Anarta

Anarta is an ancient region mentioned in Sanskrit literature as a land and political unit on the northwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. In traditional accounts, it roughly corresponds to parts of present-day Gujarat, especially along the western coast facing the Arabian Sea.

The name appears in era texts such as the Mahabharata and various Puranas, where Anarta is described as the homeland of the Anartas, a people or tribe, and as a setting for coastal settlements involved in early trade networks. The descriptions emphasize its maritime character and its role as a western frontier region in several legendary and historical narratives.

A key center associated with Anarta is the port city of Dvaraka (Dwarka) on the Saurashtra coast, which is sometimes identified as the capital of Anartas in certain dynastic histories of the western Indian coast. This association underscores the importance of coastal towns in Anarta’s political and economic landscape during various periods.

Over time, the term Anarta was used in different Sanskrit sources to refer to the broader Gujarat region or the western coast, with boundaries and political status shifting under successive kingdoms and empires. In modern scholarship, Anarta is treated as an ancient regional designation rather than a fixed political entity today, helping to situate the historical geography of western India within literary and archaeological contexts.