A sprawling city dotted with temples, sacred tanks and pilgrimage sites, Kurukshetra, in Haryana, is rooted in history. It is said to be the battleground of the epic war between Pandavas and Kauravas as mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It boasts its rich heritage and past glory in various majestic temples and holy tanks like Brahma Sarovar and Sannihit Sarovar. Named after king Kuru, an ancestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas, Kurukshetra has been a silent witness to many great events through the course of the history. It is also believed that Lord Krishna preached the Bhagwat Gita to Arjuna, a Pandava prince, here. According to mythology, Kurukshetra is spread over 48 kos (an ancient system of measuring land, wherein one kos is about 3 km) and envelops in its holy folds many temples. Legends abound here and have kept the stories of Mahabharata alive.

The sacred River Saraswati (now non-existing), along which the mighty Aryan civilization began and bloomed, was once the lifeblood of this land. In fact, if one is to believe the mythology that is associated with Kurukshetra, the holy waters of all the rivers that are considered to be sacred in Hinduism flow converge in Kurukshetra’s Sannihit Sarovar, at the time of Somavati amavasya and solar eclipse. It is also believed that if one takes a dip in the holy waters of one of tanks in Kurukshetra, one can attain freedom from the cycle of rebirth and ascend to heaven. Similarly, the locals are very fond of quoting the Mahabharata that says anyone who dies in this city attains salvation after death. This is the very city where it is said the great sage Manu wrote Manusmriti, the book of law and morality, which guides Hindus. Moreover, it is also believed that this is the place where learned sages compiled the Rig Veda and the Sama Veda.