Avantī was the capital of Indradyumna, king of Mālava (Malava). This is called the best city on earth. The sacred river Śiprā (Sipra) flows across the place. Śrī Hari (Sri Hari) resides here as Govindasvāmī (Govindaswami).
In Purāṇa(Purana; Mythological Scriptures), we get a long description of Avantī (Avanti). The inhabitants of this beautiful, rich and well-protected city were also handsome in features and delightful by nature. There had been high gates, wide roads, wonderful gardens and cultivated forests, and innumerable well-decorated. Avantī was the habitational place for many scholars and worthy people. Several temples were also found in this city.
Mahādeva (Mahadeva) resides here as Mahākāla (Mahakala). It is said that by worshipping this Mahākāla Śiva (Mahakala Siva) , one gets the fruit of Aśvamedha yajña (Aswamedha Yajna). This city is also known as Ujjayinī (Ujjayini).
Avantī was known by several names. According to Nāradapurāṇa, other names for this city are Viśālā, Amarāvatī, Kuśasthalī (Kusasthali), Kaṇakaśṛṇga (Kanakasringra), Padmāvatī (Padmavati) and Kumudvatī (Kumudvati).
In Skandapurāṇa (Skandapurana), this city is also known by several names such as Kanakaśṛṇga, Kuśasthalī , Padmāvatī, and Ujjayinī.
kathaṃ kanakaśṛṇgeti khyātā hyeṣā purā mane.
kuśsthalīṃ kathaṃ nāma tathāvantī kathaṃ smritā.
padmāvatī kathaṃ sādho kathamujjayinī tathā.
Again, great scholars learned in Veda(s), named Avantī as Kuśasthalī.
From Skandapurāṇa (Skandapurana) it is known that the original name for this city was Kanakaśṛṇga (Kanakasringa). Several palaces, well-decorated with gems, pearls and with high golden domes, were found here. Thus the city has been named Kanakaśṛṅga.
In Tatpuruṣakalpa, scholars learned in Veda(s) named this city as Kuśasthalī.
stīrṇā kuśairyato dhātrā kuśasthalī tataḥ smṛtā.
Vidhātā (Vidhata) spreaded kuśa (kusa) in this place, so it is called Kuśasthalī.
‘Avana’ means ‘to nurture’. Gods, and all creatures are nurtured here, so this city is called Avantī in all kalpa(s) –
devatīrthoṣadhi-vīja-bhūtānāṃ caiva pālanaṃ.
kalpe kalpe ca yasyāṃ vai tenāvantī purī smṛtā.
Mahādeva, after having conquered a demon called Tripura, and made this place famous in all three worlds. Sp gods and sages named this place Ujjayinī —
ujjito dānavo yasmāt troilokye sthapitaṃ yaśaḥ
tasmatsarvai suraśreṣṭhai ṛṣibhiḥ sanakādibhiḥ.
According to Padmapurāṇa (Padmapurana), this city was the abode of Padmā (Padma) or goddess Lakṣmī (Lakshmi). Thus, the name of this city is Padmāvatī (Padmavati).
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu padmā vasatu niścalā
adyaprabhṛti pūreṣā padmāvatīti ca smṛtā.
In Agnipurāṇa (Agnipurana) Avantī is described as Pāpanāśinī tīrtha ( Papanasini tirtha).
It is said in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), that Avantī is situated on the bank of Narmadā (Narmada), in western India, where Narmadā has taken westward flow. Though here is a reading ‘Anarta’, Nīlakaṇṭha (Nilakantha), the commentator, has taken into consideration the reading ‘Avantīṣu'(Avantishu).
In Virātaparva (Virataparva), Arjuna has mentioned Avantī among the beautiful localities near the kingdom of Kuru.
In Bhīṣmaparva (Bhishmaparva), the mention of Avantī can be found.
In Sabhāparva (Sabhaparva) it is said that, Sahadeva, after defeating Kuntibhoja, went a bit southward, and defeated Vinda and Anuvinda, two kings of the two portions of the kingdom of Avantī.
vindānuvindāvāvantau sainyena mahatā vṛtau
jigāya samare vīrāvāśvineyaḥ pratāpavān.
Sahadeva, son of Mādrī (Madri), once launched an attack upon Māhiṣmatī (Mahishmati), the capital of South Avantī, and got engaged in a battle with King Nīla (Nila), ruler of the country. In this context, there is a legend mentioned in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). By the boon of Agni, if any king tried to conquer Māhiṣmatī, he would be burned to ashes. Sahadeva, tried the same, and Agni started consuming his soldiers. Sahadeva, then, in order to save his army, sat down to pray to Agni, spreading kuśa (kusa; one type of holy grass) on the soil. Agni was pleased, and he could not proceed beyond him. Thus Sahadeva was able to stop the burning power of Agni, and the Fire-god rejuvenated his soldiers. Afterwards, king Nīla offered homage to Sahadeva, and paid his allegiance to him.
In Bhāgavatapurāṇa, too, there are several mentions of Avantī.
Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa went to take lessons from Sage Sāndīpani, who lived in Avantī.
In the Buddhist era, Avantī was the centre of all kinds of activities. Avantī has been mentioned in several Buddhist texts. In the writings of Xuanthzang, a detailed description of Avantī could be found. In 7th century BC, he went to Avantī. According to him, this city covered across 6000 Li. He saw that this city was very popular and many priests lived here. Ruins of many convents were found there. Avantī was of course a historical place. Avantī (Avanti) or Ujjayinī (Ujjayini) was the capital of king Vikramāditya (Vikramaditya). In Junagarh inscription of Rudradāmana I, western Mālava is described as Avantī. In Nāsika Praśasti (Nasika Prasasti) of Pulomāyī (Pulomayi), son of Vaśiṣṭhī, mention of Avantī can be found as Akaravanti. Avantī has also been mentioned in one sūtra of Pāṇini, and in Mahābhāṣya of Patanjali.
According to the scholar H.C. Raychaudhuri, Avantī was an important locality of India, along with Kośala (Kosala), Vatsa and Magadha.
According to E.L. Rapson, by the 4th Century, Avantī became an important commercial centre of India. In fact, Avanti was located in the junnction of the road to the western peninsular port-cities like Sopar and Brooch, the road to South India, and the way to the trade-centre of Ayodhyā. So the importance of Avantī as a trade centre was quite natural. It was also a centre of activities in literature and science. The ancient hindu astronomers drew their first langitude from Ujjayinī.
From the writings of Rhys Davis, we come to know that the ancient Avantī was located towards the north of the mount Vindya, situated at the north-east of the present city of Mumbai. In Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, Avantī is called the land of the Vndhyavāsī people. It is further said that Avantī is located on Vindhya, that is,adjacent to the area of Vindhyaparvata – vindhyapṛṣṭṭhanivāsinaḥ.
So it can be said that Avantī covered the present Malwa, Nimar and some parts of Madhyapradesh.
Vindhyaparvata divides Avantī in two parts, Northern and Southern. Ujjayinī is the capital of Northern Avantī, and that of Southern Avantī is Māhiṣmatī. In several Buddhist texts, the southern part of Avantī, situated in the basin of the southern part of Narmadā, has been called Avantī Dakṣināpatha. Sometimes the Buddhist writers have called this by the name Aśmaka or Aśmakavanti. It should be mentioned here that Budhanā was the capital of Aśmaka which is now thought to be located in the Nijamabad district of modern Andhrapradesh. It is clear that the boundary of Avantī Dakṣṣiṇāpatha was spreaded beyond the southern part of Narmadā basin. How ever, Northern Avantī is recognisable as western Malwa.
According to Rapson, modern Gwalior of the middle part of India was the capital of the ancient city of Ujjayinī. Before the reign of Candragupta Maurya, Avantī came under the expansion of the empire of Magadha. Vindusāra appointed his son Aśoka the ruler of Avantī.