(A) Vidisha town is situated east of the Betwa River, in thefork of the Betwa and Besrivers, 9 km from Sanchi. The town of Besnagar, 3 km from present-day Vidisha on the west side of the river, became an important trade centre in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, under the Shungas,Nagas, Satavahanas and Guptas. The Emperor Ashoka was the governor of Vidisha during his father’s lifetime.