My visit to Dharma Kshetra, Kurukshetra

Most of the Kurukshetra hotel reviews were mixed, hence we decided to try out govt hotel, Neelkanthi Yatri Niwas which was much appreciated by many other tourists. Its basic hotel but very neatly maintained. Food was also quite good and staff were also friendly. So overall worth the stay.

Bhadrakali Temple was my first stop. I wanted to begin the sightseeing of Kurukshetra after seeking the blessings of Goddess Bhadrakali. This is the temple which is one among the 52 Shakti peeths of India. It is a very charming temple with beautiful sculptures of Gods and Goddesses. The most significant thing about the temple is that it is believed to be a wish-granting one. A lot of devotees visit the temple to pray for the fulfillment of a wish. Also, when the wish gets granted, people are supposed to return to offer a pair of horses to the Goddess. I found this tradition very heartwarming and the abundance of horses around the Goddess suggested that several wishes had come true. If you have heard about Mahabharata’s Chakravyuh, you must look for the drawing here. The temple also has Shiva’s abode and a section dedicated to Mata Vaishno Dev for Pindi darshan. The legends say that Sati’s body was cut into 52 parts, and all the parts fell on earth at different locations. Sati’s right ankle was found in Kurukshetra and thus, this temple is considered to be Sati’s abode and is highly revered. Really appreciate that devotees can be on their own and no money demanded anywhere.

Next inline, my aaradhya devata, adiyogi Mahadev. Here, got a chance to touch, do abhisheka of Shiva linga. What a bliss :) It is believed that the Pandavas along with Lord Krishna had prayed to Lord Shiva and received his blessings before Mahabharata here. I would say this temple is not well maintained. Such a pity :(

On the way, we also made a quick stop at the tomb that belongs to a famous Sufi Abd-ur-Rahim Abdul-Karim Abd-ur-Razak, popularly known by the name of Sheikh Chilli. Inside the brown facade, there are two tombs, one of the Sheikh and next to him is his wife. The gardens in the inside and the paintings on the walls are worth the time and attention. The monument does compare to some of the Mughal architectural deligthts. It is under the care of Archaeological Survey of India. Once can cover this place in 30-40 minutes.

The 1st phase of Dharohar Haryana Museum was established on 28 April, 2006 and its 2nd Phase was established on 6 April, 2013. There are thousand number of artifacts related to Haryanavi Culture displayed in Fifty (50) sections in Dharohar Haryana Museum. It shows rich Haryana culture and traditions.

The Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium is named after the brave daughter of Haryana Dr. Kalpana Chawla. It is located near Jyotisar on Pehowa Road. This is built in the memory of Kalpana Chawla, astronaut who died while traveling back to earth due to blast in space shuttle. Its good tourist attaction to visit as it contain a lot of things related to Kalpana Chawla also there so many scientific experiment described by simple method and quiz. Due To Technical Problem Planetarium Shows were not being Run. Worth a visit if you are with children or interested in this topic.

Lunch at Hotel Pearl Marc. Ambience and food was good here.

Bhisma Pitamah temple, a huge Hanuman statue, and where Arjuna quenched the thirst of Bhisma Pitamah makes the experience of Baan Ganga. Towards the end of Mahabharata when Bhisma Pitamah was grounded and lay wounded on the rows of arrows, he called for water one day and requested Arjuna to quench his thirst. Arjun shot an arrow in the Mother Earth and then his Mother Ganga emerged to satiate his thirst. This point is converted into a pond and in the present times is revered as Bhishma Kund. Here, one can see a statue of Bhisma Pitamah on the arrows. People visit the kund to witness its mythological and historical significance and soak in the spiritual ambiance of this place.

This is a two story building with several exhibits.

1. Science 3D exhibits - where we can try out many basic science experiments and know many facts and scientific history

2. Lifelike Panorama of the epic battle of Kurukshetra which is mindblowing

Awakening the people morally and culturally through the ideas and ideals of Krishna. It attracts the visitors because of highlighting the Mahabharata and mainly Krishna theme through exhibits collected from different parts of India.

Now comes the major 2 sights which is iconic to Kurukshetra which we kept it at the end. Seeing the huge lake, we decided only to visit the main temple and the place where aarti takes place. But doing a parikrama of this Sarovar is considered very holy which I probably missed because of the decision to keep it at the end.

Brahma Sarovar is not just a water body but an ideal destination for spiritual rejuvenation. On the day of solar eclipse and Amavasya, lakhs of people come here to take bath in holy sarovar which according to them frees them from all the sins and cycles of birth-death.

On the occasion of Geeta Jayanti, a very big craft fair takes place which is in December and gathering itself makes it a memorable experience. There is a chariot in Purushotam Bagh of Brahma Sarovar which is the world’s largest bronze chariot. Inside the water, there is a beautiful temple, which you can reach by crossing a concrete bridge.

Do not the miss the evening Aarti at Brahma Sarovar. Its not comparable to Ganga aarti at Rishikesh/Haridwar which takes you to another world but still it has very different positive vibes. Enjoy the bhajans along with Aarti and appreciate the efforts of students who do the aarti, appreciate the opportunity to be a witness to this grand aarti. After having the prasad, we went back to room and had dinner at Yatri Niwas itself.