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.
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