Kurukshetra - Haryana

Geography

Kurukshetra town lies in the North Eastern part of Haryana State and is about 160 Kilometers North of Delhi, 39 Kilometers North of Karnal and 40 Kilometers South of Ambala. It is at distance of about 6 kilometer from Pipli, an important road junction on the National Highway No.1 popularly called the Grand Trunk Road. There is a good road network in the state that connects all the places in Haryana to each other as well as from the places outside the state boundary like Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. There are regular bus services between these places. Kurukshetra Railway Station, also called the Kurukshetra Junction is located on main Delhi-Ambala Railway line. There are two bus stands in Kurukshetra and one is at Pipli which is on the National Highway and easily accessible for the visitors coming from every corner of world.

There are about 360 Tirthas of religious and historic importance. The foremost 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, places like Sheikh Chehli's tomb and Madrasah, Pathar Masjid and Chini Masjid. If all the spots make it a religious and historical place on the other side some other like Kurukshetra University, Regional Engineering College, Ayurvedic Medical College, Science Museum (Panorma) etc. are the famous places that make the modern Kurukshetra.

Tourism

Brahma Sarovar

The Brahma Sarovar is a holy water tank. Belief is that Lord Brahma conceived that the Earth here in all its diversity. There are many small temples in its surrounding areas. There is also small Mahadev temples (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 and the days of the Gita Jayanti.

An Ironical mystery about Sarswati river is really very heart touching. Around thousands of years ago, this river laps in the desert somewhere and its existence is vanished in a very mystical manner. Reasons are long enigmatic, dwindled and dried up. Several other rivers shifted their courses; some of their tributaries were ‘pirated’ by neighboring Rivers or severed from their main courses. Even the greenery of Rajasthan was lost and replaced by an arid desert where hot winds piled up dunes of sand. The flourishing civilizations vanished one by one. At the same time India lost the prosperity along with the disappearance of the river Saraswati. Now many archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists, and climatologists try to regain the lose of the great river using a variety of techniques.

Sannihit Sarover

Sannihit Sarover is the meeting point of the seven sacred Saraswatis and to bathe here on the day of amavasya. people assume that just taking a dip in this water on the days of amavasya you can get free from your sin. 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 pandvas prayed to Lord Shiva and received his blessing for victory in the battle of Mahabharata. Waters of the tank adjoining the temple are holy. A few drops of water cured the King Ban of leprosy. It is a famous place of kingdom of the King Harsha Vardhan of the Pushyabhuti dynasty. The architecture of the temple is regional in style - it has a domical roof.

Kamal Nabhi

Kamal Nabhi adjacent the town of Thanesar lies the temple of Kamal Nabhi. 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

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 laid on a bed of arrows.