Proper Nouns Lexicon

 The Umayyad dynasty ruled the Muslim world from 661 to 750 AD, expanding its empire from Spain to India.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the UN established in 1945. It aims to promote peace and security through international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication. UNESCO World Heritage sites are recognized for their outstanding universal value.

The Vaghela dynasty was a Hindu ruling lineage that governed much of present-day Gujarat in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. It represents the last independent Hindu dynasty of the region before sustained Islamic rule.

Vajrayāna is an esoteric branch of Buddhism, particularly influential in the Himalayas and Central Asia. It is known for its symbolic rituals, mantras, and tantric meditations.

The Vakataka dynasty was an ancient Indian dynasty that ruled central Deccan and central India between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE.

The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological site located in Agrigento, Sicily. It houses some of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, dating back to the 5th century BCE, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Varaha is the third avatar of Vishnu in Hindu mythology, depicted as a boar, known for saving the Earth from the cosmic ocean.

Vardhana refers to a dynasty that ruled parts of northern India from the late 6th to the mid-7th century. It is best known for the reign of Harshavardhana, its most prominent ruler.

The Varman dynasty was an Indian ruling house that governed the kingdom of Kamarupa, in present-day Assam, from the 4th to the 7th century CE. It played a foundational role in the political and cultural history of northeastern India.

Vasco da Gama (1469-1524) is a renowned Portuguese explorer, known for being the first to sail directly from Europe to India via the Cape of Good Hope.