To promote religious tourism, Ashtakosi Yatra held in Kurukshetra

The Kurukshetra Development Board, in collaboration with the Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board, organised the historic Ashtakosi (8-kos) Yatra of Kurukshetra’s pilgrimage sites on Friday. The yatra was organised with the aim to promote religious tourism in Kurukshetra.

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Swami Gyananand, several saints and around 200 devotees from Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Yamunanagar participated in the first yatra. The 8-kos yatra, covering approximately 24 kilometres within the city, will serve as a precursor to the 48-kosi yatra, which will eventually extend across pilgrimage sites in Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat and Jind districts.

Swami Gyananand said, “Kurukshetra is a world-famous religious place and there are historical pilgrimages in every corner. The teachings of the Geeta are contained in every particle of this holy land. Therefore, the Ashtkosi Yatra of Kurukshetra is considered a sacred and historical pilgrimage. This Ashtkosi pilgrimage has also been described in the 11th chapter of the Geeta. The government has given a unique gift to the devotees and pilgrims coming here by starting the this yatra.”

Dhuman Singh Kirmach, deputy chairperson of Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board, said Ashtakosi Yatra was once a regular tradition in Kurukshetra and used to pass along the banks of Saraswati River but had been discontinued over time.

KDB’s honorary secretary Upendra Singhal said the yatra was performed during Chaitra Chaudas and would help the board in boosting religious tourism in the city. The 8-kos yatra started Nabhikamal Tirtha and included stops at Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Kuber Tirtha, Dadhichi Kund, Ban Ganga and Bhishma Kund before concluding at the Nabhikamal Tirtha.