trailoftwocities: In the land of the Bhagavad Gita

If you tell your acquaintances that you are planning a trip to Kurukshetra, the usual reaction will be that there is not much to see or do In the dusty Haryana town, except clicking pictures of the huge bronze chariot depicting Lord Krishna and Arjun near the Brahma Sarovar, and taking a dip in the holy lake during some auspicious occasion such as the Somvati Amavasya or solar eclipse.

But after a day-tour to Kurukshetra with a friend last Saturday, I disagree. If you, like myself, are obsessed with the Mahabharata, that great-great-grandfather of Game of Thrones, and an avid reader of mythological stories (not the Amish kind) then you cannot but feel excited when you see and read the scores of plaques installed on the banks of the huge Brahma Sarovar, narrating puranic episodes relating to the land of Kurukshetra since the time of King Kuru, the forefather of the warring brothers in the grand epic. Or when you hear that it is believed that this was the same lake where Duryodhan was hiding underwater on the concluding day of the war (but wasn’t that called Dwipayana Sarovar?). Or when you read that a village named Amin that your train passed through before reaching Kurukshetra was where the Chakravyuha was set up and Abhimanyu was killed by the seven “rathis”. Or when you visit the Ban-Ganga or Bhishma Kund and click the photo of a signboard that says that this was the spot where Pitamaha Bhishma lay on the bed of arrows, thirsty, as Arjun shot more arrows into the ground to let out a spring of water for him to drink.

It is like re-living the epic again and again.

Not going into the myth-vs-history debate, and taking Mahabharata purely as the greatest story ever told, there is actually a scope for developing parts of of Kurukshetra into a Wizarding World of Harry Potter-type theme city. A glimpse of what can be achieved can be found in the splendid panoramic depiction of all 18 days of the war in the Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre.

There is something for everyone in Kurukshetra. The devout can find his solace in the Sarveshawar Mahadev temple on Brahma Sarovar, the Sthaneshwar Mahadev temple which gave the adjoining Sthaneshwar or Thaneshwar (now Thanesar) its name or the Bhadrakali Mandir, considered a Shakti Peeth where the right ankle of Maa Sati had fallen. There is also a Shri Krishna Museum with exquisite artefacts and an inexplicable prohibition on clicking photographs, and a planetarium and gallery dedicated to the memory of astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

And for the history and heritage enthusiast, there is Harsha Ka Tila and tomb of Sheikh Chehli.

Sheikh Chehli/Chaheli/Chilli (not to be confused with a famous comic character in children’s books) was said to be a Sufi saint and a spiritual teacher of Dara Shukoh. There are considerable doubts and differences among chroniclers about the Pir’s name or whether he was actually a master of the Mughal prince who translated Upanishads into Persian. But there is no argument about the elegance and beauty of the complex. The octagonal marble tomb at the centre, another sandstone tomb with a vaulted roof on the western side, the red sandstone Pathar Masjid and the vast elevated courtyard looked serene and ethereal on the background of dark clouds that gathered in the sky as we explored the site. The square-shaped enclosure below is surrounded by rooms where once a madrasa was being run and which now houses an Archaeological Survey of India Museum.

From the courtyard, one can see an ancient mound called Harsha-Ka-Tila, called so after Pushyabhuti King Harshavardhana, who had started his reign in Thanesar. An excavation of the mound led to the discovery of a treasure trove of antiquities. The ASI Museum displays objects belonging from Kushan to Mughal period, found at the place and several other nearby excavation sites.

Kurukshetra is definitely recommended for a one-time day trip. One can take the morning Kalka-Shatabdi Express to reach at 9.40 am and the return train at 7.40 pm. However, it is advisable to book a good hotel/dharmashala beforehand if one wants to freshen up a bit before reaching the station.

And yes, foodies should not expect to find anything mildly interesting. Stuffing yourself with railway bread-and-cutlet is a better option.

(Information source and further reading: Thanesar and Its Vicinity: B.M Pande & C. Dorje; published by Archaeological Survey of India)