LOCATION- Latitude 29 degree 09’31.50 degree, Longitude 77 degree 59’19.46”east of excavated site.

Ancient Boundaries – The whole Kuru area originally, roughly corresponded to modern Thanesar, Delhi and the entire Ganga-Yamuna Doab till Prayaag. The main rivers were Aruna, Ashumati, Hiranvati, Apaya, Kausiki, Sarasvati, Jamuna, Ganga and Drishadvati or Rakshi. During Dwapar Itihasa period the Mahajanapada Kuru Kingdom was divided into Kuru and Vatsa Kingdoms. The Kurus ruled present-day region between the triangle of Thanesar, Hisar and Hastinapur while the Vatsas (a branch of Kurus) ruled middle and lower Doab.

Current Boundaries -It has now shrunk to a small town in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, around 37 km from Meerut and 100 km from Delhi (Indraprastha).

Significance/ Itihasa- Important events

Kuru Mahajanpada – Hastinapura, the capital of Kurus, is in close proximity to places like Sukratal, Lakshgriya area of Baghpat. Recently in Sanauli which falls in Kuru Mahajanapada area, archaeologists have discovered a copper plated wooden chariot, weapons and the skeleton of a female warrior.

Some of the major events unfolded here that resulted in, what we know as the Dharam Yudh or the Kurukshetra War. The dark clouds of this unfortunate fratricidal war also had a silver lining that we cherish as the Gita Updesh, our sacred manual for life - The Srimad Bhagwat Gita.

It is the pivotal place from where the Bharat Kings ruled their empire. It was a land symbolising justice and principled rule or good governance in the current parlance. This was the land of the Bharatvansh, that clearly laid out the principles that a Yuvraj or heir to Kuru throne should be chosen on basis of (a) seniority (b) suitability and (c) capability. Till the time of King Shantanu there was no dispute over kingship.

Birth of Ganga Putra, Bhisma: King Shantanu on meeting Ganga, the daughter of the Ganga region of the Himalayas, proposes marriage, and she agrees on condition that he will never question her actions and if he does so then she will leave him. King Shantanu agrees but is shocked when he sees her drowning the children born through their wedlock. After several heirs are killed, King Shantanu finally breaks his silence and questions her as she is taking their eighth child to his death. He stops her from killing his son. This enrages Ganga and leaves him reminding him of her terms at the time of marriage. She takes along the son with the promise that she will bring him back after she has nurtured him into a warrior prince, befitting the status of Bharatvansh.

Ganga Putra, named Devavrata, is designated Yuvraj: A grown up Ganga Putra is brought back by mother Ganga, to be with his father Shantanu. He is named Devavrata, who impresses all with his prowess. King Shantanu, in consultation with his ministers and sabha guru, designates him as Yuvraja, with much joy and fanfare.

King Shantanu marries second wife, Satyavati, leading to turmoil in Kingship ascendancy: Luck takes a peculiar turn and King Shantanu falls in love with the daughter of a fisherman. He proposes marriage but her father insists that Satyavati’s sons should be made heirs to Kuru Kingdom of Bhartavansh. Shantanu is in a dilemma and deep depression. Yuvraja Devavrata finds out the reason for his father’s depression and goes to Satyavati and her father Dasraja. Learning about the dilemma of his father Devavrata takes a very stern vow, a Bhishma Pratigya, of celibacy, to remain unmarried but yet be loyal to and protect the throne of Hastinapura. This pratigya gave him the immortalised name ‘Bhisma’.

Shantanu and Satyavati have two sons named Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada dies in a battle and Vichitravirya becomes the king of Kuru Kingdom.

Bhishma rushes to Kashi to bring wives for his step brother Vichitravirya: Bhisma is angry that the scion of Kuru Empire, Satyavati’s son Vichitravirya, was not invited at the Swayamvara of Amba, Ambika and Ambaika, daughters of Kashi King, and he abducts the daughters from the Swayamvara ceremony and brings them to be the wife of his step brother Vichitravirya.

Amba, the eldest of King Kashi’s three daughters, informs Bhisma that she has already chosen King Shailya as her husband. Bhisma arranges for her return to Shailya, but the king refuses to accept an abducted princess. Amba returns and tells Bhisma to marry her. On his refusal on account of vowed celibacy, Amba curses him. She is reborn as Shikhandi and becomes the cause of his death at the battlefield of Kurukshetra

Ambika and Ambalika are married to Vichitravirya, but he dies childless. Satyavati asks Bhisma to beget an heir from the widows of Vichitravirya but he declines to break his vow.

Satayavati then asks Bhisma to call Ved Vyasa, who was Satyavati’s premarital son from Rishi Parashar. Ambika and Ambalika’s union with Vyasa gives birth to two sons namely, Dhritarashtra and Pandu. On the third night, Vichitravirya’s wives send their maid to Vyasa, and she begets Vidur, the wise minister of Kuru Empire. This is very significant because Veda Vyasa was the narrator of the Itihasa of Mahabharata. This point clearly establishes that this Itihasa was an eyewitness account, thereby authenticating its subjectivity and authenticity. The traditional methodology of documenting and telling Ithihasa or history was through story narration.

Dhritarashtra was denied kingship as he was born blind and Pandu becomes king. Dhritarashtra marries Princess Gandhari and has 100 sons, with the prominent ones being Duryodhana and Dushashana. Pandu marries Kunti from whom are born Yudhisthira, Bheema and Arjuna, and through Pandu’s second wife, Madri, princess of Madra desh, are Nakula and Shadeva. Thus we get the famous ‘five Pandavas’.

Kuru King Pandu dies early, and Dhritrashtra becomes a ‘caretaker’ king. 

Duryodhana now thinks he should be yuvraj and puts the seniors, Bhishma and Vidur, in a dilemma.

A competition to assess capability of Yudhishthira and Duryodhana is arranged where Yudhishthira wins.

Duryodhana, along with his uncle Shakuni, plans the ‘Lakshgriha’ - a palace to burn the Pandava brothers and their mother Kunti.

Pandavas escape with the help of uncle Vidur, reach Panchala, and marry Draupadi in a swayamvara.

The Pandavas gain much strength through their alliance with Panchala Kingdom, and this frightens Dhritarashtra as he foresees oblivion of his son Duryodhana by the Pandavas.

Dhritarashtra invites Yudhishthira and offers him half of Kuru, comprising five areas including Khandavprastha on Yamuna Banks with others being Tilprastha, Baghprastha, Panprastha and Sonprastha.

Pandavas leave to create their own kingdom with the help of Sri Krishna, naming it Indraprastha

Duryodhana returns from the coronation ceremony of Yudhishthira at Indraprastha, mesmerised by its magnificence and with a determination to grab it. He poisons his father with imaginative tales against Draupadi and Pandavas, and convinces him to invite Yudhishthira to Hastinapura for a game of dice. The Pandavas lose due to deceit by Sakuni.

Yudhishthira loses Indraprastha, his bothers and Draupadi. They are exiled to a 12-year Vanvaas and one-year Agyatvaas.

Pandavas return from their exile and ask for their kingdom. Duryodhana refuses to return it.

Sri Krishna comes to Hastinapura as an envoy of peace of the Pandavas, making it clear that either Indraprastha be returned as per the terms of exile, or face war.

Duryodhana tries to capture Sri Krishna, but fails. War is inevitable because Dharma has to be restored.

Pandavas with Sri Krishna as their strategist and guide win the Kurukshetra Dharma War and Yudhishthira returns as King of Kuru Empire at Hastinapur.

Important to note

The 17th in descent from Kuru was King Vichtravirya, who had two sons named Dhritarashtra and Pandu, with whom begins the proper story event leading to the Dharma Yudha described in the Mahabharata Itihasa.

The next important reference is to Varanavata (identified with Barnawa in district Meerut), where the Kauravas built a lac-house and induced their cousins to live in with a view to burning them to death.

After the battle ended, the Pandava brothers abdicated, and Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, ascended the throne of Hastinapur.

During the reign of King Nichakshu, there was a huge flood in Ganga which swept away a considerable portion of Hastinapur. The capital was consequently shifted to Kausambi, near Pryagaraj. In later times Gautam Buddha visited Udanaya, the direct descendent of Yudhissthira lineage.

Places of Interest

Jambudweep Jain Tirth, Bada Digambar Jain Mandir, Bhai Dharam Singh Gurdwara and nearby places linked to the Mahabharata.

Important local crafts, cuisine

Crafts: Embroidery and clay craft, pottery products. The area is also famous for the sport industry, especially cricket bats.

Food: Typical north Indian cuisines

Connectivity - Road, Rail, Air

Air: Nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi (Indraprastha) about 130.5 km away.

Road:  Well connected via national and state highways.

Train: The nearest railhead is located at Meerut Cantt in Meerut.