Enter In Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra is mentioned a great deal in ancient literature. A flourishing country of the Kurus, it was the most sacred region of the Dvapara age according to the Matsya Purana and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas of Jambudvipa. It was the region of lakes and lotus beds which can be seen even now. Manu indirectly praises the prowess of the people of Kurukshetra. Bana describes it as the land of the brave in the eyes of the warriors. The place was visited by Buddha and appears to have been favoured by his masterly discourses. Kurukshetra also finds mention in Panini's Ashtadhyayi. It was also visited by nine out of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Angad Dev the Second Guru, being the only exception.

Temples of Kurukshetra

BRAHMA SAROVER ( KURUKSHETRA)

The holy town of Kurukshetra is made venerable by the presence of many holy temples and water tanks. The Brahma Sarover is a sacred water tank that is revered as the cradle of civilization. Belief is, that Lord Brahma conceived that the Earth herein all its diversity. Today massive renovation plans have returned it to its formal glory as a major center of pilgrimage. The vicinity of the tank is marked by the presence of a number of small temples. Noteworthy among these are the small Mahadev temple (Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple) in the Sarover itself, the Birla Gita Mandir, Baba Sharwannath’s Temple and Haveli. But the beauty of the Sarover is distinct on the day of Solar Eclipse, Amavasya-the night of complete darkness-and the day of the Gita Jayanti Celebrations in the town. To bathe here on the day of an Eclipse brings upon one the blessings of having performed the Ashwa Medha Yajna. To bathe here on the days of Amavasya brings salvation form all sins. The Deep Daan ceremony at the Gita Jayanti Aarti of Haridwar.

SANNIHIT SAROVER



It is believed that the Sannihit Sarover is the meeting point of the seven sacred Saraswatis and to bathe here on the day of amavasya, absolves one of all sins. And hereby hangs a tale. In the days of yore, holy waters of all the country went up to the Lord and with burdened hearts prayed for assistance. "Man cleans himself of sins by taking a dip in our waters. It is we who have to carry this burden, of which we are tired. Please relieve us of these sins". Realising the validity of this request, the Lord ordained", On the days of amavasya collect in the waters of Sannihit Sarover and your sins will be absolved. "Ever since, the sanctity of the tank grew. Adjacent to the holy water tank is lie small temples of Dhruv Narain, Lord Vishnu, Laxmi Narain, Lord Hanuman and Mother Goddess Durga.

STHANESHWAR MAHADEV



Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple at Thaneswar is another holy center. It is small and distinct. It was here that the Pandvas prayed to Lord Shiva and received his blessing for victory in the battle of Mahabharata. Legend has it that the waters of the tank adjoining the temple are holy. A few drops of water cured the King Ban of leprosy. And, no pilgrimage of Kurukshetra is believed to be entirely complete without a visit to this Holy Temple. The tank and temple lie a short distance from Thanesar town, which gets its name from this temple. the temple of Sthaneswar is the abode of Lord Shiva say the devote. It once formed an important part of the kingdom of the King Harsha Vardhan of the Pushyabhuti dynasty. The architecture of the temple is regional in style-it has a domical roof. The facade of this dome is given an amla shape alongwith a tall pinnacle. The Linga is ancient and worshiped with a lot of ritual and prayer.

NABHI KAMAL

Adjacent the town of Thanesar lies the temple of Kamal Nabhi. Mythology has it that here Lord Brahma the creator was born out of a Lotus that grew from the naval of Lord Vishnu. The temple here has the images of Lord Vishnu and Brhama.

BHISHAM KUND NARKATARI


About one and half miles from Thanesar on Kurukshetra-Pehowa road lies a tank named Narkatari. It is here say legends, that Bhishma Pitamah of Mahabharata epic lay on a bed of arrows.

BHADARKALI TEMPLE

It is an ancient temple situated on the Jhansa Road in the north of Thanesar Town. Here Pandvas are stated to have worshipped the Goddsss and performed sacrifices for their victory before the commencement of Mahabharat war. This is one of the Sith Peetha of the 51 sacred peeths which had their origin from the scattered parts of the body of Sati. It is said that the right foot heel of Devi Sati fell here.



JYOTISAR


One of the most revered of holy centers of Kurukshetra is Jyotisar. Renovated recently, it retains its sanctity and the birthplace of the Holy Bhagwad Gita. A vat (Banyan) tree stands on a raised plinth here August. Spreading Venerated. It is believed that it was under this holy Banyan that Lord Krishna delivered the doctrine of Karma a wavering Arjun. He showed too, His Virat Roop the image of Himself as the Creator, the Preserver, the Destroyer-under whose will every leaf, every bud, every event, every man moved as automation. A marble chariot depicting Lord Krishna delivering to Arjun marks the site the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. In one secluded section of this center an old Shiv temple can also be seen. Hundreds of years ago, a holy water tank was built here. Today the Kurukshetra Development Board has renovated the site. A mango shaped lake has been constructed here. Covered bathing ghats for the ladies have been provided. Cement parapets and enclosures have been built for protection. A restaurant and accommodation wings of Yatries has been built here. The area has been landscaped with flowering bushes and eucalyptus trees.

Jyotisar lies on Pehowa road, 5 Km from Kurukshetra.

PEHOWA

27 KM west of Thanesar lies Pehowa. Cunningham dates the town back to 882 AD. Another inscription on a temple proclaims that Pehowa was built as late as 895 AD. This was during the reign of King Mahenderapal. Excavations done here from time to time have revealed a number of ancient sculptures made in buff sand stone. The town finds special mention in the Vaman Puran and the epic Mahabhartha.

PRITHUDAKA TIRATH

During the period of ancient India the town was known as Prithudaka after King Prithu. Legend has it that King Rasthangu, the father of King Prithu lay dying. As a last wish, he called his son to his beside and asked him to take him to the banks of the holy river Saraswati. King Prithu did as he was told . But on his father’s death, he was filled with great anguish. He sat for days on the bank of this river offering Shardha. Ever since, the ritual of offering shardha of fathers here has come into vogue. This place where the unhappy King prayed for the salvation of his father came to be named Prithudaka tirtha. Ghats and temples were built here.

ARUNAY TIRTHA, ARUNAY



This tirtha is situated at a distance of six KM from Pehowa in the village Arnai. The temple is named after the confluence of river Aruna and Saraswati. For prayer and worship of Lord Shiva, a big fair is also held here on the occasion of Shivratri.



MUSEUM


Kurukshetra situated in the state of Haryana is one of the most sacred places in India. It is hallowed by its association with Lord Krishna’s sermon to Arjuna and mankind in the form of Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita. It is but appropriate that there should be a museum to present and preserve the multifaceted personality of Lord Krishna, the episodes of his childhood, his rasalila, philosophy and teachings in the form of rare manuscripts, paintings, sculptures and other artistic creations as well as archaeological material unearthed in Kurukshetra and its neighborhood. These artifacts present Lord Krishna as a revered God, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, a great philosopher, an epic hero, an astute statesman and a supreme lover. Personality and teachings of Lord Krishna have permeated the national ethos and the cultural personality of the Indian people for thousands of years and continue to serve as its beacon light.

Awakening the people ethically, morally and culturally through the ideas and ideals of Krishna, is the aim of this museum, which was established in 1987 and was shifted, to the present building in 1991. Museum continues to grow with additions of new artistic representations of the Krishna theme and archaeological finds.

As a visitor enters the Museum, he finds himself face to face with a huge sculpture of Sri Ganesha in dancing posture. This gallery also preserves stones sculptures pertaining to the Krishna legend ranging from 1st Century AD to 11th Century AD. Some of them have been acquired on loan from the Archaeological Survey of India and the department of Archaeological and Museum, Government of Haryana.

KURUKSHETRA- MAHABHARATA COUNTRY

On the banks of River Saraswati, history is almost palpable. Sages once recited the Vedas here; Brahma and his deities performed yajnas; Vashishtha and Vishwamitra attained divinity. Kauravas and Pandavas fought a bloody battle and Lord Krishna delivered the message of Gita to Arjuna. It was here on this tract of land that the Hindus surrendered their crowns, Muslims lost their thrones and Marathas and Sikhs frittered away their power.

This is Kurukshetra. Eons ago, goes the legend, King Kuru came here on his golden chariot, which was magically transformed into a plough. Yoked to the bull of Lord Shiva and the buffalo of Lord Yama, the King began to till the land. Lord Vishnu descended on the fields and asked Kuru to sow the virtues of mankind. Kuru shred his right arm in a thousand pieces with Vishnu's Chakra and planted them. Vishnu granted Kuru two boons--the land would be named after him and anyone dying here would go straight to heaven.

Kurukshetra is just 160 kilometres from Delhi. We cruise down Sher Shah Suri Marg in a Haryana Tourism coach on a bright Sunday morning. Past Panipat, our first halt is at the Karnal Tourist complex, where passengers refresh themselves with cups of tea, sandwiches and South Indian delicacies cooked in Punjabi style. The land of the Mahabharata is barely 30 minutes and some 30 centuries away.

In Kurukshetra we meet our host, Ram Sewak Sharma in his Tata Safari. " Almost 18 crore soldiers fought the Battle of Kurukshetra. The fields turned red with blood," he says eloquently. But, 18 crores would have been rather cramped in a small town like this. He has an answer ready: "Don't forget, Kurukshetra was not just this town. In ancient times it was a vast region covering 50 kosas [around 150 kilometres]."

Sharma's assertion is supported by Sage Manu who places the ancient city between the old sacred rivers, Saraswati and Drishadwati comprising modern Panipat, the north-west corner of Jind and the eastern part of Patiala district. It was then called Brahma-Varta. It acquired many names: Brahmadevi, Dharamkshetra and finally, Kurukshetra, as it is known today.

As we weave through the town along the Pehowa Road, there are signs of a booming agro-economy. Tractors and bullock carts co-exist with Marutis, Lancers, Hyundais, Indicas and the ubiquitous trucks and tempos. Evidently little thought has been given to the tourism aspect of the town though Kurukshetra surpasses in its historic continuity the ancient civilizations of Babylon, Akkad and Assyria which have long ceased to exist.



Land Of Empires

Kurukshetra has seen the rise and fall of many empires. When the Vardhanas rose to power from Sthanvishvara [now called Thanesar] in the sixth century, it regained much of its lost gory. The period of King Harsha Vardhana was the golden age of Kurukshetra. After his demise it began to decline and later, the British reduced it to a small district."

Sannihit Sarovar

Our first halt is at the Sannihit Sarovar which is also the first place where pilgrims take a dip during a solar eclipse. Sannihit means the assembly of the entire range of titathas and legend has it that a prayer performed here during amavas (moonless night) guarantees the benefit equal to one thousand Ashvamedha sacrifices.

Pandit Pawan Kumar, a local godman, walks up to us and offers to trace our ancestry for a consideration. He takes us into a dingy room and works out our lineage in under a minute. Even computers would be hard put to achieve this feat.

"These pattas [records] have been handed down from generation to generation," he tells us. "I can trace my family history down to the days of the Mahabharata. I am blessed to be born here in this holy place."

Sannihit Sarovar the Pandit tells us, is the only place that has been visited by all but one of the Sikh Gurus. For each Guru there is a Gurudwara to commemorate his visit. This is also the only place where even the British came for a holy dip. On our left, is the fading plaque commemorating the visit of Sir Edward McLogan, the Governor of Punjab in 1921.

Brahmasar Sarovar

An eight kilometre drive brings us to the Brahmasar Sarovar, the central point where pilgrims converge after a dip in the Sannihit. A row of deodar trees and two islands in the middle of the tank add to Brahmasar's beauty considerably. One of the islands is said to be the place where Brahma first performed his yajna.

Believed to have been excavated by King Kuru long before the epic battle of Mahabharata, the Brahmasar Sarovar is flanked by temples and places of Puranic interest. Ruins of some structures standing on the bigger island are said to be the remains of a small castle which Aurangzeb built. "This is one of the most sacred tanks," Sharma tells us. "A part of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in it."

As the Safari makes its way to Jyotisar, we are assailed by a feeling of awe. We are treading on history itself---not just ancient history, we are in the land of folklore. Here great empires rose and fell: a mighty city reached its pinnacle of glory and decayed slowly into oblivion to be rediscovered and reconstructed centuries later by archaeologists.



Banyan Tree

One survivor from that time is a banyan tree, 5,000 years old under whose gnarled and twisted branches is a marble chariot in which sit Lord Krishna and Arjuna. In case you doubt its antiquity, nailed to the trunk is a mutilated tin board which says: "Immortal banyan tree - witness of the celestial song of Bhagwad Gita."

Legend has it that it was at this spot that Lord Krishna stopped the chariot between the two warring armies to deliver the teachings of Gita to Arjuna. Carved out in marble, are the footprints of Lord Krishna.

Though some scholars put it around 10 B.C., no one knows the exact date of this historical battle or when the Mahabharata was actually written. But scholars are of the view that it is one of the greatest Epics in the world. Also probably one of the oldest and longest.

The epic as we know it today, contains 100,000 stanzas and is eight times longer than Homer's Iliad and Odyssey put together. In religious parlance, the Epic is called the fifth Veda, for it is said to contain every branch of knowledge. Woven in it is legend and history, myth and folklore, fable and parable, philosophy and religion, morals and romance, governance and warcraft.

Ban Ganga/Bhishma Kund

At Ban Ganga, also known as Bhishma Kund, the grand sire of the Kauravas and Pandavas, Bhisma, lay on a bed of arrows on the tenth day of the battle, struck by perfidy. But before he died, to quench his parched throat and lips, Arjuna shot an arrow into the earth from where a fountain of water from river Ganges sprang out and reached the mouth of Bhishma.

Here, at the very spot where we stand, the site of this dramatic gesture, is now called Ban Ganga or more appropriately Bhishma Kund. It is roughly five kilometres from Kurukshetra on the Pehowa Road in the Narkatari village where pilgrims bathe in this holy tank and earn the combined merit of all the tirthas (pilgrimages).

But we see no pilgrims nor tourists around, except some picnickers. For this, the local guide has a religious explanation: "According to the Vedas," he says, "there are three types of outings - tirath [visiting holy places], sair [stroll] and aish [enjoyment], Kalyug hai na. No one comes for tirath or sair anymore. Just aish and picnic."

But despite these pessimistic observations, Kurukshetra is a place revered by the devout for its sacred associations. The history of Kurukshetra is the history of ancient India. A place that has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful kings and mighty empires.

Bana, the Hindu poet, described it as a splendid city with busy, well-lit bazars, elegant temples, splendid palaces, artist's studios, sculptors' work-shops, colleges and schools. Today it is bustling town, with haphazard development and pockets of prosperity, but largely oblivious to its tourist potential.

But this does not deter, the pilgrims who congregate here during amavas to wash off their sins and ensure a place in heaven.


Shakti Peeth MA Bhadarkali Mandir

Kurukshetra's Temple

HISTORY OF KURUKSHETRA



The name Kurukshetra is associated in the Puranas and the Great Epic with the legendary king Kuru although it appears to be more logical to trace it to the tribe of Kurus which was born as a result of merger of the various classes of the Great Bharatas who are described in the Rigveda as kindling sacrificial fires on the banks of the sacred Sarasvati and Drishadvati. The Sarasvati is described in the Rigveda as a perennial river par excellence, flowing from the Himalayas to the ocean most probably it refers to the Ghaggar. The Drishadvati was the river in whose bed the Hansi-Hisar branch of the Western Yamuna Canal now flows. The Kurus also were known to the Rigveda as the mention of a King named Kurushravana indicates.

Many geographical names and personalities connected with Kurukshetra occur in the earliest Sanskrit literature and around this region were enacted the opening scenes of the drama of Indian history. Most of the Vedic literature was composed here and most of the social, religious and political traditions of this country arose in this region. It is therefore regarded as the cradle of Indian civilisation and culture. Kurukshetra shot into prominence as the battle field of Mahabharta and as the birth place of the holy Gita. The great 18-day battle of Mahabharta was fought here in the ancient past between Kauravas and Pandavas for upholding the cause of dharma. It was a war between good and evil, in which the Pandavas were victorious. Bhagvad Gita, the Song Celestial, is the divine message which lord Krishna delivered to Arjuna on the eve of the Great War when he saw the latter wavering from his duty. It epitomises all that is the best and noblest in the Hindu philosophy of life.

Jyotisar, near Thanesar, is supposed to mark the site where it was delivered.

Kurukshetra is mentioned a great deal in ancient literature. A flourishing country of the Kurus, it was the most sacred region of the Dvapara age according to the Matsya Purana and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas of Jambudvipa. It was the region of lakes and lotus beds which can be seen even now. Manu indirectly praises the prowess of the people of Kurukshetra. Bana describes it as the land of the brave in the eyes of the warriors. The place was visited by Buddha and appears to have been favoured by his masterly discourses. Kurukshetra also finds mention in Panini's Ashtadhyayi. It was also visited by nine out of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Angad Dev the Second Guru, being the only exception. The place where Guru Nanak stayed during his sojourn at Kurukshetra is well known as Gurdwara Sidhbati on a mound near the pumping station across the Kurukshetra Tank. The gurdwara dedicated to Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru, stands near Sannihit tank. Another gurdwara near the Sthaneshwar tank marks the spot sanctified by the visit of the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur. And on the main bank of the Kurukshetra tank, stands the Gurdwara Rajghat built in the memory of the visit of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh; who also visited Jyotisar.

Knowledge of Kurukshetra

PLACES OF STAY

Kurukshetra being the place of great historic and religious importance has been developed as a big tourist centre, where a number of visitors come daily. There is good facilities available for stay of tourists who come from distant places. Government has been providing stay facilities in its centre Parakit Motel Pipli, Neelkanthi Yatri Niwas Kurukshetra, Jyotisar Tourism Centre where deluxe type rooms are available ranging from Rs,.250/- per day to 1000/- per day. In addition, there are number of Government Guest houses like PWD Rest house Pipli, Youth Hostel Pipli, University Guest House, RECK guest house. As the Kurukshetra is religious town and during Solar Eclipse Fair lakhs of pilgrim used to come, a number of Voluntary Organization have constructed Dharamshalas which too have good and clean accomodation. Some of these are Krishan Dham Complex, Aggarwal Dharamshala, Gita Dham Ashram, Birla mandir, Gita Bhawan, Jat Dharamshala, Ror Dharamshala, Brahman Dharamshala, Jai Ram Vidya Peeth, Saini Samaj Dharamshala, etc. which provide accommodation on a very nominal charges and some of them free of cost.

HISTORY

Mythologically, the name Kurukshetra applied to a circuit of about 80 miles (128 kms.) which includes a large number of holy places, temples and tanks, connected with the ancient Indian traditions and the Mahabharata war. It covers a wide area with the present Panipat and north-west corner of the Jind district in the south and eastern part of the Patiala district in the west, and the Saraswati and Yamuna rivers at its northern and eastern boundaries respectively. According to Manu, the tract between the old sacred rivers Saraswati and Drishadvati in Kurukshetra was known as Brahmavarta.

In the very first verse of the Bhagvad Gita,a Kurukshetra is described as Dharmakshetra, the field of righteousness. It is also known as Brajhmakshetra, the field of Brahma, the Creator. Nardak is another name for Kurukshetra, probably derived form nirdukh, without sorrow. If u want some knowledge of Kurukshetra city. U can contact me for Knowledge of Kurukshetra