Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra, in Haryana, is one of India’s most sacred historic regions, famed as the battlefield of the Mahabharata and the place where Lord Krishna is believed to have delivered the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. The name comes from King Kuru, ancestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas; ancient texts describe Kurukshetra as a holy kshetra between the Sarasvati and Drishadvati rivers. Over centuries, Kurukshetra remained an important religious centre visited by Hindu pilgrims, Buddhists and Jains. Sites like Brahma Sarovar, Jyotisar, Sannihit Sarovar and numerous temples and kunds grew around the belief that dying or bathing here grants spiritual merit. In the medieval period, the area came under successive dynasties, including the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals and later Sikh chiefs, before passing to the British in the early 19th century. After Independence it was part of Karnal district until 1973, when Kurukshetra district was created with Thanesar–Kurukshetra as headquarters. Today Kurukshetra is a major pilgrimage and educational city, home to Kurukshetra University and NIT, and hosts the annual International Gita Mahotsav, continuing its legacy as “Dharmakshetra” – the land of righteousness.