Kurukshetra is a well known district in Haryana, which is named after the King Kuru of Bharata Dynasty, ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas. This place is famous as it is believed that this was the battle ground where Kauravas & Pandavas fought for the kingdom of Hastinapur.
There is a Brahma Sarovar here which is huge and very famous. It is believed that Lord Brahma (the Creator as per Hindu mythology) created the universe from the land of Kurukshetra after a huge yagna. The Brahma Sarovar here is believed to be the cradle of civilization. Every year this pond sees lakhs of pilgrims coming from all corners of India to take a holy dip. A sacred shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva also stands within the sarovar and is accessible by a small bridge.
The most famous site in kurukshetra is the “Jyotisar” – ‘Jyoti’ means light and ‘Sar’ means the core meaning. Hence the name of place literally means the ‘core meaning of light’ or ultimately of God. A Vat (Banyan tree) stands on a raised platform. Local traditions say that this tree is an offshoot of the holy Banyan tree under which Lord Krishna delivered the sermon of Bhagavad Gita, the doctrine of Karma and Dharma to his wavering friend Arjuna. It is here that he showed his Virat rupa (Universal form), the terrifying image of Himself as the Destroyer God. A marble chariot depicting Lord Krishna delivering the sermon to Arjuna marks the site of the Srimad Bhagwad Gita. In one secluded section of this center, an old Shiva temple can also be seen.
Another famous tourist attraction of Kurukshetra is the quiet, peaceful and beautiful “Sheikh Chehli ka Makbara” which is a tomb built during Mughal period in remembrance of Sufi Saint Sheikh Chehli, believed to be the spiritual teacher of Mughal Prince, Dara Shikoh.
This place can be visited any time of the year and doesn’t take more than a day to see all the famous spots in the city. And this place boasts of a lot many temples which have their own mythological importance but are much smaller and do not attract many tourists.
When I went there, we drove down in our car from Karnal in the morning and had reached Brahma Sarovar in a couple of hours. It was a beautiful site with cool waters to dip your feet or take a full body dip in. After spending some time at Brahma Sarovar, we went to see the place where Geeta sermon was delivered at the Jyotisar… It was an amazing experience to be at a holy spot like this one. Very calm and quiet! The best part about this place is not many tourists are found every day, so it is well maintained, clean and quiet. After taking a round around the holy Banyan tree, we visited all the temples adjacent to this place. Then we proceeded to see the Sheikh Chilli ka makbara, wow that was another very calm and quiet place. A place where you get the feeling that really someone has been put to rest! After spending a couple of hours visiting all these places and a few more temples, of which I don’t even remember the names we headed back home in late afternoon.
By: Ruchi Chandra
Posts Tagged ‘Lord Shiva’
Kurukshetra – The Battle Ground of Mahabharata – A Very Less Traveled Destination in India
January 24th, 2010India Pilgrimage Tours Take You to the Roots of Secular and Grand India
November 11th, 2009
This has been the practice since ancient times. India Pilgrimage Tours take you to some of the most sacred temples, pilgrimage sites, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and synagogues across different regions and states of the country.
The philosophy in Hindu Vaastu Shastra highlights the temple as figurative representation of creator. The dictum necessitates a temple to be with entrance and the affiliated structures, and the internal sacred sanctum. To visit a series or some of these significant temples is believed to lead one to Moksha or Salvation; in other words, an exit from the birth-death cycle. For this reason, many Hindus specifically plan pilgrimage tour to holy temples at least once in a lifetime.
The world’s highest mountain Himalayas, since time immemorial, has religious connation; it is also called the Abode of Gods. Thus, it is the first pilgrimage choice of most Hindus. The tours in this difficult terrain include the well-known trek annually in July-August to ice idol of Lord Shiva – Amarnath Yatra – in the Jammu and Kashmir State. The North India travel packages and pilgrimage tour to Char Dhaam, namely Badrinath shrine devoted to Lord Vishnu, Kedarnath – an abode of Lord Shiva, Gangotri – the inception point of the Ganges, and Yamunotri of River Yamuna, is a tour package that covers major pilgrimage sites in Himalayas that are situated above 3000 ft elevation.
Yet another more elaborate Char Dhaam Yatra in India covers Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Puri in the East, Dwarka in the West and Rameshwaram in the South. It is believed that after undertaking a holy pilgrimage tour to these Four Holiest Hindu Sites, one must visit Pushkar in Rajasthan and take a dip in its Holy Lake to attain Salvation. The chain of Indian pilgrimage tours includes the revered Vaishno Devi Yatra to the pious 100-meter long cave with three idols of Goddess on Shivalik Hills in Jammu. Other crowd-puller temples include the Tirupati Balaji in South India at 2800 ft, the Golden Temple in Amritsar in Punjab with Sikh ideology, and the Hemund Sahib at 4329 ft at Parvati Valley near Kullu Manali. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is sacred city since ancient times.
The Jain community goes for Tirth Yatra to Shri Achalagadh on Aravalli Ranges, Shri Amarsagar Tirth located at Amarsagar village, Shri Aur Tirth at Aur village, the Nasik Tirth and many others scattered all over India where Jainism flourished. Buddhism has been a part of Indian philosophy right from its inception. People of all nationalities are ardent devotees of this philosophy of life. Bodh Gaya is the site where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, Sarnath is the place where Buddhist philosophy was perpetuated to the world, Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh is pious because the Buddha as God did miracle acts here to prove his divinity. Nalanda, the world renowned University, is also a sacred pilgrimage center for Buddhists along with Kushinagar, where Lord Buddha attained Nirvana.
Muslim, the second largest community in India, has many significant mosques and revered shrines to visit too. Ajmer Sharif, Jama Masjid at Delhi, and Sheikh Salim Chisti’s Dargah at Fatehpur Sikri near Agra are just some of the places where millions and billions of devotees throng to seek blessings of the saints and prophets. Among the churches, the most sought-after is the Church of Goa built way back in the 16th century. Discover grand India by planning theme-based holidays to see and experience how diversity in culture, language and lifestyle can add beauty to the social fabric of a nation.
By: Adiba Roshan Khan
Kausani – The Switzerland of India
November 1st, 2009
The beautiful hill station of Kausani is located in Uttaranchal, India. It is just 53 km away from Almora which is another beautiful hill station of the state. Called the ‘Switzerland of India’ by none other than the ‘Father of the Nation’, Mahatma Gandhi, Kausani is the pride of the Himalayas.
An epitome of serenity and tranquility, and much famed for its pine trees covered valleys and the views of the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas, Kausani is honeymooners’ paradise. From here, one can enjoy more than 300 km wide panoramic views of the Himalayas. The mesmerizing sight of the mountain peaks of the Trishul, Nanda Devi and Panchchuli from Kausani takes one’s breath away. Kausani is also much famous for its beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
The place is so beautiful that it compelled even Mahatma Gandhi to prolong his stay here. He was supposed to stay for just two days here but the idyllic and stunning Kausani enticed him to stay here for 12 days during which he wrote his book on Anasakti Yoga. The place where the ‘Father of the Nation’ stayed is the Anasakti Ashram that shows Kausani’s association with the Mahatma.
Kausani is also associated with the name of the great poet laureate Sumitranandan Pant who was born here. The Pant Museum at Kausani is worth visiting. Lakshmi Ashram at Kausani is yet another attraction of the place and worth visiting. It is symbolic of women emancipation.
Then there is the famous Baijnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is just 25 km away from Kausani. This 1000-year old temple is located in pleasant surroundings and attracts people inspired by nature and religion. Mythology has it that the Goddess Parvati went to marry Lord Shiva from this place. The Nanda Devi Temple located 10 km away from Baijnath is yet another prominent attraction of the place. It offers wonderful views of the Himalayas and the pine covered valleys below.
Kausani is well connected by rail, road and air. The nearest airport is at Pantnagar which is 180 km away and the nearest rail head is at Kathgodam which is 142 km away. The best time to visit Kausani is October-November and February-March.
And oh, before I forget, let me tell you that if you are a bird watcher or derive pleasure watching the many species of the winged creatures, then you must surely visit Binsar which is near Kausani. The wonderful forest reserve and bird sanctuary of Binsar would enthrall you. Don’t be surprised if you spot some wild animals also at Binsar as the place has several of them. Binsar also offers breathtaking views of the snow capped mountain peaks of Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Nand Kot, and Panchchuli.
By: Sanjay Kumar Pandey
