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"Whatever man gives in true devotion. Fruit or
Water, Leaf or
Flower I will accept. That Gift is love, his heart's offering".
Kurukshetra
the holy pilgrimage covers an area of 48 kosas, in which 360 places of
pilgrimage related to the Mahabharata can be seen. The area covers Pehowa,
Kalayat, Amin, Phalgu, Thanesar, Jyotisara and Kurukshetra town.
Kurukshetra has been the germinating ground of the essence of what we
call Hinduism. The call to duty is the supreme religion. The dictate to
action without the thought, the hope, the wish, or reward is a philosophy
that has guided the Indian psyche for thousands of years. It is one of
those holy towns that have borne the imprint of Lord Krishna's footsteps.
But it is not for this reason alone that Kurukshetra is the land where
Manu wrote 'Manusmriti', where learned 'rishis' or Indian sages and
scholars compiled the holy Rig Veda and Sama Veda. It is here too that the
righteous King Kuru performed the supreme sacrifice to bring prosperity to
the land and his people.
This was the place where the great epic battle of Mahabharata taught man
righteous action. The 'Ban Ganga' of Arjun and the now subterranean
'Saraswati' once followed on this land, bringing peace to both who lived
here and to those who died in action, in pain, in sorrow and in remorse.
The Legendary Associations
The very first legend of this land talks of a sage King, named Kuru. He
was the son of Samvarna and Tapati, ancestors of Kauravas and Pandavas. He
founded a domain where righteousness and goodwill would render all who
lived here holy.
For this, the king laid down the eight-fold ethical conduct
(astangamahadharma) of austerity (tapas), truth (satya), forgiveness
(kshama), kindness (daya), purity (saucha), charity (dana), yoga and
continence (bramacharya). He selected a site near Sarasvati. With the bull
of Shiva and the buffalo of Yama tied to his plough, the king began to
till the land. On seeing this, Indra- the king of 'devatas' came to
enquire the purpose of this action. King Kuru replied that he was
preparing the land to sow the seeds of austerity. On hearing this King
Indra laughed and went away.
But Kuru continued with his labour. Lord Vishnu appeared there and asked
Kuru to give him the seeds of austerity that he desired to sow on the
land. At this, King Kuru chopped off his limbs and finally his head to be
sown into the soil.
On seeing this supreme sacrifice, Lord Vishnu was pleased. He asked the
King to ask for two boons. Kuru prayed that the land may be known by his
name, and anyone who died here, irrespective of his sins and virtues, may
be granted place in Heaven. And so the land continues to bear the name of
this righteous king.
The
Land Sanctified
With the passage of time, Kurukshetra came to be visited by Lord Sri
Krishna whose very presence and then the discourse on Gita made it holy.
King Prithu's prayers, Lord Buddha's visit, halt of Sikh gurus, Sheikh
Chehli ka Maqbara and the Gardens of Harsha Vardhan have, through the
ages, marked the importance and sanctity of this town.
Prime Attractions
Brahma Sarovar
Amongst the holiest of water tanks of this revered land is the Brahma
Sarovar. It is a common belief that Lord Brahma, the Creator of the
Universe conceived the Earth here. The water tank finds mention as "the
tank resembles an ocean", in the memoirs of Al-Beruni named
'Kitab-ul-Hind'. This scholar was describing the country in the 11th
century AD.
Sannihit Sarovar
Sannihit Sarovar, a holy tank is believed to be the meeting point of
seven sacred Sarasvatis. Prayers and 'pind daan' for the unnatural deaths
is recommended here. By the side of this renovated kund, lie small temples
of Dhruv Narayan, Lord Vishnu, Laxmi Narayan, Dhruv Bhagat, Lord Hanuman
and Mother Goddess Durga.
Sri Krishna Museum
Set up by the Kurukshetra Development Board, Sri Krishna Museum has on
display varied phases of the Lord's life. Patta Chitra, Kangra, Madhubani
and Pichhawai paintings, bronze collection dating to the times of the
Pallava, Chola and Nayaka period.
Gurudwara at Kurukshetra
The Sikh Gurus, like all Hindu saints, showed due veneration to
recognised tenets of the Hindu faith. They visited the Hindu places of
pilgrimage on holy festivals like the solar eclipse fair and gave their
blessings to thousands of seekers of peace and solace. The place where
Guru Nanak stayed during his sojourn at Kurukshetra is well known as
'Gurudwara Sidhbati'.
Gita Jayanti
Celebrations
Every
year the birth of Srimad Bhagwad Gita is celebrated as the Gita Jayanti. A
visit to Kurukshetra during the festival is an exhilarating and spiritual
experience. The environment of the town is imbued with sanctity.
Celebrating this philosophy of selfless Karma, the Gita Jayanti presents
Bhagwad Gita recitals, 'aarti' and 'deepdaan' at Brahma Sarovar, 'shloka'
recital and quiz, 'shobha yatras' and seminars on the importance of Gita
in today's world. Free medical camps, book exhibitions and 'bhajan'
recitals in classical tradition are organized.
Sheikh
Chehli Mausoleum
Towards the north of Thanesar and over looking the sarai built by Sher
Shah Suri is the marble tomb of Sheikh Chehli, an Iranian Sufi saint. He
was laid to rest in this tomb, which had originally been built for Hazrat
Kutub, Jalaluddin under orders of Shahjahan, out of his great respect and
regard for Hazrat Sahib.
Sthaneshvara
Mahadev Temple
With an air of an ancient presence, lies the Sthaneshvara Mahadev Temple
at Thanesar. It was here that the Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva and
received His blessings for victory in the battle of Mahabharata. Legend
has it that the waters of the tank adjoining the temple are holy.
Jyotisara
One of the most revered of holy centres of Kurukshetra is Jyotisara.
Renovated recently, it retains its divinity as the birthplace of the holy
Bhagwad Gita. A 'Vat' (banyan) tree stands on a raised plinth.
Pehowa
Prayers and 'pind daan' for the unnatural deaths is recommended here. By
the side of this renovated kund lie small temples of Dhruv Narayan, Lord
Vishnu, Laxmi Narayan, Dhruv Bhagat, Lord Hanuman and Mother Goddess
Durga. It is also known as the 'Prithudaka Tirtha'.
Excursions
Falgu
Or, 'Furl' as locals name it, lies 53 kms from Kurukshetra. Legend has
it, that on the request of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu himself appeared here.
This tale finds mention in the Narad Puran. A dip in the waters of the
tank here, say locals, bring upon one wealth and prosperity. The Ghats of
the kund have been improved with red stone. Renovation work of the area is
in progress.
Kalayat
70 km from Kurukshetra on the Kaithal-Narwana Road lies another holy
centre named Kalayat. The town has been named after Kapil Muni, the 10th
son of Kardam Rishi, son of Brahma. The writing of 'Shankhya Shastra' is
attributed to him. Waters of the tank located here are considered to have
healing powers.
On days of Kartika Purnima, a number of devotees assemble here. A temple
near the holy water tank is dedicated to Katyayani Devi. People come in
large numbers to worship here.
Bhishma Kund
Lying about 3 miles from Kurukshetra, is the Bhishma Kund. 0n the last
legs of this war, Bhishma lay wounded on a bed of arrows. And as the end
came near, he felt thirsty. The Kauravas, who were guarding him zealously,
were unable to help him quench his thirst. At this Bhishma, who was the
family elder of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas called for Arjun.
Arjun's arrow is said to have brought the waters of holy Ganges.
Ban
Ganga
5 km away from Kurukshetra-Kirmich Road lies yet another site famous as
the Ban Ganga. A tank of approximately 78x110 feet in dimension, a Hanuman
temple and images of the Mahabharata heroes are installed here. Legend has
it that when Arjun learnt of the death of his son Abhimanyu, he vowed to
kill Jaidrath by dusk, or kill himself if he did not succeed. Battle
strategies were grim. And so the Kauravas hid Jaidrath hoping Arjun, upon
non-fulfilment of his vow, would kill himself. Arjun in his search for
Jaidrath had to fight rows and rows of enemies.
The horses of Arjun became wounded and tired. On the order of Lord
Krishna his charioteer, Arjun struck an arrow in the earth and a spring
erupted. He made an enclosure with his arrows where Lord Krishna bathed
the horses, washed their wounds with his garment and helped them quench
their thirst. A fair is held here on the day of Baisakhi.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
How To Get There
Air:
The Airports close to Kurukshetra are at Delhi and Chandigarh, which are
well connected by road and rail. Taxi service is also available.
Rail:
Kurukshetra is a railway junction, well connected with all important
towns and cities of the country.
Road:
Buses of Haryana Roadways and other State Corporations ply through
Kurukshetra and connect it to Delhi, Chandigarh and other important
places.
Tour:
Haryana Tourism runs special one-day conducted tour coaches both from
Delhi and Chandigarh. Package rates including transport, food and
sightseeing charges are levied. Details may be obtained from address
points.
Where to Stay: Hotels & Restaurants
One of the most valued duties of the host town of Kurukshetra has been to
set up stations for halt of pilgrims.
Neelkanthi
Krishna Dham Yatri Niwas:
This complex of Haryana Tourism is a recent construction and a few
kilometres from the Railway Station as also a short drive from the
National Highway#1.
Krishna Dham:
It has a central open courtyard, with guest rooms and dormitories built
round it.
Panchayat Bhawan (Kurukshetra):
It also has accommodation wings.
Parakeet at
Peepli:
Another tourist complex of Haryana Tourism where tourists may opt for
air-conditioned accommodation is Parakeet at Pipli, some 5 km from
Kurukshetra town. It lies on the National Highway number one, some 109 km
from Chandigarh.
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Kurukshetra City
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Kurukshetra City
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Network Map Of Kurukshetra City