Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati (in and near modern-day Charsadda) is an ancient site situated in Peshawar valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (formerly NWFP) of Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River. Pushkalavati meaning Lotus City was the capital of ancient kingdom Gandhara from the 6th century BC, when it became an Achaemenid local capital, to 2nd century AD. According to Ramayana, it was named Pushkalavati because it was founded by Pushkala, the son of Bharat (and hence nephew of Rama, the hero of Ramayana).