We are all familiar with the ancient foreign travellers to India, like Hiuen Tsang and Ibn Battuta, who wrote about it in their books. But what about the intrepid Indian travellers who journeyed abroad to see new lands...
He was a Tamil Indian Buddhist monk and scholar, who journeyed to Japan, where he founded the Kegon school. His travels first took him to China, and from there he reached Japan, passing through Cambodia and Vietnam along the way.
He undertook extensive udasiyas or journeys, including within India, to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, as well as China, the Middle East, visiting places like Mecca, Iraq, Turkey. Remarkably, it is said he went to Vatican City, sharing his message of peace wherever he was.
A renowned Indian Buddhist scholar of the 5th century CE, he journeyed to Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, where he came across a wealth of Sinhalese Buddhist commentaries.
Rajaraja I of the Chola dynasty ruled between 985 and 1014 CE, restoring dominance in Southern India. His reign saw the annexation of northern Sri Lanka, the Lakshadweep islands and the Maldives.
This Chola overpowered the monarchs of Southeast Asia, bringing regions of modern-day Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar under his control. Leading a successful naval campaign, he left such a legacy that India named a naval training vessel, TS Rajendra, in his memory.
In 1868, the Kumaon explorer, who spoke Tibetan, received the Royal Geographical Society’s gold medal in recognition of his significant role in charting the landscapes of Tibet and the Himalayas for the British.
Stopping in Japan, China, Japan, before taking part in the Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago in 1893, the monk and philospher then journeyed over 2 years to lecture all over America, Britain, Europe and in later years to Istanbul, Egypt, Athens.
He travelled to England at a young age and later corresponded extensively with spiritual seekers abroad. His teachings on yoga and spiritual evolution influenced followers worldwide.