South Deccan Archaeology Research Foundation (SDARF) was formed to draw attention to an alternative means of gaining better understanding of India’s ancient past. This method involves using the plethora of materials and sites available in Southern India. This approach is likely to yield rich dividends regarding India’s history for the period 300 BCE onwards. This approach will only be successful if specific topics that have connections to both the North & South are selected. SDARF has been successful using this approach, however, by using an “integrated approach”. This integrated approach requires simultaneously taking advantage of all available sources, including, inscriptions, architecture, iconography (study of images) and ancient manuscripts. SDARF has also been working on projects that are anchored entirely in the South. We had success using the integrated approach, in both categories of projects; those that have a North-South connect and others related to the South alone. Especially in the South Deccan (SD), for those topics that span the time period prior to the 6th / 7th century CE, excavations are mandatory, together with studying the ancient manuscripts. This is because in Southern India, one generally finds “material culture” (inscriptions, images, structures, etc.), above the ground until about the 6th-7th century CE. Prior to that period, one is reliant on manuscripts (texts), which must be supplemented by excavations.​