Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre

Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre Samveta Yuyutsava,

Mamka Pandavascaiva Kim Kurvata Sanjya.

This verse is the first verse in bahagavad Gita, spoken by King Dhritarashtra, enquiring from Sanjaya, about the activities of his sons and the sons of Pandu who had gathered in the religious grounds of Kurukshetra.

My grandmother's departure yet again sent us on a visit to this holy place where Lord Krishna delivered the instructions to Arjuna 5000 years ago. Kurukshetra is in the state of Harayana, a good 200 Km drive from New Delhi. W had to go to a small town adjacent to Kurukshetra named Peohwa. It is believed that Lord Krishna made King Yudhisthir perform rit

es for the departed Kuru clan to rectify mistakes in performing last rites for them.

In Vedic culture, it is advised that the dying person should be brought down from bed and lied down on the floor and Lighting a lamp and an incense. if one is not able to do that, then one has to go to Peohwa.

So we reached the Saraswati Kunda in the small town where many pandas (priests) are there. Only that panda will do the rites for you, whose ancestors did for your ancestors. We got ours by specifying our origin, gotra and current residential place. He then directed us to another priest who performed the actual rites at the banks of Sarasvati Kunda. Earlier it was a big river. But now it has disappeared underground and merges in the Ganga & Yamuna at Prayag.

After this we went straight to Krishna Arjuna Mandir, ISKCON.

Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Jagannath Baladev

a Subhadra preside over this huge temple. The construction is small, but the land is huge. There is a beautiful garden and amidst a beautiful and a big pond filled with lotus flowers. After attending the noon arati and honoring Mahaprasadam, we then left for the next spot.

Next was Jyoti Sar, the exact spot, where the supreme lord delivered Bhagavad Gita. The place is an open and huge marble structure, quite neatly mantained. There is no temple as such or pndas that will harass you like in other holy cities. Still stands the Banyan tree said to have witnessed the great pastime 5000 years back. After reciting some Bg verses and chanting few rounds we got into our car and headed back for New Delhi.

Oh! in case I forgot to tell, I went with my parents and Mithilesh.