500 years after the First Battle of Panipat, a turning point fades from memory

On a drowsy afternoon in Babarpur village in Panipat, around 90 km north of Delhi, dogs sprawl across the road and vegetable fields stretch into the distance. Outside a cycle repair shop humming with flies, Mahesh Raj and his friend Ashok Kumar, an auto driver, sit passing time. Ask them how the village got its name, and the answer comes easily.