We all know that there is a deep connection between Mahabharata and Kurukshetra. It was here that Lord Krishna preached the Gita to Arjuna. According to mythology, the battle of Mahabharata was fought in Kurukshetra for 18 days. Kurukshetra has also been known by the names Thaneshwar and Sthaneshwar. Even after the famous battle of Kurukshetra, the place of Gita, it did not get as much fame as Gokul, Vrindavan and Mathura, but whenever the Mahabharata war is discussed, Kurukshetra is definitely mentioned.
But have you ever wondered why the Mahabharata war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas took place in the land of the Gita, Kurukshetra? If you don't know, then after reading this article you will get the answers to all the questions.
Such a place was needed for the war
According to mythology, a place was being searched for the Mahabharata war, where a large number of soldiers could stand and fight. For this, the responsibility of choosing the place was given to Lord Krishna. When it was decided whether the war would take place or not, Lord Krishna ordered his messengers to search for that place. Shri Krishna had an idea that the war of Mahabharata was going to be bloody and fierce. So he was looking for a place that could bear the cruelty of the war. The messengers told Shri Krishna many places, but when one of the messengers reached Shri Krishna, he was in great pain.
Why only Kurukshetra for Mahabharata?
The reason behind choosing Kurukshetra for Mahabharata is also very interesting. When Lord Krishna asked the messenger the reason for his sadness, he told an incident that happened in Kurukshetra. Here, two brothers had a fight over building a dam in the field. Both had divided the fields. A ridge was built in the field so that the water of one field does not reach the other field. One day, both the brothers had a fight over the breaking of the dam. The fight escalated so much that it reached the stage of fighting and the elder brother killed the younger brother and kept his body at the dam site. Due to which the irrigation water stopped.
Then Shri Krishna took this decision
It is said that after the story narrated by the messenger, it was decided that there could be no better place than this for a war between brothers, Guru, disciple and relatives. The ground here was so hard that no one could soften their heart even if they wanted to. However, Shri Krishna had a doubt that the Pandavas might come under pressure from the Kauravas and make a treaty. Therefore, the Mahabharata war became inevitable. This is why Shri Krishna had chosen Kurukshetra for the Mahabharata war after a lot of thought.
The soil is still red
It is said that the color of the soil here is still red due to the blood of the soldiers martyred in this war. After the bloody war on the land of Kurukshetra, the gods asked Lord Krishna who would like to settle on this land, so to free it from the curse, Shri Krishna told the method of performing Yagya and said that whoever comes here and sacrifices his life with a true heart, performs the Tarpan of his ancestors, will attain salvation. There was a battle between justice and injustice on this land. Therefore, this land will always be remembered for the end of injustice.
Importance of Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. Very few people know that this place is also very famous for the production of Basmati rice. The battle of Mahabharata was fought in Kurukshetra, 185 km from Hastinapur. This war is also mentioned in the Vanaparva of Mahabharata. Even today it is believed that by visiting Kurukshetra everyone becomes free from sins. According to Narada Purana, those who are born on the land of Kurukshetra do not need to be born again to pay for their deeds.
