Kurukshetra & Brahma Sarovar

Kurukshetra is the legendary battlefield of the Mahabharata's 18-day war between the Pandavas and Kauravas — the cosmic stage where Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. The site has been a continuous pilgrimage destination for over 2,500 years. The most sacred spot is Jyotisar, 6 km from Kurukshetra town — a banyan tree said to be a descendant of the original tree under which Krishna gave the Gita. A small marble pavilion with a Krishna-Arjuna chariot statue marks the spot, and the daily evening sound-and-light show ('Mahabharata Live') is a popular draw. The Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra town itself is one of the largest sacred tanks in Asia — 1,800 ft × 1,500 ft. The tank is said to date from the time of Brahma's creation of the universe, and pilgrims who bathe at the time of a solar eclipse acquire the merit equivalent of an Ashvamedha sacrifice. Combine with the Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple (where the Pandavas worshipped Shiva before the war), the Krishna Museum (excellent), and the 8th-century Bhadrakali Temple at Pehowa (one of the 51 Shakti Peethas).