Lithuania and its world heritage site at Vilnius provide a wide geographical view of the ‘inhabited world’ which the academic world should study carefully.

Unesco on this heritage site says, ‘The Vilnius Historic Centre began its history on the glacial hills that had been intermittently occupied from the Neolithic period; a wooden castle was built around 1000 AD to fortify Gedimino Hill, at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers’.

Vilnius is exactly the same as Varana of ancient literature and Baranasi of Indian puranas which then existed between the rivers Asi and Varana; River Neris refers to the river Asi and Vilania is as same as Varana.  Pali sources mention Varana as name of a Chakravartin(Catherine) king, means a king of the Four Quarters. Vilniaus senamiestis refers to ‘senani’ village that identifies the royal senanni shepherd tribe of ancient Magadha(or Megiddo of the Bible). Vilnus also identifies the ancient Varana(Varena), the ‘Square-Land’ of the Avesta which was the ancient base of the tantric studies. It was seat of the struggle between Azis Dahâka and Thraêtaona; it seems as if Dutch is as same as Dahaka and Thraetaona stands for Lithuania. But it is more appropriate to consider Rohitaka or Chinese Lu-hi-ta-kia for Lithuania; this is as same as Rohit-khand and Rohita-sarovara of Indian puranas. Pali literature takes both the names, Rohitassa and Lokita; while the former bears a very wide historic base for this name linking with a legendary tribe, a sage, a place, and a son of a deva(means lower god),  the latter found a princess in this name.

The geographical meaning of ‘historic centre’ itself has a broader historical base than the Old Town, It embraces the valuable historical suburbs of Uzupis which historically used to be outside the city boundaries. The first written reference to Vilnia considers it as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The successive reconstructions find names of palaces like  the Tyzenhauzai, Rensai, Pacai and Masalskiai palaces. Some of its streets have been called as Pilies Street and Vokiečių street (Deutsche Gasse) of the Old Town. The main street Vilnius is known as Gediminas Avenues. All these names tell the great history of Lithuania’s past which it links with the fame and glory of the ancient Rome.

Lithuania has been derived, according to scholars, from lietuviu kalba; here vilkas(Lith.), wilk(Polish), wilkas(PSI, Vblks), wilkos, all meaning ‘wolf’ ; but none of the words refers to the real meaning behind it, both historically and geographically, Leto or Lata identifies ‘wilk’ or ‘wilkos’ which means ‘wolf’ and it is connected with story of Ulysses and the Mt Parnasus; it was a part of Wutu kingdom of Wu-Tanya-Sulya Inscriptions. Meaning of Vilkas however defines its geographical situation along with Vakhsu/Bhikshu/and Venka that pinpoints Mt Sumeru/Mt Meru/Mt Imaos/Mt Gerizzin/Mt Alavi etc, the seat of humanity’s first belief in God and His ‘Abode’ .

Unesco’s finds that ‘Together with the Lithuanians, other nations of Grand Duchy of Lithuania with their languages, religions and cultures, shaped the development of Vilnius as an outstanding, multicultural city, in which the influences of the West and the East were merged. Christianity, dominating since the Middle Ages, and the growing importance of Judaism led to exemplary material manifestations of these religious communities which include the churches of St Michael, St Stephen, St Casimir, All Saints, and St Theresa’. This is an unique historic observation that pinpoints the real spiritual identity of the people of the ‘inhabited world’ during the Middle Ages; from the name of the churches name of the religion of the people following then can be visualised.