Kurukshetra

Information about Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra is a small town and the modern temple here can be described as Kitsch, an artificial reproduction of earlier temple styles. But the site is important for its influence on the development of Hindi ideas, not Hindu architecture. Modern Kurukshetra has no trace of the period when it played the central role described in the Mahabharata as the battlefield where Arjuna learned the meaning of dharma. The flat plain around Kurukshetra is described in Sanskrit literature as Brahmavarta (land of the Sages) and is regarded as particularly sacred.

Kurukshetra town is situated 160 km north of Delhi on the national highway NH1. Other towns of the district are Pehowa, Ladwa, Ismailabad and Shahabad. The total area of Kurukshetra district is 1,682 sq kms and its population is 6,41,000. Total area under cultivation is 1,68,000 hectares out of this, 1,47,000 is irrigated area. The Kurukshetra district lies between latitude 29^o-52' to 30^o- 12' and longitude 76^o-26' to 77^o-04' in the North Eastern part of Haryana State. The district has a total of 419 villages. Ghaggar, Markanda and Saraswati are the important rivers of the district.

Geography: The district is a plain which slopes generally from North East to South West. The plain is remarkable flat and within it, are the narrow low-lying flood plains, known as either Betre Khadar of Naili. A good network of canals is providing irrigational facilities. Underground water level is not relatively high. Tube well irrigation is also common in the district. It is one of the prosperous district from agriculture point of view. Kurukshetra along with Karnal and Kaithal districts is known as the 'Rice Bowl of India' and famous for Basmati Rice. The soil is generally alluvial, loam and clay does not constitute average texture of the soil.

Climate of the district is very hot in summer (upto 47° C) and cold in winter (down to 1° C) with rains in July and August.

Kurukshetra is a place of great historical and religious importance, revered all over the country for its sacred association with the Vedas and the Vedic Culture. It was here that the battle of Mahabharat was fought and Lord Krishna preached his Philosophy of 'KARMA' as enshrined in the Holy Bhagwad-Gita, to Arjuna at Jyotisar. In the very first verse of Bhagwad-Gita, Kurukshetra is described as DHARAMKSHETRA i.e. 'Region of righteousness'. According to Hindu mythology, the name Kurukshetra applied to a circuit of about 48 KOS or about 128 Km which includes a large number of holy places, temples and tanks connected with the ancient Indian traditions and the Mahabharat War and Kurus, the ancestor of Kouravs and Pandavs. Kurukshetra is intimately related to the Aryan civilization and its growth along the Saraswati river.

Places to visit: There are about 360 Tirthas of religious and historic importance. The foremoót among the Kurukshetra tirthas are Brahmsarovar or Kurukshetra Tank, Sannihit Tank, Sthanesvra Mahadev Mandir, Jyotisar, Baan-ganga, Bhisam Kund (Narkatari) Chandrakupa, Nabhi Kamal, Bhadarkali Mandir, Arnai Temple, Prachi Tirath Pehowa, Saraswati Tirath Pehowa, Prithduk Tirath Pehowa, Rantuk Yaksh Bir pipli, Karan Ka Tila,etc.

A few archaeological sites which have yielded various objects of interest and a distinctive class of pottery known as the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) are Raja Karan Ka Tila, Asthipura, Bhor Saidan, Bhagpura and Daulatpur.

Kurukshetra is one of the very few places visited by all the Sikh Gurus and Gurdwaras have been erected to commemorate their visit, the most prominent among them being the Gurdwara Patshahi dedicated to the sixth Guru Hargobind. Hundreds of devotees visit this shrine every day whose design is simply marvelous. The eighth Sikh guru Harkishan performed a miracle of making a deaf and dumb boy recite verses from the Bhagvad-Gita. The ninth Guru, Teg Bahadur, set camp near Sthaneshwar tirtha where a gurdwara now stands. Gurdwara Rajghat, the biggest all the Kurukshetra gurdwaras, is located near the main bank of the Kurukshetra tank. This was built in the memory of the Guru Gobind Singh who came here.

Tomb of Sufi saint Sheikh Chilhi Jalal is a fascinating monument, octagonal in shape, crowned with a dome of white marble and surrounded by a white marble courtyard. Also worth a visit are, Chini Masjid and Pathar Masjid.

Tourist Attractions in Kurukshetra The main tourist attraction in Kurukshetra is the Brahmasar or Kurukshetra Tank. There are also the remains of a Muslim Fort, including the Tomb of Shaikh chilli Jalal and Lal Masjid, a small red sandstone mosque. The carving on the domes is similar to that at Fatehpur Sikri. Brahmasar or Kurukshetra Tank This tank is about 1 km west of the town and about 1 km long. Many pilgrims came here to take a bath, but it is also visited by a wide range of wildfowl, during the winter. The tank is surrounded by temples and ghats (steps) leading down to the water’s edge. It also become the special focus of pilgrimage at the time of exceptional astronomical events. The solar eclipses in Kurukshetra are marked by special pilgrimages, when over one million people come to the tank from across northern India. It is believed that the waters of all India’s sacred tanks meet together in the Kurukshetra tank at the moment of eclipse, giving extra merit to anyone who can bathe in it at that moment. Excursions Thanesar Thanesar, near Kurukshetra, is an ancient town and birthplace of the ruler Harsha Vardhana. Thanesar, originally known as Sthanvisvara became the launching pad for Harsha’s campaigns. Harsha’s father, a local chief had fought off the Huns besides feuding with his neighbours. From his capital in Thanesar, Harsha extended his territory from Bengal to Gujarat, and received tribute from as far a field as Assam. Thanesar was a Hindu pilgrimage centre and was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1011 AD. Ambala Ambala is situated about 50 km from Kurukshetra and lies on the Haryana and Punjab border on the road from Delhi to Chandigarh. During the British times, it became a large cantonment area and covered 78 square km, laid out from 1843 in grid fashion. The famous Gupta iron pillar which is now at the Qutub Minar in Delhi was originally placed on the hill just outside Ambala town before being moved by the Muslim rulers to its present position. Paget Park on the northern side of the city is a pleasant open space with the shell of St. John's cathedral, designed in 14th century Gothic style. It was bombed in the 1965 Indo–Pakistan war. The city is the headquarters of the district and an important wheat market. Narnaul Narnaul was once a place of faith, but, today, it is most definitely an earthly domain with its disorderly bazaars and chaotic streets. Narnaul is situated on the south-western tip of Haryana. Narnaul has some historic and architecturally significant buildings. The most interesting of these buildings is the five-storeyed Rai Mukund Das Chhatta, which Birbal one of the ‘nine jewels’ of Akbar’s court, has visited very often. This building is built in stone and lime mortar, with a courtyard at its heart. This building also has ingenious lighting for underground rooms, as well as inventive water retrieval and storage systems. Adding to its mystery quotient is the rumour that underneath the building are long escape tunnels, some of which run as far as Delhi and Jaipur. The terrace affords unparalleled views of the town and the surrounding hills. Pataudi Pataudi is the home of the famous Pataudi Palace. The town gets its name from a Mewati chieftain, Pata, who founded it and named it Pataudi. Pataudi Palace, which has been turned into a heritage hotel, was built in 1935 to bring home the daughter of the Nawabs of Bhopal. It is undoubtedly a remarkable building but not open to tourists. Farukhnagar The Nawabs of Farukhpur were used as pawns by the British against Rajput rulers as part of their ‘divide and rule’ strategy. After partition, they migrated to Pakistan, leaving behind their legacy of palaces, gardens and the famous Sheesh Mahal. The Sheesh Mahal has some unusual, intricate mirror decorations. This palace houses a jail that was also used as a torture chamber. Other places which can be seen in Farukhnagar are Ghaus Ali Shah’s shrine, Delhi Gate and the Salt wells.

How to get here Kurukshetra is connected by road from Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Panipat.