Unesco finds Santo Domingo as a colonial city in Dominican; and this world heritage site, according to scholars, was highlighted only after Columbus’ arrival in this city in 1942. Unesco writes, ‘This colonial town, founded in 1492, was laid out on a grid pattern that became the model for almost all town planners in the New World’. It created a historic base, scholars say, to spread the European culture and the conquest of Americas from whose ‘port conquerors such as Ponce de Leon, Juan de Esquivel, Herman Cortes, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Alonso de Ojeda and many others departed in search of new lands’.

Located at the mouth of the Ozama river, on the south coast of Hispaniola Island, its capital city is called de Guzman; history of this heritage site is very peculiar as the history of ancient migration holds a lot in the memory of the land from where ancient mariners came and established their new homeland here. Unesco own writing reads, ‘City of encounters, it is here where for the first time native, European and African  cultures crossed and where multicultural understanding was developed in  total synchronization of knowledge, language, belief and experiences. Also, it is the Colonial City of Santo Domingo where the Dominican monk, Brother Antonio Montesino launched his appeal for the natural right of the natives, marking the beginning of the combat for the fundamental rights of mankind’.

Its grid pattern and its Plaza Mayor have served as a model for new cities in the Americas. Its institutional buildings–Cabildo  (Town Hall), Real Audiencia (Royal Court of Justice), Chancery and Cathedral – have served as references for future development;   the spread of evangelization and the first Leyes de Indias (Laws of the Indies) were proclaimed and enforced from here.

Domingo finds its root in ‘Domo’, a cultured tribe whose settlement is called Damana or Domana, and the deity of these people is also called Domani; according to Pali sources, an aggasevaka means the ‘first priest of the Buddha Vessabha’ was called a Dama; Damali was name of a devaputta means a ‘lower god’; Dama-vihara was founded by King Mahinda II. So Dominican is the ‘second settlement’ of the migrants from a place called Dama or Doma.

Ozama river identifies itself with the river flowing in the land of Ajas or Azas means the ‘Nagas’ means the ‘Serpents’. It also marks the city of Ujjain; Ovando is a wonderful name which identifies the ancient Avadana or Obadiha.

Santo—Santha means ‘a holy man’; a spiritual wanderer

Guzman—refers to sraman means ‘monk’ Guna/Gunagandha//Gunamunida/

Gunasagara/Gunzan/Gajanan

Plaza Mayor —Braja Mayura

Cabildo—Kapil desh or country of Kapil

Leyes de Indias (Laws of the Indies)—Lavas residing on the banks of the river

Indus

Real Audiencia (Royal Court of Justice)—Rahul of Idudah/Uddiyan

Diego Colon—Digha Kolhana