Dakshinapatha
Topic: India's International Trade and Tourism · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 8 "How the Land Becomes Sacred"; Class 7, Ch 2 "India and Her Neighbours"
Meaning
Dakshinapatha was the ancient southern trade route of India. It ran from Kaushambi in the Ganga plain, through Ujjayini (Ujjain), to Pratishthana (Paithan) in the Deccan. It often followed pilgrimage routes, so traders and pilgrims used the same paths. Goods such as pearls, shells, gold, diamonds, cotton, spices and sandalwood moved along routes like this. It shows that India had a large internal trade network long before colonial times.
Example
Ujjain, on the Malwa plateau in present-day Madhya Pradesh, was a key stop on the Dakshinapatha. It linked the Ganga plain to Paithan on the Godavari in Maharashtra.
Don't confuse with
- Uttarapatha: the northern route, which ran from Gandhara and Taxila through the Ganga plain to Pataliputra and Tamralipti. Dakshinapatha ran south, from Kaushambi to Paithan.