Thanesar

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Thanesar (Hindi: थानेसर) pronunciation  is an old and historic town on the banks of the Ghaggar river in Haryana state of northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra District, approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi. Prabhakar Vardhan, father of Harshavardhana, was the ruler of Thanesar and the first king of the Bains or Virk Jat clan with his capital at Thanesar.

The name Thanesar is derived from the original name Sthaneshwar which means Lord of the Place. (Sthan-Place/region, Ishwar-Lord)

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[edit] Introduction

Thanesar was an obscure village until the 1950's. After the partition of India, a large refugee camp was set up here, which became the nucleus of a bustling commercial city. It grew so much that in 1973, a new district named "Kurukshetra" was created, of which Thanesar was the main town. People now tend, erroneously, to refer to Thanesar town as "Kurukshetra".

[edit] Mythological Importance

The new district was named Kurukshetra in order to capitalize on the purported mythological significance of the area. "Kurukshetra" is in fact the name of a mythological battlefield, where the Mahabharata war was waged, the actual location of which is impossible to confirm. Local hearsay identifies the legendary "Kurukshetra" with a nearby obscure hamlet, and with the active abetment of the state government, Thanesar is presently experiencing a tourist boom.

Historians are also trying for a long time to somehow establish this city's link with the Indus Civilisation. They are also trying to prove somehow that the Ghaggar river is actually the famous Saraswati river of the vedas.

[edit] Religious & Historical Importance

Thanesar derives its name from the words "Sthaneshwar" which means "Deity of the Place". The Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, whose presiding deity is Lord Shiva, is believed to be the oldest temple in the vicinity. Other religious sites include the Brahma Sarovar, the Sannihit Sarovar, Gurdwara 6th Patashahi and the Devi Bhadrakali temple, which is counted among the 51 Shakti Peethas. The bathing-fair held here on the occurrence of a solar eclipse is said to be attended by half a million pilgrims.

Thanesar was sacked and many of its temples were destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni.

[edit] Modern Thanesar

The modern city of Thanesar is an important educational center; it is home to Kurukshetra University, the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra (Formarly Regional Engineering College) and the Shri Krishna Government Ayurvedic College.

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