Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati :پُشْكَلآوَتي‎) was the capital of the Gandhara Empire. Its ruins are located on the outskirts of the modern city of Charsadda, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Its ruins are located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River. Pushkalavati was the capital of ancient kingdom Gandhara from the 6th century BCE, until it became an Achaemenid regional capital in the 2nd century CE.

The region around ancient Pushkulavati was recorded in the Zoroastrian Zend Avesta as Vaēkərəta, or the seventh most beautiful place on earthcreated by Ahura Mazda. It was known as the "crown jewel" of Bactria, and held sway over nearby ancient Taxila.

  History

     

Location	Outskirts of Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
Coordinates	34.0931°N 71.4350°
Type	Ancient capital city
History
Founded	6th century BCE
Periods	Gandhara
Site notes
Excavation dates	1902
Archaeologists	Sir John Marshall Sir Mortimer Wheeler

Etymology

Pushkalavati means Lotus City in Sanskrit. According to the Ramayana, it was named Pushkalavati because it was founded by Pushkala, the son of Bharat (and hence nephew of Rama, the hero of Ramayana).

Bala Hisar:

Bala Hisar site in this area was first occupied in the 2nd millennium BC.

In later 6th century BC, Pushkalavati became the capital of the Achaemenid Gandhara satrapy. The location was first excavated in 1902 by the archaeologist John Marshall. Sir Mortimer Wheeler conducted some excavations there in 1962, and identified various Achaemenid remains.

Later in the regions historical chronology, King Ashoka built a stupa there which was described by Xuanzang when he visited in 630 AD, which to this day remains unidentified and undiscovered.

Pushkalavati and Prang

The city of Pushkalavati was situated at the confluence of Swat and Kabul rivers. Three different branches of Kabul river meet there. That specific place is still called Prang and considered sacred. A grand graveyard is situated to the north of Prang where the local people bring their dead for burial. This graveyard is considered to be among the largest graveyards in the world.