Delhi, India’s storied capital, is often seen through the lens of its Mughal forts and colonial buildings—but it is a city layered with far older sacred histories. Long before the Sultans and Viceroys, this land was known as Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas, tying Delhi to the Mahabharata’s epic roots.
Ancient mounds, Gupta-era sculptures, and temple fragments now embedded in Islamic monuments such as Qutub Minar silently remember its thriving but lost Hindu and Jain temples.
Delhi is home to the national museum with a fine archaeological and artwork collection. Elsewhere, Ashokan edicts and relics from sites like Sriniwaspuri link Delhi to early Buddhism, while scattered Jain shrines and inscriptions reveal a once-vibrant Jain community. Important Sikh temples remember the persecution rampant during the Mughal era. From Purana Qila’s ancient foundations to little known suburban temple ruins, Delhi’s archaeological record is a palimpsest of belief systems and dynasties.