Kurukshetra (Hindi:kurukṣetra,pronounced[kʊrʊkʃeːtɾə]ⓘ) is a historical region in India, also known asDharmakshetra ("Realm of duty") and as the "Land of theBhagavad Gita." It also refers to thecity Kurukshetra, situated in the area and administrative headquarters ofKurukshetra district in theIndian state ofHaryana.
A manuscript ofMahabharata depicting the war at Kurukshetra
According to thePuranas, Kurukshetra is a region named afterKing Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and Pandavas in theKuru kingdom, as depicted in epicMahabharata. TheKurukshetra War of theMahabharata is believed to have taken place here.Thaneswar, whose urban area is merged with Kurukshetra, is a pilgrimage site with many locations attributed toMahabharata.[4]
In the Vedas, Kurukshetra is described not as a city but as a region ("kshetra" means "region" in Sanskrit). The boundaries of Kurukshetra correspond roughly to the central and western parts of the state ofHaryana andPunjab. According to theTaittiriya Aranyaka 5.1.1., the Kurukshetra region is south of Turghna (Srughna/Sugh inSirhind, Punjab), north ofKhandava (Delhi andMewat region), east ofMaru (desert), and west of Parin.[5]
According to theVamana Purana, King Kuru chose land at the banks of theSarasvati River for embedding spirituality with eight virtues: austerity (Tapas), truth (Satya), forgiveness (Kshama), kindness (Daya), purity (Shuddha), charity (Daana), devotion (Yajna), and conduct (Brahmacharya). LordVishnu was impressed with the acts of King Kuru and blessed him with two boons—first, that this land forever will be known as a Holy Land after his name as Kurukshetra (the land of Kuru); second, that anyone dying on this land will go to heaven.
The land of Kurukshetra was situated between two rivers—theSarasvati and theDrishadvati.
Kuru kingdom, founded byKing Puru—the ancestors ofKauravas andPandavas VedicIndo-Aryan tribal union in northernIron Age[6][7] (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE), developed into the first recordedstate-level society (janapada) in theIndian subcontinent.[8][9][10] This kingdom documented their ritual hymns into collections called theVedas, and developed new rituals which gained their position inIndian civilization as theSrauta rituals,[8] which contributed to the "classical synthesis"[10] orHindu synthesis (roots of Hinduism).[11] It was the dominant political and cultural center of the middle Vedic Period during the reigns ofParikshit andJanamejaya,[8] but declined in importance during the late Vedic period (c. 900 – c. 500 BCE) and had become "something of a backwater"[10] by theMahajanapada period in the 5th century BCE. Traditions and legends about the Kurus continued into the post-Vedic period, providing the basis for theMahabharata epic.[8] The time-frame and geographical extent of the Kuru kingdom (as determined byphilological study of the Vedic literature) corresponds with the archaeologicalPainted Grey Ware culture.[10]
Kurukshetra was conquered by theMauryan empire in the late 4th century BCE and subsequently became a center of Buddhism and Hinduism. The history of Kurukshetra is little-known in between the collapse of the Mauryans and the rise of theKushans who conquered the region. After the decline of Kushan power in the region, Kurukshetra became independent only to become conquered by theGupta empire in the early 4th century CE. Under Gupta rule, Kurukshetra experienced a cultural and religious revival and became a center for Hinduism. After the fall of the Gupta, thePushyabhuti dynasty ruled over Kurukshetra.[12]
Kurukshetra reached the zenith of its progress during the reign of KingHarsha (c. 590–647 CE) during which Chinese scholarXuanzang visited Thanesar. Civil war broke out when Harsha (of the Pushyabhuti dynasty) died without a successor in 647. A Kashmiri army briefly conquered Kurukshetra in 733 but were unable to establish dominion in the area. In 736, theTomara dynasty was founded and they took over the region. Around the early 9th century, Kurukshetra lost its independence to Bengal.Mahmud of Ghazni sacked Kurukshetra in 1014 and Muslim raiders sacked it in 1034. Kurukshetra was incorporated into theDelhi Sultanate in 1206. Other than a short moment of independence from the result of a rebellion within the Sultanate in 1240, Kurukshetra was under the control of Delhi until 1388.[12]
Kurukshetra became independent once again after the steep decline of the Delhi Sultanate and the raids ofTamerlane near the region. TheSayyid dynasty incorporated Kurukshetra into their territory though the city likely enjoyed some autonomy. The area was much more firmly controlled under the subsequentLodi dynasty. Some damages to Kurukshetra and its structures occurred during this period. Kurukshetra became part of theMughal Empire afterBabur quashed a local rebellion in 1526. UnderAkbar, Kurukshetra once again became a spiritual center not only for Hindus but also for Sikhs and Muslims.[12]
Between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Kurukshetra was controlled by the forces of theMaratha Empire until the British took over Delhi in 1803. In 1805, the British took Kurukshetra after defeating the Maratha forces in theSecond Anglo-Maratha War, who were controlling the city. Since 1947, Kurukshetra has become a popular spiritual center and has seen much infrastructure, development, and restoration of old structures.[12]
The climate of the district varies as the temperature in summer reaches as high as 47 °C (117 °F), and as low 1 °C (34 °F) in winter, with rains in July and August.
In 2017, the government declared Kurukshetra a holy city and the sale, possession, and consumption of meat are banned within the limits of the Municipal Corporation due to its religious significance.[14]
Brahma Sarovar: Every yearlakhs (hundreds of thousands) of people come to take a holy bath at Brahma Sarovar on the occasion of "Somavati Amavasya" (Sacred No-Moon Day that happens on a Monday) and on solar eclipses. They believe that a bath in the holy Sarovar frees all sins and cycle of birth-death. The Sarovar is one of Asia's largest man-made ponds.[19]Hindu genealogy registers are kept here.
Sannihit Sarovar: The pond is believed to be the meeting point of seven sacred Saraswatis. The Sarovar, according to popular belief, containssacred water. Bathing in the waters of the tank on the day of Amavasya (night of complete darkness) or on the day of an eclipse bestows blessings equivalent to performing the Ashvamedh Yajna.
Jyotisar: The famous site whereBhagavad Gita was delivered to Arjuna under the tree. The tree of that time is witness to Gita.
Sheikh Chilli's Tomb: This monument is maintained by theArchaeological Survey of India. It was built during theMughal era in remembrance of Sufi Saint Sheikh Chehli, believed to be the spiritual teacher of Mughal PrinceDara Shikoh. The Prince's main 'Murshid' or 'Sheikh' (Spiritual Guide), however, is historically known to have been Hazrat SheikhMian Mir Sahib, ofLahore,[20] although Sheikh Chehli might have been an additional teacher. Another theory is that the site of the so-calledmaqbara or tomb. Sheikh Chaheli’s Tomb and the madarasa are associated with the Sufi saint Abdu'r-Rahim alias Aabd-ul-Razak, popularly known as Shaikh Chehli (also pronounced Chilli).[21]
The Pathar Masjid is built of red sandstone and is known for its fluted minaret.
Nabha House, a palatial building was constructed by the royal family of Nabha principality.[22]
TheDeputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to theIndian Administrative Service, is in charge of the General Administration in thedistrict. He is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Haryana Civil Service and other Haryana state services.
TheSuperintendent of Police, an officer belonging to theIndian Police Service, is responsible for maintaining Law & Order and related issues in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Haryana Police Service and other Haryana Police officials.
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to theIndian Forest Service, is responsible for the management of the Forests, Environment, and Wildlife in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Haryana Forest Service and other Haryana Forest officials and Haryana Wildlife officials.
Sectoral development is looked after by the district head/officer of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Statistics, etc. These officers are from various Haryana state services.
Shahbad,Ladwa,Pehowa, Babain, Ismailabad, andJhansa are other towns in the district with significant populations.
^B. Kölver, ed. (1997).Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien [Law, State and Administration in Classical India] (in German). München: R. Oldenbourg. pp. 27–52.
Samuel, Geoffrey (2010),The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, Cambridge University Press
Witzel, Michael (1990),"On Indian Historical Writing"(PDF),Journal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies,2:1–57,archived(PDF) from the original on 8 December 2021, retrieved2 September 2022
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