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Kurukshetra (literally "Region of the Kurus"), also known as Dharmakshetra (the "Region of Dharma"), [10] was the battleground on which the Kurukshetra War was fought. [11] The first Mahābhārata says that this site was chosen because a sin committed on land was forgiven because of the land's sanctity.
Witzel notes this battle to be the probable archetype/prototype of the Kurukshetra War, narrated in the Mahabharata. [14] John Brockington takes a similar approach. [15] S. S. N. Murthy goes to the extent of proposing the battle as the very "nucleus" of the Kurukshetra War; Walter Ruben adopts a similar stance.
The Kurukshetra War of the Mahabharata is believed to have taken place here. Thaneswar, whose urban area is merged with Kurukshetra, is a pilgrimage site with many locations attributed to Mahabharata. [4] In the Vedas, Kurukshetra is described not as a city but as a region ("kshetra" means "region" in Sanskrit).
Kuru was an ancient Indian kingdom. [2] The kingdom was emerged as a branch of Rigvedic Puru tribe and lasted until Nandas of Magadha dethroned them in 350s BCE. [3] Kuru kingdom is famous for Mahabharata [4] and Kurukshetra War. [5]
He is the father of Anjanaparva, Barbarika and Meghavarna. As the head of one akshauhini army, he was an important fighter from the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra war and caused a great deal of destruction to the Kaurava army. Ghatotkacha killed many demons like Alambusha, Alayudha, and many gigantic Asuras.
However, the results of the war devastated him. All of his sons and grandsons but one were killed in the carnage. Dhritarashtra's only daughter Duhsala was widowed. Yuyutsu had defected to Pandava side at the onset of the war, and was the only son of Dhritarashtra who had managed to survive the Kurukshetra War. [10]
This refusal led to the inevitability of the Kurukshetra War. Bhima played a significant role in the events leading up to the war and was a key combatant throughout the eighteen days of conflict, which are documented in four books of the Mahabharata-Bhisma Parva, Drona Parva, Karna Parva and Shalya Parva.
It is possible that there was a small-scale conflict, transformed into a gigantic epic war by bards and poets. Some historians and archaeologists have argued that this conflict may have occurred in about 1000 BCE." [31] Despite the inconclusiveness of the data, attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra War.