Kurukshetra is the name of a city in the present-day Indian state of Haryana. The
name literally means "Land of the Kaurava" after the Kuru clan. It is supposed to be
the site of the Kurukshetra war, described in the Mahabharata. It is of great
importance in Hinduism as this is where the Bhagavad Gita was taught to Arjuna on
the battle field, just before the great battle. Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' had
written a poem by the name of Kurukshetra.
Thanesar or Sthaneswar, a historical town is located adjacent to what is now newly
created Kurukshetra city. Local hearsay identifies the legendary "Kurukshetra" with a
nearby obscure hamlet, and with the active abetment of the state government, it is
presently experiencing a tourist boom.
PLACE TO VISIT
Brahma Sarovar - is a water tank sacred to the Dharmic religions in Thanesar.
Dharmic religions lay emphasis on taking bath for internal and external purity. Most
religious sites have water tanks or sarovar in or near the temple/gurdwara.
According to Hindu myth, Lord Brahma created the universe from the land of
Kurukshetra after a huge yajna. The Brahma Sarovar here is believed to be the
cradle of civilisation. The sarovar is also mentioned in the eleventh century AD
memoirs of Al Beruni, called ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’.
A sacred shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva stands within the sarovar, accessible by a
small bridge. According to scriptures, bathing in this sarovar increases the sanctity
of performing the ‘ashvamedh yajna’. The tank offers a breath-taking sight during the
Gita Jayanti celebrations held in the last week of November and early December
every year when there will be ‘deep daan’ and ‘aarti’. This also happens to be the
time when migratory birds from distant places wing it to the sarovar. The Birla Gita
Mandir and Baba Nath’s haveli and temple are the neighbouring attractions.
Sannihit Sarovar - Believed to be the meeting point of seven sacred
Saraswatis, the sarovar, according to popular belief, contains sacred water. Bathing
in the waters of the tank on the days of Amavasyas (nights of complete darkness) or
on the days of eclipse bestows blessings equivalent to performing the ‘ashvamedh
yajna’.
It is believed to offer peace to the wandering and unhappy souls. Prayers and ‘pind
daan’, a memorial service for the dead, is performed here. Alongside the sarovar are
small shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Dhruv Narayan, Laxmi Narayan, Dhruv
Bhagat, Hanuman and Goddess Durga. The Sannihit tank is believed to be the
abode of Lord Vishnu.
Jyotisar - is a town on Pehowa road, 5 km West from Thanesar (in Kurukshetra
district).
It is a one of the most revered of holy centers of Kurukshetra. A vat (Banyan tree)
stands on a raised plinth. People here believe that it was under this holy Banyan that
Lord Krishna delivered the Holy Bhagavad Gita (the doctrine of karma and dharma to
his wavering friend Arjuna, and he showed too his Virat rupa (Universal form), the
terrible image of Himself as the Destroyer God.
Sheikh-Chilli ka makbara (tomb) - This monument is maintained by ASI.
It's a nice and well maintained monument which was built during Mughal period in
remembrance of Sufi Saint Sheikh Chilli, believed to be spiritual teacher of Mughal
Prince, Dara Shikoh.
Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple - The ancient Sthanesvara Mahadev
Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva or Mahadev, lies in Thanesar. It was here that the
Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva and received his blessings for victory in the battle of
Mahabharata. The ninth Guru, Shri Tegh Bahadur stayed at a spot near the
Sthaneshwar Tirtha that is marked by a gurdwara just besides this temple.
HOW TO REACH
Rail Kurukshetra is a junction on the main track of northen railway, i.e., Amritsar - New Delhi. It is 150km from New Delhi and 250km from Amritsar
Road Grand Trunk Road or National Highway No 1 passes by Kurukshetra. So it is easy to reach by the road from Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, New Delhi. There is also direct connectivity to Haridwar and Patiala.
