The Hindu Business Line : Epic war zone

Kurukshetra is well known as the battleground of the epic Mahabharata. Far away, at a historical site in the small South-East Asian country of Laos, an inscription dating back to 5th century A.D. mentions the greatness of a holy place called Kurukshetra and that Devanika, the king of Laos, wanted to build a city called New Kurukshetra.

Kurukshetra was once the cradle of Vedic civilisation as excavations at Rakhigarhi, Banawali and Kunal in Haryana show. Situated between two sacred rivers, Saraswati in the north and Drishadvati in the south, the Kurukshetra of yore encompassed an area that corresponds to five districts of modern-day Haryana viz. Kaithal, Karnal, Jind, Panipat and Kurukshetra. On its four corners were located four yakshas or demigods to ward against calamities and attacks. Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and Pandavas, practiced austere penance here and hence the place was termed dharmakshetra (sacred land).

Jyotisar, near Thanesar, is believed to mark the site where the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna's divine message, was given to Arjuna.

Sheikh Chehli's tomb

The spiritual land attracted many saints. Buddha, Baba Farid, Sheikh Chehli and all the Sikh gurus except Guru Angad Dev are believed to have set foot here. Huen Tsang, the ancient Chinese traveller who visited the place during the reign of Harsh Vardhan, mentions the hospitality and magnanimity of the people.

A city with so much mythological and historical associations, what is its present-day avatar like? The bustling Grand Trunk Road is comfortably close but the city itself seems an island of peace.

Nothing here is too loud or garish. Brahmasarovar, one of the largest man-made bathing tanks in Asia, is arguably the town's centre point. Abul Fazal, court historian of Akbar, called it a miniature sea and not without reason. According to legend, the tank was created by Lord Brahma and excavated by King Kuru.

Over the years, the tank had shrunk in size and the then interim prime minister, G.L. Nanda, renovated it after forming the Kurukshetra Development Board in 1968. A dip here is believed equal to 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas, hence lakhs of devotees throng the tank during a solar eclipse.

The Sannehit Sarovar is another important bathing tank where, according to belief, all the sacred rivers converge during a solar eclipse and on amavasya (new moon). In the nearby village of Narkatari is a water reservoir called Bhishm Kund that is believed to have quenched the thirst of the dying patriarch Bhishm, on the tenth day of the Maharbharat war . Arjun shot an arrow into the ground and a spring had gushed from the spot.

Sheikh Chehli, an Iranian Sufi saint, visited Kurukshetra to meet Qutub Jalalluddin Thanesari, a Sufi saint of high order. His tomb built during the reign of Shah Jahan and his son, Dara Shikoh, bears an uncanny resemblance to Agra's Taj Mahal.

Close by is the Devikoop Bhadrakali temple, one of the 51 Shakti Pith sites in the country. The Sri Krishna Museum in the city also makes for an interesting visit. Nearby, the Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre is eye-catching with its tall, cylindrical architecture. Inside, there are three sections. Travel back in time through 4,500 years of Indian tradition in science and technology. The Fun science section is interactive and explains the scientific `how' and `why' of common phenomena. It is popular among children and adults alike.

The main attraction, however, is the life-like panorama of the Mahabharata war, which comes alive through the 34-ft high paintings. The chants of Gita and distant war cries, and special lighting add to the effect.

Similarly, a sound-and-light-show every evening at Jyotisar encapsulates the epic very well. Hema Sharma, CEO of Kurukshetra Development Authority, which organises Gita Jayanti celebrations every year, outlines ambitious plans for the development of the region into a religious circuit. Thanks to concerted efforts the number of tourists is growing.

Roads, which remained virtually deserted some years ago, now get clogged despite several widening efforts. And it's not uncommon to find fashionable youngsters dining at the city's swank restaurants or strolling on the sprawling campuses of Kurukshetra University or the National Institute of Technology.

On its broad shoulders Kurukshetra seems to be carrying its rich heritage very well. But, the little child of modernity is growing up. Will the child dwarf the adult in the times to come? Not possible, emphasises Rajesh Purohit, Curator and archaeologist, who has watched the city for more than a decade and feels it has so much spirituality at its core. Purohit hails from Orissa and feels blessed to have come from Sri Kshetra to Kurukshetra.

Pictures by the author

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