We have all grown while hearing tales about the epic Mahabharata. From course books to movies and TV serials, we have seen the characters of the epic tale numerous times with different versions. There are millions of stories about Mahabharata that have been told and there are millions of them that are yet to be told. Hailed as the greatest Dharma Yuddha (War for Justice and Right), Mahabharata has impacted us in many ways. It was the land of Kurukshetra where the battle was fought and that is the region when a scuffle breaks out between two parties in any part of the country, they are accused of turning the land into ‘Kurukshetra’.
Kurukshetra is a city in the state of Haryana. While many claim that the battle of Mahabharat and the entire story was just a tale, there are numerous such places in modern India that find a mention in the tail strengthening the claim of the believers who claim all of what’s a writer in the book actually happened. We’re going to talk about such places in modern India that have been mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.
Banganga
Banganga is a place located at a distance of 3 km from Kurukshetra in Haryana. The place finds a unique mention in Mahabharata. When the commander in chief of the army of Kauravas, Bhishma Pitamah was paralysed by numerous arrows piercing through his body, he lay on a bed of arrows as he couldn’t die until the war was over. When Bhishma was feeling thirsty, Arjuna shot an arrow straight into the ground and Ganga sprang up there. That’s how Banganga was formed.
Kurukshetra
Since I’ve mentioned Banganga, it is imperative to explain the importance of Kurukshetra. The city that is presently in Haryana state, is the most important part of Mahabharata. This is the place where the great battle was fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The battle went on for 18 days and the soil of the place is still red in some places. There is also a pond near it that is called Brahma Sarovar. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed a ritual here.
Hastinapur
Hastinapur is another important place that finds a mention in the Mahabharata. Going by the tale of Mahabharata, Hastinapur was the capital of the Kuru Kingdom. The history of the place is very royal and it is located in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. After the battle of Mahabharata got over, Hastinapur became the capital of Pandavas. Hundreds of tourists visit the place on a daily basis.
Panchal
Panchal was the birthplace of Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas and the daughter of King Drupad. This is the reason that King Drupad was called Panchal Naresh and Draupadi was called Panchali. Panchal is located in Uttar Pradesh of modern India between the mighty Himalayan ranges and the Chamba River. It is a major tourist site for history buffs.
Indraprastha
Going by the historic literature, it seems like New Delhi was always destined to become a capital. Indraprastha was the capital city of Pandavas. The Pandavas destroyed the Khandavprastha forest to build a majestic capital called Indraprastha. The Purana Qila of Delhi is believed to be the place where ancient Indraprastha existed. There’s also a metro station by that name in present-day Delhi.
Ujjanak
Ujjanak is a small place located in the Nainital district of Himachal Pradesh. As per the historic texts, it is the place where Guru Dronacharya taught the art of archery to the royal princes of the Kuru clan. There exists a temple named Bhimashankar temple in Ujjanak. It is one of the jyotirlingas and it is believed that it was put there by Bhima on the orders of Guru Dron himself. Hundreds of pilgrims come here to offer their prayers.
Vrindavan
This one is easy to guess. The existence of Vrindavan is said to be older than the battle of Mahabharata. It is the land of Lord Krishna, the guide of Arjuna in Mahabharata. Vrindavan is the place where Lord Krishna spent most of his childhood in human form. It is the place where he played with gopis, took cows for grazing, played the flute and ate Makhan. At present, it is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the country and welcomes thousands of pilgrims every month.
Gokul
Just like Vrindavan, Gokul is also associated with Lord Krishna. It is just 15 km away from Mathura, another holy city associated with Lord Krishna. Gokul finds a mention in Mahabharata as well as other historic literature related to Lord Krishna. There are several temples in Gokul that you can visit when you travel to the place.
Barsana
We have another entry from Uttar Pradesh. Barsana is another town in Uttar Pradesh. The town near Mathura is also associated with Lord Krishna but not directly. Barsana is said to be the land of Radha Rani, the love of Lord Krishna. Radha is considered as the queen of Barsana and there are several temples dedicated to Radha Krishna here. The most famous temple is Radha Rani Shriji temple in Barsana.
Varnavat
Kauravas tried many unethical steps to eliminate the Pandavas before meeting them on the battlefield. One such attempt was when Kauravas, Duryodhan in particular, tried to burn the Pandavas alive inside a wax house. The wax house was built in Varnavat. Varnavat is located in Handia of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The place where the wax house was built is called Lakshagrah Varnavat. The place now has a statue of Kunti.
