Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh is about 95 km from Kurukshetra. Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is about 160 to 170 km away.

• By train

  Kurukshetra Junction is where the Delhi-Kalka line meets the Kurukshetra-Jind branch line, and it serves Kurukshetra and Thanesar city.

• By road

  Thanesar lies about 160 km northwest of Delhi. NH-44, the historic Grand Trunk Road, runs through the district and links it with Delhi, Panipat, Karnal, Ambala and Chandigarh.

Why devotees come here

Sthaneshwar Mahadev is a Shiva temple in Kuber Colony, Thanesar, Haryana. Pushpabhuti named his capital at Thanesar after this deity. Devotees believe a Kurukshetra pilgrimage is incomplete without it, and it is the central place on the 48 kos circuit around Kurukshetra.

The temple is the central and most important place in the 48 kos parikrama, the holy circuit around Kurukshetra. Devotees believe that a pilgrimage to Kurukshetra is incomplete without a visit to this temple. The water of the tank beside it is believed to be holy. Legend says the Pandavas and Krishna prayed to Shiva here and received his blessings for victory in the Mahabharata battle.

Thanesar was the capital of the Pushyabhuti dynasty, whose rulers conquered most of Aryavarta after the fall of the Gupta Empire. The temple was an important part of the kingdom of King Harsh Vardhana of that dynasty. Mahmud of Ghazni sacked Thanesar in 1011 and destroyed many of its temples.

The present temple was constructed by Raghunath Rao Peshwa. It stands in the old city of Kurukshetra, in Kurukshetra district of Haryana, in the Kuber Colony area of Thanesar.

Tips for your visit

• A gurdwara marks the spot near the Sthaneshwar Tirtha where Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed, just beside the temple.
• Thanesar railway station is within the city limits and serves branch-line trains to Kaithal, Jind and Rohtak.
• Trains such as the Vande Bharat Express and Shatabdi Express halt at Kurukshetra Junction, on the Delhi-Ambala line.
• Pipli Bus Stand on NH-44 is convenient for travellers arriving from Delhi, Karnal or Ambala.

Questions people ask