Besnagar

historical site, India

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Besnagar, now known as Vidisha, is a historical site in central India's Madhya Pradesh state. This ancient city, mentioned in Sanskrit epics, was a significant religious, commercial, and political center during the Mauryan and Gupta empires.1

The site of Besnagar contains remains of the ancient city, including a monolithic pillar dating to the 1st century BCE. Nearby, Udayagiri Hill features 20 cave temples from the Gupta period. The modern city of Vidisha is surrounded by walls built from materials of the ruined ancient city and holds historical artifacts like the tomb of Lohangi-Pir and Buddhist pillars. The area also includes numerous Buddhist stupas, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

India
Indo-Greek rulers
An important Prakrit inscription at Besnagar (Bhilsa district) of the late 2nd century bce, inscribed at the instance of Heliodorus, a Greek envoy of Antialcidas of Taxila, records his devotion to the Vaishnava Vasudeva sect.
Read More
An important Prakrit inscription at Besnagar (Bhilsa district) of the late 2nd century bce, inscribed at the instance of Heliodorus, a Greek envoy of Antialcidas of Taxila, records his devotion to the Vaishnava Vasudeva sect.
Read More