Jyotisar, on the bank of Jyotisar Sarovar wetland, is a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

pilgrimage site in the city of Kurukshetra in

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...

state of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In mythology, it is where

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

delivered the sermon of '' Bhagavad Gita'' - the doctrine of ''

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

'' and '' Dharma'' to his wavering friend Arjun to guide him to resolve his ethical dilemma.Jyotisar
Kurukshetra district website. and revealed his '' virat rupa'' (universal form) to him. It lies west of Kurukshetra city on SH-6 state highway.

Background

Etymology

'Jyoti' means the light or enlightenment in this context. 'Sar' means the core. Hence, 'Jyotisar' means 'core meaning of light' or 'ultimately of God' i.e. the 'essence of enlightenment'.

Association with Mahabharta

According to mythology Krishna gave a sermon to Arjuna at Jyotisar, during which Bhagvad Gita was revealed, under a ''vat vriksh'' ( banyan tree), a sacred tree in Indian-origin religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism,

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

and

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

. A banyan tree which local tradition says is an offshoot of the tree Krishna preached under stands on a raised

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

at Jyotisar. There is also an old

Shiv The word Shiv or shiv may refer to: People with the name * Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a West Indies cricketer nicknamed Shiv Arts, entertainment, and media * Shiv, a fictional location in Magic: The Gathering, see Dominaria * Shiv, a villain in the ...

temple here where

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

had worshiped Shiva. Abhimanyupur and Harsh Ka Tila, archaeological finds, are nearby. The

Dharohar Museum The Dharohar Museum is located on the Kurukshetra University campus, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. History The ''Dharohar Museum'' was set up in Kurukshetra University's golden jubilee year to exhibit archeological, cultural and architectural hi ...

Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre The Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre is located next to Shrikrishna Museum in , Kurukshetra city, Haryana, India about 1.5 km from Kurukshetra railway station. Exhibits This is a two story building with several exhibits, which has ...

, and

Shrikrishna Museum The Srikrishna Museum is located next to Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre in Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. Exhibits It has a big range of exhibits including ancient sculptures, carvings and paintings, dioramas, giant statues, surreal sou ...

are also in Kurukshetra.

Jyotisar religious heritage tourism project

Jyotisar tirth was renovated and continuously being upgraded by the Kurukshetra Development Board. ''Krishna Circuit Kurukshetra'' development project is jointly undertaken by the

Government of Haryana The Government of Haryana, also known as the State Government of Haryana, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Haryana and its 22 districts. It consists of an executive, ceremonially led ...

and India's

Ministry of culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) *Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

, which entails development of several other sites in and around Kurukshetra including

Brahma Sarovar Brahma Sarovar is an ancient water pool sacred to Hinduism in old Kurukshetra city, in the state of Haryana in North India,India. Hinduism lays emphasis on taking bath for internal and external purity. Most religious sites have water poo ...

Sannihit Sarovar Sannihit Sarovar is a sacred water reservoir in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, India. It is believed to be the meeting point of seven sacred Sarasvatis. The ''sarovar'', according to popular belief, contains sacred water. Bathing in the s ...

, Narkatari Baan Ganga, Abhimanyu Ka Tila and Mahabharata themed park, etc. Phase-I entails Bhagwat Gita and Mahabharta museum, statues, and development of various trithas in ''4 kos ki Kurukshetra prikrama'', etc. Phase 2 entails broadening of revived saraswati river from Pipli to Jyotisar. As part of the National Krishna Yatra circuit, 48 Kos Kurukshetra and 134 pilgrimage sites within it are being developed along the lines of the Braj Kosi Yatra. Under this national project, Union Government of India and respective state governments are also constructing two mega temples of Lord Krishna, at

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...

on 65 acres with a cost of Rs 800 crores (US120 million) and at Bangalore with a cost of Rs 700 crores (US105 million).Haryana CM inaugurates museum at Gita Gyan Sansthanam in Kurkshetra
Indian Express, 7 May 2021.

Mahabharata light and sound show

A daily light and music laser show is organized by the tourism department at the Jyotisar lake, which recreates episodes from the Hindu epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

''.

Bhagwat Gita and Mahabharta museum

The project includes the hi-tech digital and virtual reality Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharta theme museum at Jyotisar,केंद्रीय पर्यटन मंत्री से हरियाणा के सीएम की मुलाकात खत्म, एक घंटे की मीटिंग में इन मुद्दों पर बात
haryanaexpress.in, 29 July 2021. with a 100,000 sq feet new constructed area which will cater for 10,000 pilgrims expected every day.
Hindustan Times, 12 June 2021. To promote international religious tourism, this ''Mahabharta'' and ''Sri Krishna'' heritage theme project entails construction of 8 buildings on the bank of ancient Jyotisar lake. Each building, 4 to 5 story high, will have a separate theme based on the ''mahabharta'' which will provide pilgrim and tourists an immersive experience of being in the '' mahabarta war'' which lasted for 18 days. The project will cost Rs 200 cr or US$30 million at 2018 prices.ज्योतिसर तीर्थ का प्रोजेक्ट अटका, थीम पर काम पूरा होना तो दूर बिल्डिंग का स्ट्रक्चर तक पूरा नहीं
Dainik Jagran, 22 Aug 2021.

Mahabharata era statues

Several tall statues of Mahabharata era figures are being installed in and around Jyotisar.Kurukshetra to have 4 bronze statues
The Tribune,23 Oct 2020.

Gitopdesh - Gita Updesh statue

A marble chariot statue of Krishna preaching to Arjuna marks the site at Jyotisar where mythological tradition says Bhagavad Gita was revealed to Arjuna.

Sri Krishna Virat Swaroop statue at Jyotisar

In 2021 a 40 feet tall statue of Krishna, made of

ashtadhatu Ashtadhatu (), also called octo-alloy, is an alloy often used for casting metallic idols for Jain and Hindu temples in India. The composition is laid down in the ''Shilpa shastras'', a collection of ancient texts that describe arts, crafts, and t ...

(eight metals), was installed at the cost of INR10 crore (INR100 million or US130,000 at 2021 prices) at Jyotisar. The 40 ft high statue on a 10 ft plinth.Work to install Lord Krishna’s statue begins
The tribune, 15 June 2021. which with landscaping will cost Rs. 10 crore. The statue was designed by the sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, who also designed the 182-metre

Statue of Unity The ''Statue of Unity'' is the world's tallest statue, with a height of , located near Kevadia in the state of Gujarat, India. It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first deputy p ...

Sardar Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar, was an Indian lawyer, influential political leader, barrister and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of I ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and

Ram Janmabhoomi Ram Janmabhoomi (literally, "Rama's birthplace") is the site that is hypothesized to be the birthplace of Rama, believed to be the seventh avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The Ramayana states that the location of Rama's birthplace is on the ...

temple. The statue has nine heads, including Krishna, Shiva,

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

Narsimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

avatara Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

, Sugriva, Hanumana, Parshurama, and

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

Deva (The fire god), which will be covered with a canopy in the form of Sheshnaga.गीता स्थली ज्योतिसर में लगेगा श्रीकृष्ण भगवान का विराट स्वरूप, 200 करोड़ का प्रोजेक्‍ट, वजन 33 टन
Dainik Jagran, 16 Aug 2021.

Abhimanyu Chakravyūha statue at Abhimanyupur

A 18-ft tall statue of Abhimanyu at Abhimanyupur, with a chariot wheel carried in both hands above his head depicting his stance during he Chakravyūha battle of mahabharta war, is installed at Abhimanyupur at the place where he was killed. It is installed by the Kurukshetra Development Board at a cost of Rs 24 lakh in 2020. This will be part of 8 acre park housing the statue and a '' Chakravyūha'' formation.Kurukshetra to have 4 bronze statues
The Tribune,23 Oct 2020.

Bhishama Deathbed and Arjuna's Banganga statue at Narkatari

At Narkatari, between Jyotisar and Kurukshetra city, 2 statues will be installed - Arjuna and ''"Bhishama’s sarsaiya ( Bhishma’s deathbed). ''"Arjuna’s Banganga"'' statue is 9-ft tall is depicted in the posture of him shooting an arrow to bring out the underground holy spring water for the thirsty Bhishma. Whereas, Bhishma's statue is depicted lying on a 10-ft long death bed made of arrows. It will cost Rs 32 lakh.

Pipli-Jyotisar Sarasvati riverfront project

This entails broadening of the

Sarasvati River The Sarasvati River () is a deified river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Vedic religion, appearing in all but the fourth book of the Rigveda. As a physical river, i ...

, a

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

river mentioned in the sacred Hindu text

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one ...

, from Pipli to Jyotisar, banks of river will be beautified, tourist cruises and boats from Pipli to Jyotisar tirtha will be operated. As Sarasvati River has been made perennial, it will be widened to enhance the flow of water and to utilise the channel for heritage, tourism and recreational activities. The length of Sarasvati's channel from Pipli on NH-44 in the northeast of Kurukshetra city to Sutlej Yamuna link canal (SYL canal) immediate east of Jyotisar is 21 km (70,000 ft) long. It is 20 m (65 ft) wide near Pipli zoo at NH-44, which gets reduced to a varying width of between 4.6 m (15 ft) to 9.1 m (30 ft). This narrowing of the river hampers flow of water and causes flooding in the inhabited areas in the northern part of Kurukshetra city. The narrowing of river is caused by the illegal encroachments by people. In March 2021, people were asked to remove the encroachments, after which legal notices will be sent to the remaining illegal encroachers. After the encroachment has been removed, the river will be widened, which will also prevent flooding.Remove encroachments: Saraswati board to public
The Tribune, 1 march 2021. The river receives 1,000 cusecs at Pipli during rainy season, but downstream only 200 cusecs water could flow due to encroachments. A minimum 70 ft wide channel is needed for the smooth flow. Hence, river will be widened after removing encroachments.11 months on, demarcation of Saraswati still incomplete
The Tribune, 24 Nov 2020. In addition to boating, there will be series of

ghat Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...

s, open air gym and cafeteria, etc. Initially boating will be started from Pipli to Kheri Markanda village, which will be later extended till Jyotisar after the widening of Sarasvati river.Boating facility from Pipli to Jyotisar soon
The Tribune, Jul 03, 2019 .

Current status

The 18 month long construction project commenced on 21 June 2018 with target completion by December 2019. However, the project was delayed for various reason including covid, and now it is scheduled to be completed by November 2021. As of August 2021, according to the officials the Administrative Block and Building No 4 are already complete, remaining work is 85% complete. However, ground report by new reports estimate only 50% work is complete, subsequently government officials have assured completion by Nov 2021.

Religious observance

Kurukshetra Prasadam - Channa laddu speciality prasadam

Just like

Mathura peda Mathura peda is a North Indian sweet dish that originated from Mathura in India. In North India sweets prepared from mawa (khoya) are very popular and the peda is also a mawa sweet variety. Mathura peda is so famous in North India that the ter ...

prasāda 200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...

(consecrated food offered as blessing) is a specialty of Braj Krishna circuit in Mathura area, the sweet ''

laddu ''Laddu'' or ''laddoo'' (; ms, kuih laddu; id, kue laddu) is a spherical sweet originating from India and spread through the Indian subcontinent and the Malay world. Laddus are primarily made from flour, fat (ghee/butter/oil) and sugar or j ...

'' made from the roasted ''

channa ''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...

'' (Indian chichpea) will be used as the geo-

specialty food A specialty food is a food that is typically considered as a "unique and high-value food item made in small quantities from high-quality ingredients". Consumers typically pay higher prices for specialty foods, and may perceive them as having variou ...

prasāda of various tirthas within ''48 kos kurukshetra prikarma''. This will be called Kurukshetra Prasadam. Compared to other sweets such as

barfi Barfi, barfee, borfi or burfi is a dense milk-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent. The name comes from the Hindustani (originally Persian) word ''barf'', which means snow. Common types of barfi include ''besan barfi'' (made with gram flou ...

peda Peda () or Pera is a sweet dish hailing from the Indian subcontinent. It originated from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. Usually prepared in thick, semi-soft, its main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings including cardamom see ...

, the laddu does not spoil easily and has a longer shelf life at room temperature. Kurukshetra Development Board {KDB) has advised all the sweet shops if any tourist or pilgrim asks for prasad then only chana laddoo must be given. KDB will open 5 shops of its own to sell ''channa laddu'' as ''Kurukshetra Prasadam''.Chana laddoo to be ‘Kurukshetra prasadam’
The Tribune, 1 March 2020.

Gita International Festival and Gita Deepotsav

Jyotisar is one of the important site where the Gita International Festival is held every year in December. This also entails a Gita Deepotsav (Gita festival of lights) during which hundreds of thousands of traditional earthen

diya Diya may refer to: * ''Diya (film)'', 2018 Tamil- and Telugu-language film * Diya (Islam), Islamic term for monetary compensation for bodily harm or property damage * Diya (lamp), ghee- or oil-based candle often used in South Asian religious ceremo ...

lamps are lit on the banks of Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar and Jyotisar Sarovar. For example, 300,000 lamps were lit in December 2020.3L diyas to light up Kurukshetra on December 25
The Tribune, 23 Dec 2020.

References

External links

District Kurukshetra, Haryana, Indiahttp://www.thedivineindia.com/jyotisar/5902
{{Hindu temples in Haryana Hindu temples in Haryana Vishnu temples Kurukshetra Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Mahabharata 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra Tourist attractions in Kurukshetra district