Bhu Parikramana

This foreword introduces Bhū-Parikramana, a significant yet lesser-known work of the medieval poet-philosopher Vidyapati of Mithila, translated and edited by Bhavanath Jha and Vijay Deo Jha. Unlike Vidyapati’s celebrated poetry, this text highlights his insights into geography and history. Blending myth, pilgrimage accounts, and detailed geographical descriptions, Vidyapati documents regions, towns, rivers, kingdoms, and pilgrimage centers, drawing from sources like the Puranas, Tantras, and oral traditions.

The work, though set in the Dvāpara Yuga, often shifts between myth and contemporary history, mentioning political events, Buddhist traditions, and places like Janakadeśa, Kāśī, Prayāga, and Patliputra with remarkable precision. Vidyapati not only records spiritual significance but also provides systematic geographical detail, making the text resemble a gazetteer.

Their work not only restores Vidyapati’s contribution to geographical and historical writing but also challenges modern scholars to reassess India’s cultural and archaeological past.