

(44) Bharhut

• Bharhut is a village located in the Satna district, known for its famous relics from a Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut sculptures represent some of the earliest examples of Indian and Buddhist art.

Bharhut stupa:

• May have been first built by Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period, with many friezes from the 2nd century BCE. An epigraph on the gateway of the stupa mentions its erection "during the supremacy of the Sungas by Dhanabhuti".
• The complex in Bharhut included a medieval temple (plate II), which contained a colossal figure of the Buddha, along with fragments of sculptures showing the Buddha with images of Brahma, Indra etc.
• The ruined stupais still in Bharhut; the gateways and railings have been dismantled and reassembled at the Indian Museum, Kolkata.They contain numerous birth stories of the Buddha's previous lives, or Jataka tales. 
• In conformity with the early aniconic phase of Buddhist art, the Buddha is only represented through symbols, such as the Dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree, an empty seat, footprints, or the triratana symbol.
• The style represents the earliest phase of Indian art, and all characters are depicted wearing the Indian dhoti, except for one foreigner thought to be an Indo-Greek soldier, with Buddhist symbolism. The Bharhut carvings are slightly earlier than the Sanchi carvings and the earlier Ajanta frescos(mural).
• An unusual feature of the Bharhut panels is the inclusion of text in the narrative panels, often identifying the individuals.

Inscriptions

• The inscriptions found at Bharhut are of considerable significance in tracing the history of early Indian Buddhism and Buddhist art. 
• 136 inscriptions mention the donors. These include individuals from Vidisha, Purika (a town somewhere in the Vindhya mountains),Pataliputra (Bihar), Karhad (Maharashtra), Bhojakata (Vidarbha), Kosambi, and Nasik. 
• 82 inscriptions serve as labels for panels depicting the Jatakas, the life of the Buddha, former Manushi Buddhas, other stories and Yakshas and Yakshinis

(46) Bhatinda / Bathinda / Tabarhindh

• Bathinda, named after the Bhati kings, is one of the oldest cities in Punjab. Bathinda is nicknamed the 'City of Lakes' and was once known as Tabar-e-Hind (or Tabarhindh)
• The ancient name of the city was Bikramgarh. Bathinda was built by Bhati Gurjar kings, who were the rulers of Punjab in 6th century AD. They called the city Whatinda or Bitunda.The earliest mention of Tabarhindh occurs in the Jami-Ul-Hakayat written about 1211 AD.
• The city was under the rule of Hindu shahi king Jayapala in 965 AD. Emperor Jayapala was challenged by Mahmud of Ghazni. In 1004, Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the local fort, which was located on the route from the northwest into the rich Ganges valley.
• In 1189, Muhammad Ghori attacked and occupied the fort of Bathinda. Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the ruler of this region, managed to recover possession of the fort in 1191 after the first battle of Tarain.
• After the death of Muhammad Ghori, Delhi Sultanate was established. The fourth Emperor - Iltutmish nominated his daughter Raziya as his heiress. Her childhood friend named Malik Altunia, the governor of Bathinda, joined a rebellion by other provincial governors who refused to accept Razia's authority. She was imprisoned at the Bathinda fort in April, 1240. 
• The city of Bathinda was visited by the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh. He halted at the mausoleum of Haji Rattan, a celebrated Muslim saint.
• In 1754, the town was conquered by Maharaja Ala Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala and since then it followed the history of erstwhile princely state of Patiala.
• Qila Mubarak - This is one of the oldest and highest small brick monument. It also contains two gurudwaras as the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh visited the place.

(47) Bhatkal / Batecala / Bhatkala

• Bhatkal is a port town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
• According to Famous Moroccan traveler's Ibn Battuta (1307-1377), "Bad-E-Qillah" (Bhatkal) was place Nawath Muslim & Jain town located near Arabian sea, there was Nawath ruler near Sharavathi river in Bhatkal's location, although very strategic, was the main factor behind the country's erratic history. Bhatkal witnessed the rise and fall of several dynasties and rulers. 
• Bhatkal was a part of the Hoysala empire from 1291 to 1343 before falling into the hands of the Vijayanagara empire. 
• After the disintegration of the latter, the much coveted town of Bhatkal was brought under the control of the Saluva (Jain) rulers of Hadwalli. Numerous temples and basadis were constructed during the Saliva's reign. 
• Chola emperors under Aditya I, his son Parantaka I and successor Parantaka Chola II conquered territories in the Kannada country between Gangavadi on the Mysore plateau and Bhatkal during 880-975 AD. As a sign of their victory in Kannada country, they built the Solesvara Temple. Inscriptions from successive kings from Parantaka Chola I mention their generals as 'Lords of the Konkana' which included Bhatkal.
• From the Keladi rulers, Bhatkal was passed on to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and later to the British Empire.

(48) Bhatnair / Bhatner / Hanumangarh

• Hanumangarh in Rajasthan,situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar (Ancient Sarasvati river). The city was once called Bhatner because it was a stronghold of Bhati Rajputs.
• A 1700-year-old Bhatner fort is situated in the middle of Hanumangarh Town, the description of which can be found in Ain-i-Akbari. A famous Bhadrakali temple is situated near the town.
• It has yielded a number of terracotta decorative tiles in the late Kushan Empire style along with a number of coins.
• In Hanumangarh district ,the remains found at Kalibangan(Pilibanga) reveal that this area was a part of Indus Valley Civilization. 

(49) Bhimbetka 

• The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site of the Paleolithic, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent, and thus the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is located in the Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh, southern edge of the Vindhya hills, inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. 
• At least some of the shelters were inhabited by Homo erectus more than 100,000 years ago. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old.
• The caves also deliver early evidence of dance. They were declared a World Heritage Site.
• The entire area is covered by thick vegetation, has abundant natural resources in its perennial water supplies, natural shelters, rich forest flora and fauna, and bears a striking resemblance to similar rock art sites such as Kakadu National Park in Australia, the cave paintings of the Bushmen in Kalahari Desert and the Upper Paleolithic Lascaux cave paintings in France.
• More than 750 such shelters have been identified, of which 243 are in the Bhimbetka group and 178 in the Lakha Juar group. Archeological studies revealed a continuous sequence of Stone Age cultures (from the late Acheulian to the late Mesolithic), as well as the world’s oldest stone walls and floors.
• Barkheda has been identified as the source of the raw materials used in some of the monoliths discovered at Bhimbetka.
• The rock shelters and caves of Bhimbetka have a large number of paintings. The oldest paintings are considered to be 30,000 years old.
• The colors used are vegetable colors which have endured through time because the drawings were generally made deep inside a niche or on inner walls. The drawings and paintings can be classified under seven different periods.

1. Period I-(Upper Paleolithic): These are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge figures of animals such as bison, tigers and rhinoceroses.
2. Period II-(Mesolithic): Comparatively small in size the stylised figures in this group show linear decorations on the body. In addition to animals there are human figures and hunting scenes, giving a clear picture of the weapons they used: barbed spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows. The depiction of communal dances, birds, musical instruments, mothers and children, pregnant women, men carrying dead animals, drinking and burials appear in rhythmic movement.
3. Period III-(Chalcolithic): Similar to the paintings of the Chalcolithic, these drawings reveal that during this period the cave dwellers of this area were in contact with the agricultural communities of the Malwa plains, exchanging goods with them.
4. Period IV&V-(Early historic): The figures of this group have a schematic and decorative style and are painted mainly in red, white and yellow. The association is of riders, depiction of religious symbols, tunic-like dresses and the existence of scripts of different periods. The religious beliefs are represented by figures of yakshas, tree gods and magical sky chariots.
5. Period VI&VII-(Medieval): These paintings are geometric linear and more schematic, but they show degeneration and crudeness in their artistic style. The colors used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese, hematite and wooden coal.

• One rock, popularly referred to as “Zoo Rock”, depicts elephants, sambar, bison and deer. Paintings on another rock show a peacock, asnake, a deer and the sun. 
• On another rock, two elephants with tusks are painted. Hunting scenes with hunters carrying bows, arrows, swords and shields also find their place in the community of these pre-historic paintings. In one of the caves, a bison is shown in pursuit of a hunter while his two companions appear to stand helplessly nearby; in another, some horsemen are seen, along with archers.
• In one painting, a large wild boar is seen. It is not known whether such large boars existed that time (note that, according to the skeletons found, those humans were about 7 feet tall) or the humans drew it with enlarged scale.
• Following figures show (top left clockwise): (1)(2)Painting of Elephants(3)The only painting in the caves showing, "a man" being hunted by a beast, a horned boar(4)Painting(5)Rock tortoise, a view just outside the rock shelters(6)man riding on horse.(7)Painting of flowers and a horse

(50) Bhirrana / Birhana

• Bhirrana is a small village located in Fatehabad District
• The excavation has revealed these cultural periods; Period IA: Hakra Wares Culture, Period IB: Early Harappan Culture, Period IIA: Early Mature Harappan and Period IIB: Mature Harappan Culture.
• Period IA: Hakra Wares Culture: The remains of the Harappan culture right from its nascent stage, i.e. Hakra Wares Culture (antedating the Known Early Harappan Culture in the subcontinent, also known as Kalibangan-I.) to a full-fledged Mature Harappan city. Prior to the excavation of Bhirrana, no Hakra Wares culture, predating the Early Harappan had been exposed in any Indian site.This culture is characterised by structures in the form of plastered dwelling pits, cut into the natural soil. The artefacts: a copper bangle,copper arrowhead, bangles of terracotta, beads of lapis lazuli and steatite, bone point, stone saddle etc. The pottery :Mud Applique Wares, Incised (Deep and Light), Tan/Chocolate Slipped Wares, Brown-on-Buff Wares, Bichrome Wares (Paintings on the exterior with black and white pigments), Black-on-Red Ware and plain red wares.
• The Period IB: Early Harappan Culture:The settlement was with no fortification. The houses built of mud bricks of buff colour in the ratio of 3:2:1. The pottery of this period shows all the six fabrics of Kalibangan - I along with many of the Hakra Wares of the earlier period. The artifacts: a seal of quarter-foil shape made of shell, arrowheads, bangles and rings of copper, beads of carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, steatite, shell and terracotta, bull figurines, rattles, wheels, gamesmen, and marbles of terracotta, bangles of terracotta and faience, bone objects, sling balls, marbles and pounders of sandstone.
• The Period IIA: Early Mature Harappan Culture: This period is marked by transformation in the city lay-out within a fortification wall. The twin units of the town planning; Citadel and Lower Town came into vogue. The streets, lanes and by-lanes were oriented in similar fashion. The pottery assemblage shows a mixed bag of Early Harappan and Mature Harappan forms. The artifacts: beads of semi-precious stones, bangles of copper, shell, terracotta and faience; fishhook, chisel, arrowhead of copper; terracotta animal figurines.
• The Period IIB: Mature Harappan Culture with all the characteristic features of a well-developed Harappan city. The important artifacts: Seals of steatite, bangles of copper, terracotta, faience and shell, inscribed celts of copper, bone objects, Terrecotta wheels with painted spokes, animal figurines of terracotta, beads of lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate, faience, steatite, terracotta and stone objects.A replica of the famous "Dancing Girl" from Mohenjodaro is found engraved on a potsherd.The massive fortification wall and house was made of mud bricks.Wide linear roads separated the houses. Presence of the baked bricks is seen used in the main drain to flush out the waste water from the houses.
• People used to live in shallow mud plastered pit dwellings and pits were also used for industrial activity or sacrifices.Multi roomed houses were exposed at this site, one house with ten rooms and another with three rooms; another house had kitchen, court yards, tandoor, chullah in kitchen and beside chullah, charred bone remains of a bovine animal was also found.
• All phases of Indus Valley Civilisation are represented in this site.

(51) Bhita (Location 27 km from Allahabad)

• Bhita is the place of archaeological importance on the bank of River Yamuna .Remains of a rectangular fort have been traced. Possibility of the place as a military base and business centre. Terracotta articles, earthenware, seals and a good number of idols were discovered during excavations.

(52) Bhitargaon 

• Bhitargaon is a town in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh known for its ancient Hindu temple.The Bhitargaon Temple is a terraced brick building fronted with a terracotta panel. Built in the 6th century during the Gupta Empire, it is the oldest remaining terracotta Hindu shrine with a roof and a high Sikhara.
• The temple is built on a square plan with double-recessed corners and faces east. There tall pyramidal spire over the garbhagriha. The walls are decorated with terracotta panels depicting aquatic monsters, Shiva and Vishnu etc.

(53) Bhitari

• The pillar is carved from red sandstone and rises to fifteen feet in height. The upper part is highly polished whereas chisel marks can still be seen on the lower section. The capital is broken and all that remains is a bell shape. 
• Bhitari pillar inscription(dated in year 136 of the Gupta Era (454-455 CE)) refers to the reign of Skandagupta, as a successor of Kumaragupta I, an installation of a Shiva linga by Skandgupta, the erection of a sacred image of Vishnu, and the allotment, to the image, of the village in which the column stands.
• Bhitari pillar inscription mentions that the fortunes of the dynasty had sunk to a low and was restored by Skandagupta. 
• Skandagupta fought some hard battles to restore the lost glory of the Guptas. Bhitari inscription talks about Pusyamitras and Mlechchas(Huns) who were defeated by Skandagupta.

(54) Bhopal

• Bhopal was founded by the king Bhoja of the Paramara dynasty (AD 1000–1055), who ruled from his capital at Dhar. 
• In the early 17 th century,In the early 18th century, Bhopal was a small village in the local Gond kingdom. 
• The modern Bhopal city was established by Dost Mohammad Khan (1672–1728), an Afghan soldier in the Mughal army.Khan received the territory of Bhopal from the Gond queen Rani Kamlapati in lieu of payment for mercenary services, and usurped her kingdom after her death.

(55) Bhumra

• It is an ancient village in Satna district.
• There is a Shiva temple here. This is made of red sand stone found in Kaimor hills. The Bhumara Temple is significant for introducing two smaller shrines on the flanks of the entrance steps.
• Ganesha or Vinayaka is a non-Aryan divinity adopted in the brahmanical pantheons not much earlier than the third or fourth century AD. The earliest images of the deity are supposed to be those found in Sankisa mound (Etah U P) and Bhumara (Satna M P), both of about fifth century AD.
• A Stone Pillar Inscription of the Maharaja Hastin and Sharvanatha has also been obtained from here. This is undated but it is probably of the year 508-09 AD. The objective of this inscription is to establish the boundary of states belonging to these rulers at village Ambloda.

(56) Bhuwaneshwar

(57) Bidar

• The history of the present fort at Bidar is attributed to the Sultan Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah the first sultan of the Bahmani dynasty to 1427 when he shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar since it had better climatic conditions and was also a fertile and fruit bearing land. Earliest recorded history of its existence as a fort is also traced to the first Muslim invasion of the region is traced to Prince Ulugh Khan in 1322, where after it came under the reign of the Tughlaq dynasty.
• With the establishment of the Bahmani dyanasty (1347), Bidar was occupied by Sultan Alla-Ud-Din Bahman Shah Bahmani. During the rule of Ahmad Shah I (1422–1486), Bidar was made the capital city of Bahmani Kingdom(earlier capital was Gulbaraga) and remained so till the extinction of the kingdom and its disintegration into five independent kingdoms of Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar and Berar. He used the prevailing Persian style to construct the palace and design the urban morphology of Bidar. The “karez” water system, a complex system of aqueducts used for agricultural irrigation, can also be attributed to Persian influence.The old Fort was rebuilt and beautiful madrasas, mosques, palaces and gardens were raised.
• Bidar city is known for its Bidri handicraft products. Bidriware is a metal handicraft that originated in Bidar, Karnataka, in the 14th century, during the rule of the Bahamani Sultans.Bidriware is manufactured from an alloy of copper and zinc (in the ratio 1:16) by casting. The zinc content gives the alloy a deep black color
• .
• Mahmmad Gawan who became the Prime Minister in 1466 was a notable figure in the history of Bidar. Bidar remained under the Barid Shahi dynasty until it was captured by the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb in 1656 A.D. In 1724, Bidar became a part of the Asaf Jahi Kingdom of the Nizams. It was annexed by the Bijapur Sultanate in 1619–20 but the Mughal viceroy of Aurangzeb took it in 1657 and thus became a part the Mughal Empire in 1686.

(58) Bijapur 

• It is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty.
• In 1518, the Bahmani Sultanate split into five splinter states known as the Deccan sultanates, one of which was Bijapur, ruled by the kings of the Adil Shahi dynasty (1490–1686). Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the independent state of Bijapur. The rule of this dynasty ended in 1686, when Bijapur was conquered during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• In 1724 the Nizam of Hyderabad established his independence in the Deccan, and included Bijapur. In 1760, the Nizam suffered a defeat by the Marathas, and ceded the region of Bijapur to the Maratha Peshwa. After the 1818 defeat of the Peshwa by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Bijapur passed into the hands of the British East India Company, and was assigned to the princely state Satara. In 1848 the territory of Satara, along with Bijapur, was annexed to Britain's Bombay Presidency when the last ruler died without a male heir. 

(59) Bikaner 

• In 1488 Rao Bika established the city of Bikaner. Rao Bika was the first son of Maharaja Rao Jodha of the Rathor clan, the founder of Jodhpur and conquered the largely arid country in the north of Rajasthan.

(60) Birbhanpur 

• Birbhanpur is on Banks of Damodar River in West Bengal(Burdwan district) and it is a Mesolithic site.

(61) Bisauli (Location same as Badaun)

• OCW pottery was discovered first in Bisauli. The chalcolithis site associated with this type of ware is called OCW culture.

(62) Bithur 

• Bithur is in Kanpur District,UPBithoor has been closely associated with the Indian independence movement, especially the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It was at one time home to many of the rebellion's most prominent characters including the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai. The last of the Peshwas, Baji Rao II, was banished to Bithur; his adopted son, Nana Sahib, made the town his headquarters.

(63) Bodhgaya (Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi)

• Bodh Gaya is a religious site associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex,the place where Buddhaobtained Enlightenment (Bodhimandala) under what became known as the Bodhi Tree.
• For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. Four Additional Sites- Rajgir, Sankassa, Sravasti, Vaishali)
• Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• King Ashoka was the first to build a temple here.The temple was constructed or renovated in the 1st century during the Kushan period. With the decline of Buddhism in India, the temple was abandoned and forgotten, later restored by British.
• Accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Faxian in the 5th century and Xuanzang in the 7th century describe Bodhgaya. 
• Kittisirimegha of Sri Lanka, a contemporary of Samudragupta, erected with the permission of Samudragupta, a Sangharama near the Mahabodhi-vihara. The circumstances in connection with the Sangharama are given by Xuanzang

(64) Brahmgiri 

• Brahmagiri is an archaeological site located in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
• Rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka here, denoted the southernmost extent of the Mauryan empire.
• It is well known for the large number of megalithic monuments.
• Excavation has revealed medieval stone temples, pottery, terracota beads and figurines, semiprecious stones and megalithic structures.
• There have been traces of cultures:Microlithic, Neolithic, Iron Age, Maurya and Chalukya-Hoysala.Microlithic culture is named as Roppa culture after the Roppa village within which the microlithic trench was located.
• Neoliths found in this region were evidence of the occupation of this region by farming-herding communities in the pre-megalithic period.

(65) Bundi 

• Bundi and the eponymous princely state are said to derive their names from a former Meena tribe man called Bunda Meena. Later the region was governed by Rao Deva Hada, who took over Bundi in 1342, and established a princely state Bundi, renaming the surrounding area called Hadoti, the land of great Hada Rajputs.
• The Taragarh Fort, is the most impressive of the city's structures. It was constructed in AD 1354 .
• The Bundi Palace is  adjacent to the Taragarh Fort and is notable for its lavish traditional murals.
• The largest of Bundi's baoris or stepwells is the intricately carved Raniji ki Baori, built in 1699 by Rani Nathavatji.There are over 50 stepwells in Bundi.

(66) Burhanpur 

• Burhanpur was an important city under Rashtrakuta Dynasty during 753–982. During excavations in Tapti River & Asirgarh Fort many coins, goddess idols and temples discovered which belongs to prehistoric era. But, Burhanpur got its name and fame during medieval time.
• In 1388, Malik Nasir Khan, the Faruqi dynasty Sultan of Khandesh discovered Burhanpur, at the behest of Shaikh Zainuddin and renamed it after a well known medieval sufi saint,Burhan-ud-Din. Burhanpur became the capital of the Khandesh sultanate. 
• Later, Miran Adil Khan II (reigned 1457–1501), another sultan of this dynasty built a citadel and a number of palaces in Burhanpur.During his long reign, Burhanpur was transformed to a major centre for trade and textile production. In 1601, Mughal emperor Akbar annexed the Khandesh sultanate and Burhanpur became the capital of Khandesh Subah of the Mughal empire.
• Burhanpur was an important outpost of the Mughals. Shah Jahan spent a considerable time in this city, and helped add to the Shahi Qila.Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas were built on the terrace of the Qila.The main attraction at the palace is the hamam or the royal bath. It was specifically built for Shah Jahan's wife, Begum Mumtaz Mahal.

(67) Burzhom 

• Burzahom is located 16km northeast of Srinagar.The Megalithic menhirs here are situated on a karewa mound.
• Subsequent exploration has brought to light similar sites such as Begagund, Brah, Gofkral, Hariparigom, Jayadevi-udar, Olichibag, Pampur, Panzogom, Sombur, Thajiwor and Waztal, all located on karewas especially in the south – east parts of the Kashmir valley. 
• In Burzahom, a fourfold sequence of cultures: Periods I and II, Neolithic; Period Ill, Megalithic; and Period IV, early, Historical. 
• Period I has revealed dwelling pits, circular or oval on plan, narrow at the top and wide at the base and also pit chambers, square to rectangular in shape. Both the circular pits and pit chambers were dug into the compact natural soil. Some of the deeper ones were provided with landing steps, which however do not lead down to the bottom indicating the use of a ladder for further descent.
• Storage pits, 60 to 91 cm in diameter, containing some animal bones, stone and bone tools are in close proximity to the dwelling pits.
• Apart from the dwelling pits the residential pattern at the earliest level consists of rectangular or squarish pit chambers. They are also cut into the natural soil down to a depth of about 1 m or even less. 
• The period is marked by the presence of a large number of well-polished bone and stone tools. The pottery is characterised by crude and handmade, coarse in fabric, the colour mainly of steel-grey and various shades of dull-red, brown and buff. 
• The Period II saw many new structural patternPit chambers were filled up and plastered with mud .
• An important discovery in this Period is an engraved stone making it non-functional at the place of its occurrence. The engraving on the slab depicts hunting scene. Numerous human and animal burials have been found. 
• Humans were buried both primarily and secondarily in oval pits, mostly dug into the house floors. In secondary burials skulls and long bones were preferred. Along with human bones those of dogs and antlered deer occur. 
• The pottery is generally handmade and consists of burnished black ware. A wheel-made red-ware pot belongs to the end of the Period. 
• The Neolithic culture is followed by the Megalithic. The Megalithic people used wheel-made pots of gritty red ware. Bone and stone tools continue to be in use along with copper objects but the incidence is less. 
• The last activity at the site is in the early historical period, with mud-brick structures. The pottery is, red ware of fine-to-medium fabric, often slipped and mostly wheel-made. Iron objects occur.