KURUKSHETRA-THE LAND OF HOLY GITA:

Revered as one of the most ancient and sacred lands of India, Kurukshetra possesses a legendary history and is intimately associated with the miracles of Lord Krishna. It is in this land the epic Mahabharat war was fought. It is in this very same land where Lord Krishna recited the Holy Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. Kurukshetra is also an archaeological treasure trove since the city existed even before the Harappan civilization. Currently, Kurukshetra is a prime pilgrim center in the state of Haryana in India.

It is very easy to access Kurukshetra since it is a major railhead connected to all other cities in India. It is well-linked by roads situated about 160km from Delhi, 110km from Chandigarh and 40km from Ambala. The nearest airports to Kurukshetra are located in Delhi and Chandigarh.

Since Kurukshetra is a land-locked region, it naturally experiences extremes of temperatures during summer and winter. The best time to visit Kurukshetra is between the months of September to March. The city celebrates several festivals like Holi, Baisakhi, Diwali and the city’s very own ‘Kurukshetra’ and ‘Lohri’ festivals from February till December.

Finding a cozy niche during your stay in Kurukshetra won’t be a problem since there are several private budget hotels to cater to the needs of tourists and pilgrims. You can rooms of your choice at prices of 1000-1300 INR per day.

There are several noteworthy tourist spots in Kurukshetra which attracts pilgrims from all over the country. On day one of your tour in Kurukshetra, you must visit the legendary Bhadrakali Temple located in North Thaneshwar. This temple is revered as one of the 51 Shakthi Peethas of the country and is closely associated with the Pandavas. Devotees throng this temple every weekend and during Navarathri celebrations. A peculiar feature about this temple is that devotees offer a terracotta horse as a symbol of devotion for Goddess Kali. We suggest you spend at most half a day in this temple.

After freshening yourself up with a simple yet sumptuous meal of Bajra roti with saag, you must visit the Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple in the evening. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and also holds significance with the legend of the Pandavas. The tank enclosed within the temple is said to possess curative powers and attracts many tourists. With this, you can wrap up your itinerary on day one.

On day two, start your sight-seeing venture by heading straight to the Krishna Museum. The galleries show exquisite exhibits of wood carvings, ivory works, bronze statues, stone sculptures, palm leaf writings and archaeological artifacts which are centered on the themes of Lord Krishna, the Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharat. A visit to the museum will definitely take about 3 hours. You can wrap up your trip by visiting the Brahma Sarovar and Sannihit Sarovar and board your train or bus back home. You can spend an hour apiece relaxing along the banks of the picturesque lakes. The two lakes attract thousands of devotees during solar eclipses and Kumbh Mela respectively.

All in all, your trip to Kurukshetra can be completed briskly in two days. The cost of the tour can sum upto 2100 INR per day for an individual inclusive of accommodation charges. So what’s holding you back even now? Come visit Kurukshetra – The Land of the Holy Gita.