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Region

Indian Subcontinent

Also Known As South Asia · South Asian
South Asia

The South Asian landmass running from the Himalaya to the Indian Ocean, covering modern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are placed here, which makes it the most productive single region in this scheme. Bon is placed here too, and that is the strain: Bon is Tibetan, and whether the Tibetan plateau belongs to the subcontinent or to Inner Asia depends entirely on whether the boundary is drawn by mountain range, by watershed or by cultural exchange. Buddhism also outgrew the region almost immediately and is now largest well outside it.

Facts
Geography
Latitude
22 degrees north 1
Approximate reference point, rounded to one decimal place; a large or historical region has no formal center, so this coordinate is conventional, not a precise boundary claim.
Longitude
79 degrees east 1
Approximate reference point, rounded to one decimal place; a large or historical region has no formal center, so this coordinate is conventional, not a precise boundary claim.
Modern Area
India, Nepal, Pakistan 1
Traditions
Principal Religious Traditions
Buddhism 2
Principal Religious Traditions
Hinduism 2
Principal Religious Traditions
Jainism 2
Principal Religious Traditions
Sikhism 2
Sacred and Liturgical Languages
Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhamagadhi Prakrit, and Punjabi (Gurmukhi) 3
Learn More
The Most Religiously Productive Land on Earth

The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which makes it, by that measure, the single most productive religious region in human history. These traditions share a common conceptual grammar even as they differ profoundly: nearly all work with karma (the moral law of cause and effect across lives), samsara (the cycle of rebirth), and moksha or nirvana (liberation from that cycle) as the ultimate goal, and dharma as the ordering principle of life. Hinduism, the oldest and largest, is less a single religion than a vast family of traditions, Vedic sacrifice, the philosophy of the Upanishads and Vedanta, the great devotional cults of Vishnu, Shiva, and the Goddess, the epics and Puranas, rooted in the Vedas, the oldest religious literature still in use.

From the same soil, in reaction and dialogue, arose Buddhism and Jainism in the sixth to fifth centuries BCE, and, much later, Sikhism in the fifteenth-century Punjab. The subcontinent also became home to enormous communities of Islam (South Asia holds the largest Muslim population of any region) and ancient communities of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians (the Parsis), and others. The result is a religious landscape of extraordinary density and continuity, in which the philosophical questions of the self, action, and liberation have been debated without interruption for three thousand years.

An Oral Record, Written Down Late

What is known about religion in the subcontinent comes through a transmission unlike any other in this atlas, and the shape of the record is worth understanding before the content.

The Vedic hymns were preserved by recitation for many centuries before anyone wrote them down, and they were preserved with a precision that is genuinely remarkable. Brahmin schools developed layered recitation methods that repeat the text in permuted orders, so that a single error in word or accent would break the pattern audibly and be corrected. The result is a text that specialists regard as transmitted with less corruption than most manuscript traditions of comparable age achieve on parchment.

The manuscripts are a different matter. Palm leaf and birch bark do not survive the climate, so copies were made afresh every few generations and the physical witnesses to even very old texts are usually recent. Dating therefore rests on language and internal evidence rather than on a datable object.

The archaeological record adds a gap that may never close. The Indus Valley cities produce seals and figurines that look religious, and the script on them remains undeciphered despite a century of effort, so their beliefs are read from images alone. The proposals connecting them to later Hindu practice are arguments from resemblance.

Buddhist and Jain material survives on inscription and in Pali and Prakrit canons preserved outside the subcontinent as well as within it, which is why the transmission history of each has its own geography.

Connections

Associated With

British Empire, Empires & Polities

Orientalist scholarship in British India gave the categories Hinduism and Buddhism the shape they now carry worldwide.

Source Religion Versus Empire? British Protestant Missionaries and Overseas Expansion, 1700-1914Andrew Porter
Pehlwani (Wikipedia), Sources

This source names South Asian directly: "Wikipedia's article on pehlwani, South Asian wrestling, consulted 2026-08-12."

Source Pehlwani (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors

Attested Here

Ardhamagadhi Prakrit, Languages

Ardhamagadhi Prakrit is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. Ardhamagadhi is the language of the Svetambara Jain canon. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Awadhi, Languages

Awadhi is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Braj Bhasha, Languages

Braj Bhasha is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Cow, Animals & Totems

Kamadhenu the wish-granting divine cow, and cow protection (go-raksha) attested from the Mahabharata onward.

Source A Survey of HinduismKlaus K. Klostermaier
Eagle, Animals & Totems

Garuda, mount of Vishnu, an eagle being rather than an eagle.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Elephant, Animals & Totems

Ganesha, Airavata and the white elephant of the Buddha's conception dream.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Horse, Animals & Totems

The ashvamedha, the royal horse sacrifice, and the Ashvins.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Kinnara, Mythical Creatures
Lion, Animals & Totems

Narasimha, Durga's mount, and the lion throne of the Buddha.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Monkey, Animals & Totems

Hanuman, and the monkey as a devotee whose loyalty is the point of the story.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Ox, Animals & Totems

Nandi, the bull who sits before every Shiva shrine.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Pali, Languages

Pali is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Peacock, Animals & Totems

The mount of Kartikeya and of Saraswati in some traditions, and the bird that kills snakes.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Punjabi, Languages

Punjabi is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. Punjabi in Gurmukhi script is the language of the Guru Granth Sahib. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Rat, Animals & Totems

Ganesha's mount, and the rats fed at the Karni Mata temple.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Sandalwood, Plants

The ritual use of sandalwood paste that the atlas records for this tree is Indian, and the trade in its heartwood runs out of southern India.

Source Puja: A Study in Smarta RitualGudrun Buhnemann
Sanskrit, Languages

Sanskrit is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Sauraseni Prakrit, Languages

Sauraseni Prakrit is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)
Snake, Animals & Totems

The nagas, Shesha, and the cobra at Shiva's neck.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Swan, Animals & Totems

The hamsa, mount of Brahma, said to separate milk from water.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
The Ahimsa-Based Dietary Restrictions of Jainism, Animals & Totems

Jain dietary law, grounded in ahimsa, observed by Jain monastics and laity of the Indian Subcontinent.

Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Tiger, Animals & Totems

Durga's mount, and the tiger skin Shiva sits on.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Turtle, Animals & Totems

Kurma, the tortoise avatar, who supports the mountain used to churn the ocean.

Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Vedic Sanskrit, Languages

Vedic Sanskrit is documented in use as a written language in Indian Subcontinent. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.

Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)

Contains

Bengal, Regions

Bengal is the delta region of the eastern subcontinent.

Bihar, Regions

Bihar is an eastern Indian state.

Deccan, Regions

The Deccan is the plateau of peninsular India.

India, Regions
Source India (Wikipedia)
Indus Valley, Regions

The Indus plain lies in the northwest of the subcontinent.

Karnataka, Regions

Karnataka is a southwestern Indian state.

Kashmir, Regions

Kashmir lies at the northern edge of the subcontinent.

Kurukshetra, Sacred Sites

Kurukshetra lies in Haryana, in northern India.

Maharashtra, Regions

Maharashtra is a western Indian state.

Rajasthan, Regions

Rajasthan is a northwestern Indian state.

Tamil Nadu, Regions

Tamil Nadu is the southeastern Indian state.

Uttar Pradesh, Regions

Uttar Pradesh is a northern Indian state.

Uttarakhand, Regions

Uttarakhand is a northern Indian state.

Originated Here

Aarti, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Abhisheka, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Adam Peak (Sri Pada), Sacred Sites
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Aditi, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Agnihotra, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Ahir Budhnya, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Aja Ekapada, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda, in enumerations only.

Source The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of IndiaStephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton
Ajanta Caves, Sacred Sites
Source Ajanta: History and DevelopmentWalter M. Spink
Ajmer Sharif, Sacred Sites
Source Sufism: A Global HistoryNile Green
Amarnath Cave, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Amsha, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Anandpur Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Annaprashana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Antyeshti, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Anuradhapura (Sri Maha Bodhi), Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Anuvrata (Jain Lay Vows), Rituals
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Aryaman, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Ashvamedha, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Aurangzeb, Historical Figures
Badrinath, Sacred Sites
Source India: A Sacred GeographyDiana L. Eck
Bahubali and Bharata, Myths & Sacred Narratives
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Bhaga, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Bodh Gaya, Sacred Sites
Source The Revival of Buddhist Pilgrimage at Bodh Gaya (1811-1949): Anagarika Dharmapala and the Mahabodhi TempleAlan Trevithick
Boudhanath, Sacred Sites
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara Purana, Other Writings
Source The Citrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara PuranaTranslated by Parul Dave Mukherji
Chudakarana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Crape Myrtle, Plants
Source Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Cucumber, Plants
Source Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Damaru, Sacred Objects & Ritual Items
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Data Darbar, Sacred Sites
Source Sufism: A Global HistoryNile Green
Dhatri, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Dilwara Temples, Sacred Sites
Source Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in IndiaJohn E. Cort
Diti, Deities

A Sanskrit name of the Vedic corpus.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Divya Prabandham, Scriptures & Texts
Source Songs of Experience: The Poetics of Tamil DevotionNorman Cutler
Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka, Sacred Sites
Source India: A Sacred GeographyDiana L. Eck
Ellora Caves, Sacred Sites
Source UNESCO World Heritage ListUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Gandharva, Mythical Creatures
Girnar, Sacred Sites
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Guruvayur, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Gyanvapi Mosque, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Haleem and Harisa, Sacred Foods
Source The Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd editionP. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs (eds.)
Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple), Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Hemkund Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Hinduism, Religions
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Homa, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Jagannath Temple, Puri, Sacred Sites
Source India: A Sacred GeographyDiana L. Eck
Jahangir, Historical Figures
Kamakhya, Sacred Sites
Source The Sakta PithasD. C. Sircar
Kartal and Manjira, Sacred Objects & Ritual Items
Source The Encyclopaedia of SikhismHarbans Singh (editor-in-chief)
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sacred Sites
Source Banaras: City of LightDiana L. Eck
Kashyapa, Deities

Named in the Vedic corpus of the subcontinent.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Kedarnath, Sacred Sites
Source India: A Sacred GeographyDiana L. Eck
Kolam, Sacred Geometry
Source Feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual, and Ecology in India, An Exploration of the KolamVijaya Nagarajan
Kushinagar, Sacred Sites
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Lumbini, Sacred Sites
Source The earliest Buddhist shrine: excavating the birthplace of the Buddha, Lumbini (Nepal)Robin Coningham; Kosh Prasad Acharya; and others
Mahayana, Denominations
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Makara, Mythical Creatures
Manasara, Other Writings
Source Manasara on Architecture and SculptureTranslated by Prasanna Kumar Acharya
Martanda, Deities

Attested in the tenth book of the Rigveda.

Source The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of IndiaStephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton
Mathura, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Mauryan Empire, Historical Periods
Mayamata, Other Writings
Source Mayamata: An Indian Treatise on Housing, Architecture and IconographyTranslated by Bruno Dagens
Meditation on the Chakras, Rituals
Source The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth CenturyGeoffrey Samuel
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Mitra, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Mughal Empire, Historical Periods
Namakarana, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Nankana Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Nirriti, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda.

Source Atharva-Veda SamhitaWilliam Dwight Whitney
Palitana and Shatrunjaya, Sacred Sites
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Panchaloha, Metals
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Panini, Historical Figures
Parjanya, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda, composed in the north west of the subcontinent.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Pashupatinath, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Piprahwa Stupa, Sacred Sites
Source The Piprahwa Stupa, containing relics of Buddha (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society)William Claxton Peppe (with a note by Vincent A. Smith)
Prana Pratishtha, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Puja, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Rajasuya, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Rakshasa, Mythical Creatures
Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram, Sacred Sites
Source India: A Sacred GeographyDiana L. Eck
Rama's Exile and the War With Ravana, Myths & Sacred Narratives
Source The Ramayana of ValmikiValmiki (attributed); Robert P. Goldman (general editor)
Ranakpur, Sacred Sites
Source Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in IndiaJohn E. Cort
Rumtek Monastery, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Sabarimala, Sacred Sites
Source Indian Young Lawyers Association v State of Kerala (Sabarimala)Supreme Court of India
Salafism, Denominations
Source Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious MovementRoel Meijer (ed.)
Sammed Shikharji, Sacred Sites
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Sarnath, Sacred Sites
Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Savitr, Deities
Shaktism, Denominations
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Shraddha, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Shravanabelagola, Sacred Sites
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Sinhalese, Cultures
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editors
Soma Sacrifice, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Somnath Temple, Sacred Sites
Source Somanatha: The Many Voices of a HistoryRomila Thapar
Srauta Rites, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Sacred Sites
Source Civil Appeal No. 2732 of 2020, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case, Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of India
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
Tamils, Cultures

The Tamil country is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.

Tarpana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa), Sacred Sites
Source UNESCO World Heritage ListUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Tevaram, Scriptures & Texts
Source Poems to Siva: The Hymns of the Tamil SaintsIndira Viswanathan Peterson
The Adityas, Deities
The Akal Takht, Sacred Sites
Source Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd editionLouis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod
The Apas, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
The Ashwini Kumaras, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda, and under the name Nasatya in a fourteenth century BCE treaty from northern Syria.

Source The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European WorldJ. P. Mallory and D. Q. Adams
The Churning of the Ocean of Milk, Myths & Sacred Narratives
Source Vishnu PuranaAnonymous
The Navagraha, Deities
The Paradesi Synagogue, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd editionMichael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik (eds.)
The Pitris, Deities

Attested from the Rigvedic funeral hymns onward.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
The Vasus, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
The Vishvadevas, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, Sacred Sites
Source Encyclopedia of HinduismDenise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.)
Tiruvasagam, Scriptures & Texts
Source TiruvacakamManikkavacakar, translated by G. U. Pope
Triveni Sangam and the Kumbh Mela, Sacred Sites
Source Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954Kama Maclean
Tvashtri, Deities
Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Udvada Atash Behram, Sacred Sites
Source The Zoroastrian Diaspora: Religion and MigrationJohn R. Hinnells
Upanayana, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Vaishno Devi, Sacred Sites
Source The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act, 1988Legislature of Jammu and Kashmir
Varanasi, Sacred Sites
Source Banaras: City of LightDiana L. Eck
Vastu Shastra, Disciplines
Source The Hindu TempleStella Kramrisch
Vidhatri, Deities

A Sanskrit formation of the later Vedic period.

Source Vedic MythologyArthur Anthony Macdonell
Vimshottari Dasha, Disciplines
Vishvarupa, Deities

Attested in the Rigveda.

Source The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of IndiaStephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton
Vivaha, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Yajna (Fire Sacrifice), Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Yaksha, Mythical Creatures

Plants Native Here

Aarti, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Abhisheka, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Agnihotra, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Annaprashana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Antyeshti, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Anuvrata (Jain Lay Vows), Rituals
Source The JainsPaul Dundas
Ashvamedha, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Chudakarana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Crape Myrtle, Plants

Lagerstroemia is native to the Indian subcontinent and eastward. It is no true myrtle, the resemblance being only in the leaf.

Source Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Cucumber, Plants
Source Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Homa, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Meditation on the Chakras, Rituals
Source The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth CenturyGeoffrey Samuel
Namakarana, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Prana Pratishtha, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Puja, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Rajasuya, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Shraddha, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Soma Sacrifice, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Srauta Rites, Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal
Tarpana, Rituals
Source An Introduction to HinduismGavin Flood
Upanayana, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Vivaha, Rituals
Source The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)Hermann Oldenberg (trans.)
Yajna (Fire Sacrifice), Rituals
Source Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire AltarFrits Staal

Plants Used in Ritual Here

Basil, Plants
Source A Modern HerbalMaud Grieve
Betel Nut Palm, Plants
Source The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its ApplicationsChristian Ratsch
Cannabis, Plants
Source The Religious and Medicinal Uses of Cannabis in China, India and TibetMia Touw
Jasmine, Plants
Source A Modern HerbalMaud Grieve

Regions Where This Is Principal

Buddhism, Religions
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Hinduism, Religions
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Jainism, Religions
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Sikhism, Religions
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)

Related To

Gujarat, Regions

Gujarat lies on the northwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent.

Himalayas, Regions

The range forms the northern edge of the Indian subcontinent.

Kerala, Regions

Kerala lies at the southwestern tip of the Indian subcontinent.

Sky Figures Read Here

Bengali, Languages

Bengali is spoken across the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent.

Persian Language, Languages

Used by the Delhi Sultanates and the Mughals in the Indian subcontinent.

Source Persian language (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Language Atlas: Prakrit, used in there.
  • Also in Language Atlas: Sanskrit, used in there.
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)
Encyclopaedia Britannica editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2024
  • s.v. regional geography
  • Originated Here: Sinhalese
  • Originated Here: Anandpur Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Anuradhapura (Sri Maha Bodhi), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Mathura, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Gyanvapi Mosque, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: South Asia
  • Originated Here: Rumtek Monastery, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: South Asia
View the Source
2. Encyclopedia of Religion
Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.), Macmillan Reference, 2005The geography of religions
Quote, The geography of religions
General reference for the extent of each region and for the traditions placed within it.
View the Source
3. The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
John Bowker (ed.), Oxford University Press, 1997The religions of the Indian subcontinentView the Source
A Survey of Hinduism
Klaus K. Klostermaier, State University of New York Press, 2007Attested Here: CowView the Source
The Jains
Paul Dundas, Routledge, 2002
  • Attested Here: The Ahimsa-Based Dietary Restrictions of Jainism
  • Plants Native Here: Anuvrata (Jain Lay Vows), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Anuvrata (Jain Lay Vows), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Palitana and Shatrunjaya, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Shravanabelagola, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Sammed Shikharji, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Girnar, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
Persian language (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationSky Figures Read Here: Persian Language, Persian language, official use
Quote, Sky Figures Read Here: Persian Language, Persian language, official use
It was used officially as a language of bureaucracy even by non-native speakers, such as the Ottomans in Anatolia, the Delhi Sultanates and Mughals in the Indian subcontinent, and the Pashtuns in Afghanistan.
View the Source
An Introduction to Hinduism
Gavin Flood, Cambridge University Press, 1996
  • Plants Native Here: Puja, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Aarti, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Abhisheka, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Annaprashana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Antyeshti, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Chudakarana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Shraddha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Tarpana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Prana Pratishtha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Puja, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Aarti, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Abhisheka, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Annaprashana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Antyeshti, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Chudakarana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Shraddha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Tarpana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Prana Pratishtha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
View the Source
Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar
Frits Staal, Asian Humanities Press, 1983
  • Plants Native Here: Yajna (Fire Sacrifice), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Plants Native Here: Srauta Rites, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Plants Native Here: Ashvamedha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Plants Native Here: Soma Sacrifice, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Plants Native Here: Rajasuya, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Yajna (Fire Sacrifice), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Srauta Rites, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Ashvamedha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Soma Sacrifice, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Rajasuya, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century
Geoffrey Samuel, Cambridge University Press, 2008
  • Plants Native Here: Meditation on the Chakras, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in yogic and tantric tradition
  • Originated Here: Meditation on the Chakras, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in yogic and tantric tradition
The Grihya-Sutras: Rules of Vedic Domestic Ceremonies (Sacred Books of the East, vols 29-30)
Hermann Oldenberg (trans.), Clarendon Press, 1892
  • Plants Native Here: Homa, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Namakarana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Upanayana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Vivaha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Plants Native Here: Agnihotra, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
  • Originated Here: Homa, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Namakarana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Upanayana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Vivaha, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Agnihotra, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, in the Vedic period
Plants of the World Online
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • Plants Native Here: Cucumber, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: South Asia, in the foothills of the Himalayas
  • Originated Here: Cucumber, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: South Asia, in the foothills of the Himalayas
  • Originated Here: Crape Myrtle, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent and eastern Asia
View the Source
The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr., Princeton University Press, 2014
  • Originated Here: Mahayana, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Adam Peak (Sri Pada), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Sarnath, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Kushinagar, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Boudhanath, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Denise Cush, Catherine Robinson and Michael York (eds.), Routledge, 2008
  • Originated Here: Shaktism, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, with major centres in Bengal, Assam and the Tamil country
  • Originated Here: Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Meenakshi Amman Temple, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Pashupatinath, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Guruvayur, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Amarnath Cave, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Damaru, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian subcontinent, Tibet and the Himalayan Buddhist world
  • Originated Here: Hinduism, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Indian subcontinent, chiefly the Indo-Gangetic plain
View the Source
Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement
Roel Meijer (ed.), Hurst, 2009Originated Here: Salafism, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: The Arabian peninsula, Egypt and South Asia
Banaras: City of Light
Diana L. Eck, Alfred A. Knopf, 1982
  • Originated Here: Varanasi, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
The Revival of Buddhist Pilgrimage at Bodh Gaya (1811-1949): Anagarika Dharmapala and the Mahabodhi Temple
Alan Trevithick, Motilal Banarsidass, 2006Originated Here: Bodh Gaya, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
The earliest Buddhist shrine: excavating the birthplace of the Buddha, Lumbini (Nepal)
Robin Coningham; Kosh Prasad Acharya; and others, Antiquity, 2013Originated Here: Lumbini, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
UNESCO World Heritage List
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  • Originated Here: Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Ellora Caves, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
Ajanta: History and Development
Walter M. Spink, Brill, 2005Originated Here: Ajanta Caves, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
Sufism: A Global History
Nile Green, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012
  • Originated Here: Ajmer Sharif, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Data Darbar, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd edition
Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik (eds.), Macmillan Reference USA, 2007Originated Here: The Paradesi Synagogue, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian SubcontinentView the Source
India: A Sacred Geography
Diana L. Eck, Harmony Books, 2012
  • Originated Here: Jagannath Temple, Puri, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Kedarnath, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Badrinath, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
Pilgrimage and Power: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, 1765-1954
Kama Maclean, Oxford University Press, 2008Originated Here: Triveni Sangam and the Kumbh Mela, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History
Romila Thapar, Penguin / Verso, 2004Originated Here: Somnath Temple, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian SubcontinentView the Source
Indian Young Lawyers Association v State of Kerala (Sabarimala)
Supreme Court of India, Supreme Court of India, 2018Originated Here: Sabarimala, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian SubcontinentView the Source
Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India
John E. Cort, Oxford University Press, 2001
  • Originated Here: Ranakpur, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Dilwara Temples, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, 3rd edition
Louis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod, Rowman and Littlefield, 2014
  • Originated Here: Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: The Akal Takht, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Hemkund Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Nankana Sahib, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
  • Originated Here: Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
View the Source
The Zoroastrian Diaspora: Religion and Migration
John R. Hinnells, Oxford University Press, 2005Originated Here: Udvada Atash Behram, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian SubcontinentView the Source
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act, 1988
Legislature of Jammu and Kashmir, 1988Originated Here: Vaishno Devi, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
The Sakta Pithas
D. C. Sircar, Motilal Banarsidass, 1973Originated Here: Kamakhya, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
The Piprahwa Stupa, containing relics of Buddha (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society)
William Claxton Peppe (with a note by Vincent A. Smith), Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1898Originated Here: Piprahwa Stupa, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian Subcontinent
Civil Appeal No. 2732 of 2020, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case, Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India, Supreme Court of India, 2020Originated Here: Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian SubcontinentView the Source
The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism
Harbans Singh (editor-in-chief), Punjabi University, Patiala, 1998Originated Here: Kartal and Manjira, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: Indian subcontinent, widespreadView the Source
The Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd edition
P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C. E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs (eds.), Brill, 2005Originated Here: Haleem and Harisa, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: Iran, the eastern Mediterranean, Central Asia and South AsiaView the Source
India (Wikipedia)
Contains: India, Introduction
Quote, Contains: India, Introduction
Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa by 55,000 years ago
View the Source
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