Jun 18, 2024
India, the land that we call home, has many different names. Some like to call it Bharat, while others call it Hindustan. But, apart from these there were several other names given to the subcontinent and here we list some of them.
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Bharat is one of the most ancient names for India, and is said to be after the legendary king, Bharat, who ruled the land. This name is mentioned in ancient scriptures like the Mahabharata and the Puranas and is even used in the Indian constitution.
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One of the most famous names of India that is still used widely is Hindustan. Even in ‘Sare jahan se accha’, the lyrics used ‘Hindustan’ and not Bharat or India.
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Aryavart, which means ‘Land of the Aryans’, was used in ancient texts to describe the northern part of India where the Indo-Aryans ruled.
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Sone Ki chidiya, or ‘The golden bird’ was one of the most famous and apt names of ancient India. It was used even by the British and people from foreign lands as the subcontinent was rich in wealth and prosperity in ancient times.
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Hind was the name given to India by Persian speakers and got famous quickly when Persian and Arab traders formed ties with Indian businessmen of that time. In fact, ‘Hind’ is still used in modern Persian and Arabic languages to refer to India.
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Nabhivarsha was an ancient name from India and can be found in the various texts. It is said that a great King divided his territory into 9 parts for his 9 sons and his eldest, named Nabhi, got the land from Himalayas to vast oceans, which is present day India.
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Saptsindhu, which basically translates to ‘Land of the Seven Rivers’, was also a name for India.
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Like Aryavarta was for the northern part of India which had the Himalayas and the mountains, Dravida was the name given to the southern part of India.
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Jambudwipa, which is a mix of Jambu (a tree variety) and Dwipa (meaning island) was also a name given to India. Jambudwipa used to refer to all the area which was connected with India at the centre of it.
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Similar to Bharat, Bharatavarsha is also a name that is both important and prideful for Indians. It basically means ‘Land of Bharat’ and was used as a symbol of unity of the different regions that formed Bharat many many years ago.
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