Kuruksetra's Light and Sound Show

[Guest guest]

Kurukshetra—Land of Mahabharata

By R.K. Goyal

"Dieties of Lord Krishna and Arjuna from the Mahabharata epic stand

immortalised in marble. A banyan, believed to be an offshoot of the

original tree as mentioned in the epic, provides shade to the area.

A `light and sound' show held here is a special source of

attraction."

 

Thousands of years ago there flourished a prosperous civilisation in

north-west India. One such part that was spoken of with great

reverence was Kurukshetra. Today its 48 kosas (92 sq. km. area) hide

in its fold 360 places of pilgrimage. It was on this land that Lord

Brahma created man and the universe, as revealed by our histories. It

was here that King Kuru, the great Aryan, gave the supreme sacrifice

for his land; it was at Kurukshetra that Lord Shri Krishna gave the

sermon of holy Bhagwad Gita; it was here that the epic Mahabharata

war was fought.

 

The Brahma Sarovar is the best place to begin one's sojourn in this

city. Here lies a huge water tank. Even the Vaman Purana tells us

that Brahma, the Creator, himself conceptualised the site of the

tank. Another water source of great sanctity is the Sannighit

Sarovar. It lies about 1 km from the Brahma Sarovar.

 

Jyotisar, or the source of light and inspiration, is the birthplace

of the holy Bhagwad Gita. The site lies some 12 km from the railway

station on the Pehowa state road. Dieties of Lord Krishna and Arjuna

from the Mahabharata epic stand immortalised in marble. A banyan,

believed to be an offshoot of the original tree as mentioned in the

epic, provides shade to the area. A `light and sound' show held here

is a special source of attraction.

 

The Sthaneswar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Renovated most

recently, the temple has a white amla dome. A large tank is built

before the temple. The Lakshmi Narayan temple and a number of

gurudwaras can also be visited. The site museum at the mausoleum

displays artefacts that belong to the civilisation dating from 2500

b.c. to the Mughal era. The Shri Krishna Museum houses all kinds of

artefacts on Lord Krishna and his innumerable forms.

 

The `Raja Karna ka tila', King Harsha's garden, the Pathri Masjid and

mausoleum of Sheikh Chehli are famous archaeological sites. The

Panorama Project and the Science Centre display the progress of

science through the ages and present a fine display of the

Mahabharata battle-ground. The Kurukshetra University, is a famous

centre of learning in the country.