Bharat, Land of the Magnificent Kingdoms

Bharat, or the Land of the Magnificent Kingdoms as its maharajas call it, is a subcontinent with a vast diversity of cultures, kingdoms, biomes, and people. Bharat has been occupied by numerous peoples since the beginning of recorded history. Its storied past and cultural influence can be felt across the eastern regions of the world. The people of these lands are proud--and rightfully so--of their heritage, their history, and their legacy.

Climate and Topography

Bharat has numerous biomes, climate types, and regions. The temperature varies depending on where one is in the subcontinent, but in many places it can be very, very hot in the summer, and dry in the winter. To the northern part of the region is the Himalyan Mountains, the tallest mountains in the world. The climate there is alpine tundra, and there is snow all year round on the peaks.
To the north and west of the region is a hot, arid desert that is part of the region west of Bharat. A wide strip of arid steppe precedes entry into the desert proper. The area south of the mountains is a temperate region, with dry winters and hot summers. Many cities in the Gupta Empire are located in this region, including the holy city of Benares along the Ganges River.
Most of the middle and lower areas of Bharat is tropical savannah, rich in biodiversity. It is mostly grassland with some trees. During the dry season in winter, it is prone to droughts. A plateau in the middle of Bharat called the Dekhan Plateau, is an arid steppe climate that receives rainfall in the monsoon season, though in the months before monsoon season it can be very dry and hot.
The western coast in the southern part of Bharat is a tropical rainforest, and receives much rain, especially in the monsoon season. The island of Sri Rahakha is mostly tropical rainforest and savannah. Monsoons bring several inches of rain in the wet season, and the island is quite humid most of the year.

Language

There are many languages and dialects across Bharat, from the officially recognized spoken word, to languages unique to the varied heritages and ethnic groups in the subcontinent. Common was introduced via foreign trade, and most people in larger cities speak and understand it. The written alphabet used is called Devanagari.

Structure

Governance in the three empires of Land of the Magnificent Kingdoms follow similar organizational and bureaucratic structures that were initially conceptualized by the Gupta empire but quickly adopted by the other two empires. Each empire is divided into provinces (much like duchies in Eisen) known as Pradeshes. Each pradesh is subdivided into Vishaya (much like counties in Eisen). Finally, vishayas are subdivided into Vithis (much like baronies in Eisen).
The ruler of an empire is called a Maharaja. The governors of pradeshes are called uparika, and those who govern vishayas are called a vishaya patis. Those who govern vithis are called deshmukh. The roles of uparika, vishaya patis, and deshmukh are appointed by the maharaja; all of which are of the kshatriya caste.
The maharajas are advised by a council of advisors and representatives for the various guilds in the empire, as well as a court mage. The maharaja is advised to rule with the help of these ministers and respect the decisions of the various guilds. Each city and region has an administrative council to ensure stability and fairness in law and government.
The judicial system of the empires are a series of courts, ranging from local village assembly, to vithis, vishaya, and pradesh levels. Cases in the courts are divided into civil and criminal cases, and sentences can be appealed to higher courts, with the maharaja themself presiding over cases that reach the highest level of appeal. They are assisted by judges, ministers, and priests as needed in each case.

Culture

The Caste System
Every Bharat empire on the subcontinent classifies citizens into a caste system. The castes, from highest to lowest ranking are:
Brahmin - these are the priests, academics, and wizard orders
Kshatriya - these are the rulers, warriors, administrators, and nobles
Vaishyas - these are merchants, craftspersons, landowners, and skilled workers
Sudra - these are commoners, farm workers, unskilled laborers, and servants
Dalits - the lowest caste of ‘untouchables’ who perform jobs that other casts view as unclean such as street sweepers, waste removers, dead body handlers, as well as those who have been cast out from their communities

Smaller indigenous tribes such as the Khaani and the Gnoll nomads do not implement this caste system within their tribal structure.

History

Despite the thousands of years that various people and civilizations have lived within the Bharat subcontinent, the practice of writing down and recording history was not started until only 450 years ago. Before then, most of what was known was either oral tradition or accounts and historical studies written by foreigners who listened to recountings of the histories as told by the people of Bharat. The accuracy of much of the older history is often suspect, as myth, legend, fictional stories, religious philosophy, and history often were blended together by elders and lorekeepers. It is important to keep this in mind as you read the rough timeline of major events in Bharat below, as much of the early events described may be only partially true and/or were initially described through a heavily embellished retelling.

Timeline of events

The Haratik Civilization, the oldest civilization in Bharat known to modern archaeologists, thrives in the Sindhi river valley from 3300 BCE to its collapse in 2000 BCE. It was located in the western steppe on the west border of Bharat and the deserts beyond. It was composed of a miixed community of humans, harengon, and a leonin heritage that no longer exists in the modern day. The Haratik civilization consisted of numerous small city-states that were mostly independent of one another yet trade and travel between them was common.

Some time after the collapse of the Haratik, a new civilization known as The Naga Empire conquered and ruled all of Bharat from roughly 2000 BCE to 900 BCE. The nagas were large snakes capable of great magic, and were known for being cruel and violent. They claimed to be the children of Śtephānyas by way of their “godspawned-king”, the nagaraja called Takshaka, who was a vast and vicious six-armed naga that was allegedly as large as a city and strong enough to shatter mountains. All other ancestries, creatures, and tribes were treated as slaves, food, or sacrifices to the gods Śtephānyas and Tanithavani. The empire finally fell after a coalition of heritages and enslaved peoples led by the gnolls and their archmage queen waged a successful rebellion, slaying every last naga and killing Takshaka with a divine weapon gifted to them by the gnolls’ god, Unmādorath.

The gnoll-led confederacy would eventually form a powerful dynasty, the Golredyanarti Dynasty. It would last from roughly 900 BCE to 250 BCE, when internal political corruption, stagnation, economic instability, and general unrest within the citizenship would eventually weaken it enough for a large force of invading humans crossing the western deserts to conquer. After their victory over the Golredyanarti Dynasty, the new human rulers began a persecution of the gnoll populace, causing the Gnoll Diaspora to occur; the gnolls scatter across Bharat and lands beyond to avoid the pogroms.

The invading humans from the west founded the Kandrichani Dynasty and eventually settled in the northern regions of Bharat, bringing with them their foreign culture and worship of the gods Suryakhmon and Cartikaylus. Various cultural reforms would lead to the establishment of the caste system and the foundations of Bharat’s religious and philosophical perspectives and beliefs by 114 CE to 120 CE.

Rumors of “soma”, a magical liquid distilled from the leaves of a celestial plant, arise around 240 CE. The liquid is said to grant immortality to whomever drinks it. Maharaja Sanjaya Kandrichani VI of the Kandrichani Dynasty sends his soldiers out in search of the soma. They clash with various indigenous tribes and the armies of smaller city-states south of the Kandrichani lands who are also seeking the soma for their own purposes.

Tensions rise as the smaller city-states cease fighting between each other and begin to ally against the Kandrichani Dynasty in an effort to both stop their expansion and to prevent them from finding the soma. The allied city-states’ forces are able to push deep into Kandrichani land, eventually staging for a final battle at Kurukshetra in the year 256 CE. The crown prince of the Kandrichani, Yuvaraja Arjuna Kandrichani, loses faith in his dynasty’s righteousness and declares them to be acting without dharma. He joins the city-state alliance, although he dreads having to fight his family.

Upon the eve before the battle, Arjuna receives a visitation from an avatar of Athesvati, a young man known as Mādhavā, who meets with Arjuna and discusses with him on the nature of dharma, duty, and the nature of the universe. Arjuna realizes that although he does not want to fight his family, he knows that they are in the wrong and acting in a way that is adharma (meaning “without dharma”). Mādhavā informs him after many hours of discussion that it is thus Arjuna’s divine duty to uphold dharma and his role as a kshatriya and put an end to his family’s rule. With Mādhavā driving his chariot, he and the alliance defeat the Kandrichani army and usurp the empire.

In the aftermath of the war, a new unified empire across most of Bharat was created, known as the Pandava Empire. This empire lasts for 760 years before a famine, a blight, and finally a rakshasa (the Bharati term for any sort of demon or evil extraplanar fiend) invasion cripples the empire and fragments it, killing the royal family, their advisors, and raze the capital city and royal palace.

The rakshasa king, Ravana, who was an archdemon that formed from Tanithavani’s blood, entered the material plane at the height of the rakshasa invasion in 1016 CE to ravage the land and slay many people, killing roughly half of the population on the subcontinent in just two short years.

Two years later, in 1018 CE, a human man named Rama, a young raja from a small city-state, is driven to pursue Ravana after the rakshasa king kidnaps his wife Sita and brings her to his island fortress. Rama pursues Ravana across Bharat and eventually befriends Hanuman, the celestial-blooded king of the Vanara monkeyfolk. Hanuman and his vanara army join Rama on his quest. During their travels, a large army of githyanki and githzerai arrive in Bharat from the Astral Plane and Limbo on a grand quest to slay the rakshasas and their vile king. They join forces with Rama and Hanuman, and together they are able to slay Ravana and save Sita. Bolstered by their new extraplanar allies and inspired by this heroic deed, the surviving people of Bharat rally together and are able to finally rise up and repel the rakshasa back into the Abyss.

After the invasion is repelled, Bharat is once again a series of city states. It remains so until 1103 CE, when the githyanki and githzerai, who had chosen to settle in Bharat rather than return to the Astral Sea, and the humans of the north form an alliance and form the Mukshula Empire, which would set the borders and legal system that would eventually give rise to the Gupta Empire in 1481 CE.

In the southern reaches of Bharat, the Kurukhati Empire, led by the loxodon queen Maharani Kumaradevi Rishku, unites the various city states from the Dekhan Plateau to the southern tip of Bharat in the year 1155 CE. The Kurukhati Empire would eventually give rise to the Kalahabras Empire in 1370 CE when a new dynastic line inherited the imperial throne. The Kalahabras Empire of today has changed little in size or shape since.

In 1729, the various orc, hobgoblin, and minotaur city states of central Bharat formed an alliance, creating the cosmopolitan Vakatakas Empire. Seeing themselves in a tenuous situation, as a country between two massive empires, they adopt a policy of offical neutrality with a strong military defense force. Careful diplomacy and trade agreements have so far prevented them from being absorbed into either the Gupta or the Kalahabras empires. The Vakatakas Empire enacts a law offering protection and citizenship to the gnoll tribes in the eastern savannahs. They send ships out into the world to find communities of gnolls in other countries who were separated in the diaspora to offer them citizenship and a chance to return to their ancestral homelands.

Modern day 1884, the three empires stand strong and enjoy a relative peace with one another.

Demography and Population

Three great empires encompass the subcontinent: the Gupta Empire, the Vakatakas Empire, and the Kalahabras Empire. Each empire has many provinces and subdivisions. While they share many similarities, their cultures and demographics differ depending on the various ancestries that live there.

Territories

The island independent territory of Sri Rahakha is home to sapient plant and mushroom folk, as well as tritons, merfolk, and sea elves that live on the beaches and in the seas off the coast. Much of the island is untouched rainforest, as the mushroom and plant folk do not take kindly to their forests being desecrated.

Religion

Religion plays a significant role in Bharat society. Fundamental aspects in the Bharati’s religious philosophy play a major role in understanding the concepts that shape the faith. They are as follows.
Dharma is the behaviors, laws, rights, virtues, conduct and duties required of every living being to live a moral life; dharma is also the cosmic law that shapes the universe. The duties of one’s dharma vary between the castes and beings--a kshatriya’s dharma is to rule and lead armies, a bee’s dharma is to create honey, a tree’s dharma is to grow, etc.
The Divine Consciousness is the source of all things in the universe. It was formed by the interplay between Morweṣiva and Shaktilesta (known in the west as Morwen and Kelesta). It shapes all of reality and creation.
The Atman and the Jiva are two aspects of the soul of every living being. The atman is the consciousness that springs from the Divine Consciousness and returns to it after a being dies--it is an aspect of all living things. The atman enters the body of a living being the moment it can be considered alive. The jiva, or jivatman, is the ego, the individual spirit that forms a being’s current existence--in short, it is what makes you you and how you experience the world. It is the soul that enters the Gray Halls of Yamademus to be judged and await reincarnation. When a living being is formed, the jiva causes a being to forget that the atman is within it, as well as any memories of its previous incarnations. The end goal of reincarnation is for the atman to exit the cycle of rebirth and return to the Divine Consciousness permanently (a state called moksha, that is, freedom from the cycle of reincarnation).
In Bharat religious culture, the gods are divided into two types: deva and asura. Devas often represent order, positive traits, though such things are not exclusive to them. Asuras often represent chaotic concepts and negative traits, though this is not always the case. It is imperative to understand that both devas and asuras are capable of having positive and negative traits, that one is not exclusive of the other, and have unique personalities. Durgeriyu upholds justice, Ganeshphorus breaks down barriers that inhibit the individual from realizing their atman, Tanithavani defiles and destroys, etc.
The gods are interpreted, perceived, and understood differently than in the West. It is commonly understood and accepted that the gods will manifest avatars in the physical world, influencing events and living beings in accordance with the restrictions and bindings of Shaktilesta herself. A god walking among the populace is entirely plausible and sometimes even expected to the people of Bharat. Some avatars are said to be born from mortal parents, some are said to appear formed wholecloth, some are said to be mortals who become realized as avatars later in life. Avatars are also believed to be representative of parts of the gods, their aspects manifested, and often are very different in behavior and personality than what the god would “normally have”, but cosmologically/divinely speaking they are still that god (for example, Lord Shiva is an avatar of Morweṣiva that acts very differently from Morwen’s typically accepted aspects and behavior; Kali is an avatar of Durgeriyu/Eriu who is more frightening and vicious than how she normally would appear).
There are no restrictions in any of the empires on gods that are allowed to be worshiped, though open worship to some such as Tanithavani and Śtephānyas will likely get strange looks at best or invite open hostility or violent reaction from others at worst. A list of the gods, their duties, and their depictions are as follows.

The Gods at a Glance

The deva known to the West as Akmon is called Suryakhmon. He is the sun and brings light under his harsh gaze. He enforces the caste system, ensuring that all people follow their dharma and not stray from it. He despises those who live outside this system and those who do not respect the hierarchy of society. He lusts after Sepharatri and pursues her relentlessly, but his own sunlight will forever keep her out of his reach, as light dispels darkness and the night.
The deva known in the West as Athesne is called Athesvati. She is knowledge and magic in all of its forms, and holds the wisdom of enlightenment and cosmic understanding for all beings to learn and comprehend. She has a great dog, whose purpose is to devour those who would seek to destroy or withhold sources of knowledge that would help an individual comprehend and achieve enlightenment.
The asura known to the West as Barasios is called Barasiagni. His duty as maharaja of Naraka (known as the Nine Hells to foreign cosmologists) is to punish and torture those who committed grave sins and selfish acts that harmed others; his legions of devils enact such punishments. Only when a soul has suffered torment appropriate for their sins are they allowed to reenter the cycle of reincarnation. In addition, his purview includes fire itself and laws established by society and contracts.
The asura known to the West as Caelus is called Cartikaylus. Cartikaylus is a god of war and battle, and favors the Kshatriya caste, as many of them are warriors and generals. In battle, soldiers invoke Cartikaylus’ name so that he may grant them strength. He is served by a host of celestial angels that wield burning swords and have many wings. To Cartikaylus, war is a means of maintaining order and preventing chaos, and that war helps achieve diplomacy and peace when used properly.
The deva known to the West as Elowyn is called Elowyntara (or simply “Tara” to the ascetics who worship her in the cremation ghats). Bharat depictions of her can be frightening to those who do not worship her--she resembles a blue-skinned vampire with four arms that wield a cleaver, a goblet of blood, an urumi, and an orb that emits a soft light. To her worshippers, she is beautiful and motherly. She comforts the dying, watches over the cremation grounds, and offers mercy to those cursed into undeath. She was mortal once until she was murdered by Suryakhmon to spite Yamademus, but she was saved by Ganeshphorus and Kalāyas and granted godhood by Shaktilesta.
The asura known to the West as Eosphorus is called Ganeshphorus. He is depicted as an imposing loxodon wearing shining armor and a golden crown. He is the son of Suryakhmon and Tanithavani, and was once a violent tool of his father until he fell in love with Elowyntara and Kalāyas. Now he is seen as a god of liberation, breaking the chains of slaves and the barriers that inhibit enlightenment for all. He is fearless, though he is prone to anger.
The deva known to the West as Eriu is called Durgeriyu. Durgeriyu is a powerful goddess, her many arms wielding weapons of all kinds. She is a destroyer of demons and a pursuer of justice, fighting to right wrongs, be it through judicial trials or valorous duels. She can be stubborn and single-minded at times.
The deva known to the West as Fodla is called Parvodla. She is a mother goddess of compassion and the home. She is the goddess that soon-to-be mothers pray to so that their children will be born safely. She is the goddess of familial love, food, farmers, and community.
The asura known to the West as Gorath is called Unmādorath. They are the god of madness, random chance, alchemy, and misfortune. They have great compassion for those whose suffering stems from their minds. They revel in the chaos and mischief they cause. In the divine order, they present the trials that one must surpass in order to achieve enlightenment. They are depicted as a four armed laughing gnoll wielding a many branching staff and dressed in a patchwork sari.
The deva known to the West as Kallias is called Kalāyas. He is a god of second chances, marksmanship, good fortune, and innovation. Kalāyas knew Elowyntara when she was mortal and had loved her all his life. When she, him, and Ganeshphorus were tasked with visiting all the gods in order for Elowyntara to ascend to godhood, he and Ganeshphorus fell in love with each other, and now all three are wed to one another. He is the source of inspiration to invent, to improve, and to advance society into the future. He is depicted as a four armed young man with a greatbow said to be able to fire arrows that can level entire cities in one shot.
The force known to the West as Kelesta is called Shaktilesta. Shaktilesta does not appear in depictions to have any form--rather, she is a cosmic force of order and dharma, and her interactions with Morweṣiva created the Divine Consciousness from which all life springs. She is mysterious and unknowable, more concept than physical deva.
The deva known to the West as Loreali is called Loredali. Loredali appears as a shining, winged woman with four arms, meditating on a lotus flower. She is a goddess of light, healing, doctors, and medicine. She is a quiet yet compassionate goddess whose touch can cure any sickness or heal any wound. Suryakhmon may be the sun, but Loredali is the light of hope, the first light that a sapient child ever sees.
The asura known to the West as Lucetius is called Lusetiruna. He is depicted as a four armed blue skinned man with fish fins on his arms and long seaweed for hair. He is the husband of Lakshmeitho. He is the god of the sea and all that dwells in it, the monsoons, and the weather. He is responsible for containing the beast known as Anantashesha, a vast deep sea eel several miles long that devours memory and consciousness, preventing the atman from returning to the Divine Consciousness. Lusetiruna is prayed to by sailors, water dwelling peoples, and storm mages.
The force known to the West as Morwen is called Morweṣiva. Morweṣiva, like Shaktilesta, does not appear in depictions, and is seen as a force of simultaneous creation and destruction. His interactions with Shaktilesta created the Divine Consciousness. It is said that at the end of the fourth yuga, Morweṣiva will destroy the universe and recreate it, starting the cycle of ages anew. Of note is the importance of Morweṣiva’s avatar, Lord Shiva, an important figure of worship that is very much the opposite of depictions of Morweṣiva across many religions. Lord Shiva is the supreme lord which creates, protects, and transforms the universe alongside his divine partner Shaktilesta. He has benevolent and fearsome aspects, and has many seemingly contradictory qualities.
The deva known to the West as Nicodemus is called Yamademus. Yamademus is the god of the dead and the underworld. Every being’s jiva returns to his Gray Halls to await reincarnation. Those who have lived a life of sin and without dharma are sent to Naraka to face punishment, while the rest reside in the Gray Halls. He is the father of Kalāyas and the husband of Sepharatri. He is also the god of prophecy.
The deva known to the West as Peitho is called Lakshmeitho. She is the goddess of love, sex, marriage, and beauty. She is the wife of Lusetiruna. She is depicted as a four armed woman carrying flowers and sitting upon a lotus blossom.
The deva known to the West as Rhemnys is called Remnykarma. He is the god of craftspersons, artisans, metalsmiths, and forges. He is depicted as a four armed orc with a beard made of shimmering gold. He is stoic and resolute, and is prayed to by apprentices and masters alike.
The deva known to the West as Rhodena is called Rokshidena. She is the god of the wilderness, the land, and the natural world. She is depicted as a many armed woman made of stone and carrying a staff, a sword, a club, and a bow made of ironwood. She is implacable and unpredictable, yet never intentionally cruel or kind.
The deva known to the West as Sephira is called Sepharatri. She is the goddess of the night, the stars, the moon, navigation, and of exploration. She is the wife of Yamademus and the mother of Kalāyas. She is depicted as a four armed woman with skin as black as the night and stars in her eyes; in her hands she holds a compass rose, a star chart scroll, a staff, and a small star in the palm of her hand. One of her roles in the cosmic order is to encourage and inspire people to journey on the road to enlightenment.
The asura known to the West as Steyfano is called Śtephānyas. He is depicted as a four armed cobrakin yuan-ti grinning widely and wielding two poisoned daggers, a pair of dice made from rakshasa bones, and a goblet of wine. Śtephānyas is the god of deception, thievery, snakes, and cunning. He is said to have spawned the legendary nagaraja Takshaka from his own shed skin. His role in the divine order is to test people on the path to enlightenment by tempting them with worldly things. If the person does not fall to the temptations even once, then it is said that they will achieve moksha when they die.
The asura known to the West as Tanith is called Tanithavani. She is a hateful and impulsive goddess with ten heads and ten arms, each carrying vicious bladed weapons. She was formed from an emanation of Morweṣiva. She is the goddess of destruction and defilement. In the divine order, her role is to destroy things so that new things can take their place, and to rule over monsters and demons, for even creatures like them need a god to follow. She is served by an endless horde of rakshasas that reside in an endless pit that western cosmologists call The Abyss.

Holidays

There are many holidays. Some are observed in all three empires, while others are only observed in one or two of the empires. Important, Bharat-wide holidays include:
Makar Sankranti - This holiday celebrates the beginning of longer days as Suryakhmon brings the sun north with the change in seasons. It is celebrated on January 15th. It is a time to pray to Suryakhmon for prosperity and success in the coming year. It also celebrates the first harvest of the year. People celebrate with food distributed in the community to represent togetherness, as well as prayer and song. People of all heritages in Bharat participate in this holiday.
Maha Shivaratri - A very sacred holiday, this holiday celebrates Lord Shiva, an avatar of Morweṣiva. It is celebrated in the second half of February. People fast on the day and night of this holiday and pray to Lord Shiva. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from all over Bharat make the journey to the holy city of Benares in the Gupta Empire to bathe in the waters of the Ganges River on this sacred day.
Hanuman Jayanti - This holiday celebrates the birth of Hanuman, the vanaran king who helped Rama and the Gith defeat Ravana, spawn of Tanithavani. It is held in April on the day of the full moon. On this day, people establish temporary shrines and worship at the idol. At dawn, celebrants will go out in the morning to bathe in waters outside as the sun slowly rises, because Hanuman was born at dawn. Mantras and prayers are spoken in praise of him and the gods who granted him the might and supermortal powers he used to aid Rama and Sita.
Holi - Holi is a popular and culturally significant holiday in Bharat. It is celebrated on the night of and day after the first full moon at the end of winter, typically in the month of March. It celebrates many things: the beginning of spring, the blossoming of love, and the triumph of good over evil. It is a time to end past conflicts and renew ruptured relationships, and a day to forgive and forget past mistakes between friends and family. It is called the Festival of Colors, and celebrants will paint each other with brightly colored powders, sing, dance, and feast with friends and family. On the night before Holi, people will light big bonfires and dance around them to music.
Ratha Yatra - This holiday is called the Chariot Festival, and is held in late June to early July. This festival involves parading idols of the gods around in great chariots. People celebrate and watch the spectacle as performers follow the chariots, dancing to music played by musicians that ride on the chariots. In the Vakatakas Empire, Ratha Yatra is also marked by chariot races, made popular by the orcs in a continuation of their ancestral traditions.

Raksha Bandhan - This holiday is a celebration of the bonds of family as well as love and marriage. It is celebrated in August. The celebrants tie bracelets called rakhi around the wrists of their loved ones. Lakshmeitho and Parvodla particularly enjoy this holiday; Lakshmeitho blesses lovers, newlyweds, and married people, while Parvodla blesses familial love and platonic love between friends.
Ganesh Chaturthi - This holiday celebrates the day that Ganeshphorus became the Remover of Obstacles and was no longer the god of calamity and undeath. It is a 10 day long festival in the month of September in which four major rituals are performed. On the first day, clay idols of Ganeshphorus are set up in homes and public spaces. Priests perform the rite of Prana Pratishta, reciting mantras to welcome Ganeshphorus into the clay idol. Then a 16-step worship ritual, called a Shodashopachara Puja, is performed to properly honor him. The idols are kept up during the festival, and blessed foods called prasad are distributed to the community. Followers meditate on Ganeshphorus’ form and wisdom, and many observe fasts during this time. On the final day, the ritual of Uttarpuja is performed, which formally bids Ganeshphorus farewell. The idols are paraded through the community while people sing devotional songs until they reach a river, where they immerse the idol in water. This custom is Ganpati Visarjan, and it symbolizes Ganeshphorus’ return to his celestial realm.
Navaratri - This holiday celebrates the goddess Durgeriyu and her nine avatars. It means ‘nine nights’, and is celebrated over the course of nine days in the beginning of October. Each night celebrates the victories of Durgeriyu over various demons and monsters. Idols are constructed of Durgeriyu’s avatars, the stories of her victories are recited or acted out in stage performances, and various scriptures and prayers are chanted. It is also an event that celebrates the arrival of autumn and the end of the monsoon season.
Diwali - This is one of the most important and sacred holidays in Bharat. It marks the start of the Bharat calendar’s new year. It is a festival of lights, typically celebrated in the end of October and the beginning of November and lasting for five days with the third day coinciding with the night of the new moon. It represents the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Worshipers decorate their homes with candles and lamps. It is a time for feasting, gift giving, fireworks, and honoring the gods with prayer.
Kartika Purnima - This holiday, which occurs about 15 days after Diwali in late November to early December, both honors Cartikaylus as well as the honoring of departed ancestors. It celebrates the day Cartikaylus killed a powerful demon. People will travel to sacred rivers and bodies of water to bathe in the morning, then say prayers and mantras at moonrise that evening. Priests work as channelers for those who wish to speak with and honor their deceased ancestors, and communities and families gather to remember the family members that they have lost recently in the past year.

Agriculture & Industry

Bharat is famous across the world for its textiles, alchemical and magical reagents, and wide variety of spices. Crops such as rice are also plentiful, and in the rainforests of the south, sugarcane and coffee are cultivated. The empires of Bharat each adopted the standardized system of gold, silver, and copper coinage around a century ago.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Demonym

Bharati

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Confederation

Gazetteer

Gupta Empire

Vakatakas Empire

Kalahabras Empire

Independent Territory of Sri Rahakha

Major Exports

Textiles, rice, silk, spices, sugarcane, coffee, alchemical and magical reagents, medicinal ingredients, dyes, hide and leather

Languages
Primordial, Common, Orcish, Goblin