Brahma Sarovar

Getting there

• By road

  The address is Brahma Sarovar Area, Thanesar, Haryana.

Why devotees come here

Brahma Sarovar is a large natural tank in Kurukshetra, Haryana, and Hindus hold it sacred. It is 3600 feet long, 1500 feet wide and 45 feet deep. Legend links it to the Mahabharata, where Duryodhana is said to have hidden underwater here on the last day of the war.

Legend says Brahma created the universe from the land of Kurukshetra after a great yajna, a sacred fire ritual. The Mahabharata also mentions the tank, saying Duryodhana hid himself underwater here on the final day of the war.

The 11th century memoir of Al Beruni, Kitab-ul-Hind, mentions the sarovar. A shrine dedicated to Shiva stands within the water and is reached by a small bridge. The ghats around the tank are named after the main characters of the Mahabharata, and a giant chariot of Krishna and Arjuna stands on its premises.

Gita Jayanti, which celebrates the birth of the Bhagavad Gita, is held here each year in late November and early December, usually over seven days. The pools are especially crowded during solar eclipses, when bathing is believed to wash away sin. In 2006, an estimated one million people came to the site during a solar eclipse.

Festivals

• Last week of November and early DecemberGita Jayanti

  Held each year at the sarovar, usually over seven days, to mark the birth of the Bhagavad Gita.

Tips for your visit

• Visitors like to watch the sunset here, when the water shows a reddish-golden reflection.
• If you prefer fewer people, avoid solar eclipse days, when the pools are especially crowded.
• The Birla Gita Mandir and Baba Nath's haveli and temple are nearby attractions.
• Plan to cross a small bridge to reach the Shiva shrine that stands inside the sarovar.
• A giant chariot of Krishna and Arjuna stands on the premises, and the ghats are named after the epic's main characters.

Questions people ask