Field Gateway • Cultural Odyssey
Indianization of South and Southeast Asia
For centuries, Indian ideas crossed oceans and mountains not with armies, but with merchants, monks, and pilgrims. From the stupas of Nepal and Sri Lanka to the temple cities of Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia, that influence still lives — in stone, in stories, and in living traditions. This series is our journey to trace those enduring connections and understand how Indian civilization shaped, and was itself shaped by, the cultures of these lands.
For us, travel is not about ticking places off a list. It is about discovering the stories behind them. Through these journeys across South and Southeast Asia, we visited historic sites, experienced traditions first-hand, and listened to the stories people still tell. These blogs are a record of that exploration — across countries, cultures, and centuries — in search of the Indian roots that still bind much of these countries.