Thanesar
Introduction
Thanesar is a historic city and Hindu pilgrimage centre in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, India. It lies roughly 160 km northwest of Delhi, and its urban area merges with that of Kurukshetra.
Before you go
Before you go, it helps to know that Thanesar is tied to one of the most sacred episodes in Hindu scripture. The town was the site of a battle described in the Indian epic the Mahabharata, and one of the most famous passages in all of Hindu scripture is set just before that battle: the Bhagavad Gita, a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer. If you want to make sense of what you see here, read up on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita beforehand. Knowing the story of Arjuna and Krishna will give your visit its context, since the town's significance comes from that narrative rather than from any single monument.Getting there
Kurukshetra sits roughly 150 km north of New Delhi and is most often reached from there by road or rail. It is a junction on the main Amritsar–New Delhi rail line, about 250 km from Amritsar, so trains run to Kurukshetra Junction from New Delhi Railway Station — a journey of around two and a half hours — as well as from Old Delhi railway station and Nizzamuddin.
- By train: Kurukshetra Junction is served by trains from New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi railway station and Nizzamuddin, on the main line between Amritsar and New Delhi.
- By car: The Grand Trunk Road (National Highway No 1) passes by Kurukshetra, making it easy to reach by road from Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh or New Delhi, with direct connectivity also to Haridwar and Patiala. Chandigarh lies about 90 km to the south.
- By bus: Buses to Kurukshetra leave from Indraprastha bus station and Kashmiri Gate bus station in New Delhi, with a journey time of three to four hours depending on traffic. Services also run from Chandigarh ISBT and Delhi ISBT.
Getting around
Within Thanesar itself, shared auto-rickshaws are the only option for getting around, so plan on flagging one down or joining a shared run rather than looking for a city bus network or metro. They are the standard way to cover short hops between the railway station, the main pilgrimage sites and the bazaar areas. Because they are shared, expect to travel alongside other passengers and to pay a modest fare for the segment you cover. For a full day of sightseeing, agree on a fare with a driver in advance rather than relying on metered pricing, which is not the norm here.
Thanesar's built-up area merges with Kurukshetra, and the practical transport hub for the area is Kurukshetra Junction, a junction on the Amritsar–New Delhi line. From there, continue to Thanesar by shared auto-rickshaw. Long-distance buses connect Kurukshetra with Delhi and Chandigarh, but once you are in the city there is no separate local bus service — the shared auto-rickshaw fills that role. No local taxi or ride-hailing market is described here, so treat the shared auto-rickshaw as your default; if you want a private vehicle, arrange it through your hotel or negotiate directly with a driver. Some walking is rewarding around the temple and market surroundings, but for anything further out — such as the Bhishma Kund water tank, about 1.5 km away on the Kurukshetra–Pehowa road — switch to a three-wheeler.
Where to stay
For budget travellers, Thanesar has a number of dharmshalas offering simple accommodation. Agarwala Dharamshala sits near the railway station, Brahman Dharamshala is close to the old bus stand, and Jat Dharmashala can be found near Birla Mandir. Saini Samaj Bhavan is another option in this category.
If you're after something more comfortable, hotels such as Neelkanth are available. Parakeet Resort in Sector 2, a government-owned property about 200 metres from Pipli bus stand, offers air-conditioned rooms with Wi-Fi and free parking, along with a large private park where guests can jog or join yoga sessions.
Food & drink
For everyday eating, the area around Bramha Sarovar and the main city bazaar is where you'll find chats. Railway Road is the spot for chole bhature, while the old city near Ambedkar Chowk serves poori with petha and chole. If you want a sit-down multicuisine meal, look to Kimaya, Mezbaan or Saffron, and for South Indian food you can eat at the university cafeteria. Chicken dishes are available at the Crown Hotel in Pipli.
For alcohol, the Parakeet resort run by Haryana Tourism is the place to go.
What to see and do
Thanesar and its surroundings hold a dense cluster of sites tied to pilgrimage, science and wildlife. At Jyotisar, a pilgrimage site, the Bhagavad Gita is said to have been spoken. Brahm-sarovar is a sacred water tank dedicated to Lord Shiva, mentioned in Al Beruni's Kitab-ul-Hind and believed to be the land where civilization was born; the Birla Gita Mandir and Baba Nath's haveli stand nearby, and the tank is at its most atmospheric during the Deep Daan and Aarti at Gita Jayanti in later November and early December, when migratory birds arrive. Sanhit-Sarovar, a short distance from Kurukshetra Railway Station on Pehowa Road, is regarded as the permanent abode of Lord Vishnu, with idols of Vishnu, Druv Bhagat, Hanuman and Durga, and purohits on its banks keep pilgrimage records going back hundreds of years. Other religious sites include Bhadra Kali Mandir, Birla Mandir, Chatti Patshahi Gurudwara and Sthanswer Mandir, while Raja Harsh ka Tilla and Sheikh Chilli's Tomb represent the area's older layers.
For a different pace, the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Bhor Saidan village lets you see mugger crocodiles up close, with knowledgeable guides on hand, and there is a Mini Zoo and Black Buck Breeding Centre at Pipli. Indoors, you can visit the Kalpana Chawla Planetarium, the Shri Krishna Museum and the Panorama Science Museum on Pehowa Road. Harshwardhan Park and Jindal Park offer green space, and for an evening out the city has several classic single-screen cinema halls, with multi-screen cineplexes at Kessel Mall and Divine Business Park.
Three days in Thanesar
Day one: Base yourself in Thanesar, the heart of Kurukshetra in Haryana, and start with its Hindu temples and tanks, the setting tied to the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna is said to have counselled Arjuna. Knowing this, you can spend the day moving between the town's sacred sites on foot before returning to your neighbourhood for an evening meal.
Day two: Travel out from Thanesar to the wider Kurukshetra area, using Kurukshetra Junction as your rail link. If you are coming from Delhi, New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi, Nizzamuddin and Kashmiri Gate are the usual starting points, and the Grand Trunk Road and National Highway No. 1 connect onward to Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Haridwar and Patiala. Buses run from Chandigarh ISBT and Delhi ISBT, so you can shape the day around your onward route.
Day three: Use Thanesar as a springboard for the region. From Kurukshetra Junction you can head towards New Delhi, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Haridwar or Patiala, or trace the old road towards Indraprastha. Within Thanesar, keep the morning for the places you missed, then leave by rail or bus.