Jambudvipa

Jambudvipa is a classical term in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology describing one of the seven great landmasses, or dvipas, that surround Mount Meru in the middle world. The name translates roughly as the “land of the jambū trees,” with jambū meaning the rose-apple tree. In traditional cosmological models, Jambudvipa is the continent most closely associated with the Indian subcontinent.

Geographically, Jambudvipa is commonly linked to the lands of the Indian subcontinent, and within it the region known as Bharata-varsha is often described as the central or heartland. This area is frequently connected with the historic and cultural idea of India or Bharat, a term that appears in many texts as the homeland of its people. The precise boundaries and subdivisions of Jambudvipa vary across sources; some accounts describe it with numerous internal divisions, while others emphasize its symbolic topology and moral geography.

Culturally and religiously, Jambudvipa serves as a framework for mythic geography, pilgrimage, and dynastic histories. It functions as the earthly realm within a larger cosmology that includes other dvipas and heavenly realms, providing a narrative map for sacred narratives, cosmographic teachings, and ritual geography.

Today, Jambudvipa is understood as a traditional cosmological concept rather than a literal historical geography. It remains influential in classical literature and art as a representation of the world’s ancient Indian-inspired cosmology.