Ancient Valabhi: A Remote Sensing Perspective

Between the fifth and eighth centuries CE, the ancient city of Valabhi occupied a very significant spot in the cultural geography of the Saurashtra region (the landmass between the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambat) of Gujarat, India. Vallabhipur, a city roughly 30 km inland to the west of the Gulf of Khambat has been identified with ancient Valabhi, which was the administrative capital of the Maitraka dynasty during this time span. Apart from being the capital of Maitrakas, Valabhi was also a very important centre for Buddhism and trade as has been attested through the existence of numerous monasteries that dotted this ancient capital and its environs according to the Copper Plate Grants issued by the Maitraka sovereigns, and also by seventh century CE records of Chinese visitors such as Xuanzang and Yijing (Beal in Buddhist Records of the Western World, Trubner and Co, London, 1884, Schmiedchen in Endowm Stud 5:107-134, 2021). By analysing historical literature, remote sensing data, and utilizing geospatial analytics, the study seeks to determine the presence of fortification in the ancient capital and locations of certain monastic establishments within the environs of the city of Vallabhipur. Additionally, it examines the geomorphological changes in the surrounding landscape, as the site is believed to have served as a port during the period from the fifth to eighth centuries CE. The present paper describes the findings from a multidisciplinary research including historical literature review, geospatial analyses and field visit for ground verification.