Kishkindha - kingdom of vanara king Sugriva

Kishkindha, kingdom of the vanara king Sugriva, the younger brother of the Bali, in the great epic of Hindus, The Ramayana. This is the kingdom where Sugriva ruled with his minister, The Hanuman.

Kishkindha in present days

The kingdom is now identified to be the regions around Tungbhadra river, near Hampi in Karnataka. The mountain near the river with the name Risyamuka where Sugriva lived with Hanuman, during the period of his exile, also is found with the same name.

During the Ramayana, i.e. The Treta Yuga, the whole region was in the dense forest called Dandak Van extending from Vindhya range to South India peninsula. During the Davapara yuga, the Sahadeva (younger brother of Yudhisthira) said to visit this kingdom, as per the epic The Mahabharata, during his southern military campaign to collect tribute for Yudhishthira's Rajsuya sacrifice.

Sahadeva's conquests

Sahadeva, the Pandava general, and younger brother of Pandava king Yudhisthira, came to southern regions to collect tribute for the Rajasuya sacrifice of the king.

Old way to Kishkindha

Sahadeva reduced to subjection king Vatadhipa. He then defeated the Pulindas (Pulindas in the south, see also the northern Pulindas) , the hero then marched southward. He then fought for one whole day with the king of Pandrya (Pandya?). The long-armed hero having vanquished that monarch marched further to the south. And then he beheld the celebrated caves of Kishkindhya and in that region fought for seven days with the Vanara-kings Mainda and Dwivida. Those illustrious kings however, without being tired in the encounter, were gratified with Sahadeva. And joyfully addressing the Kuru prince, they said,--"O tiger among the sons of Pandu, go hence, taking with the tribute from us all. Let the mission of the king Yudhishthira the just possessed of great intelligence, be accomplished without hindrance." Taking jewels and gems from them all, the hero marched towards the city of Mahishmati, and there he battled with king Nila.


Rama's history within Ramayana
A few chapters of Mahabharata, contains within it, the epic Ramayana in brief.

After Vanara king Bali had been slain by Raghava Rama, Sugriva, the younger brother of the king, regained possession of Kishkindhya, and along with it, the lordship of the widowed queen, Tara. Rama, meanwhile dwelt on the beautiful breast of the Malyavat Mountains (a mountain range, in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu) for four months, duly worshipped by Sugriva all the while. (3,278)

Sugriva is mentioned as the ruler of the forest-kingdom Kishkindhya and the king of the Vanaras (forest-dwellers), installed on throne by Raghava Rama and to whom all foresters and apes, monkeys and bears owe allegiance. (3,280)

Raghava Rama slew the Rakshasa king Ravana in battle and installed Vibhishana, Ravana's younger brother, on the throne of Lanka. Thus he regained his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana. He then left Lanka and re-entered Kishkindhya with king Sugriva. Having arrived at Kishkindhya, he installed the old king Vali's son Angada as prince-regent of that kingdom. After that he left to his own capital-city Ayodhya of Kosala Kingdom (3,289).

References of Vanaras in Mahabharata

Vanaras were described as one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India along with many others, in the epic Mahabharata.

Pampa Sarovar

Their kinship with other such tribes are hinted at (1,66). The Rakshasas, Yakshas, Vanaras and Kinnaras (these four were linked to the sage Pulastya) and with Kimpurushas (half-men, half-lion), Salabhas (butterfly-like beings—the angels or fairies in western mythologies ?) and Valikhilyas (the followers of the movements of the sun) (the last three were linked to the sage Pulaha) were mentioned to have kinship (1.66).

They were mentioned along with one of these or some of these tribes at many locations in the epic. (1-70,144,and many other references)