Thanesar: In Kurukshetra’s shadow, a tale of ruins, history and faith

It’s that time of the year when Kurukshetra comes alive to the soothing tunes of the Kurukshetra Mahotsav. As the name suggests, the festival celebrates the origin of the Bhagavad Gita. The vicinity of the Brahma and Sannihit Sarovars is buzzing with activity, beginning with recitation of the Gita in the morning. With thousands of visitors coming in to be part of the Mahotsav, one wonders if their footfalls will go beyond the Mahotsav venues to touch one of the oldest existing parts of the Kurukshetra region, one that is not directly linked to the Mahabharat epic.

Thanesar is now a part of the larger town of Kurukshetra itself, but there was a point in time when it had eclipsed the Mahabharata-era place in terms of its political importance. Signs of that bygone era are found in many spots but are highest in a complex protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This complex, popularly known as ‘Harsh ka Tila’, is a mix of elements from Thanesar’s varied eras. It comprises an excavated site – the ‘Tila’ or mound, a small dargah that sits atop a part of the mound, a mosque called the Pathar Masjid, an archaeological museum and a tomb. It is the tomb that visually dominates the site and forms the starting point for exploring the larger complex.

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Protected by high walls, the complex is entered through an imposing gateway. A short walk and a flight of steps take a visitor to a terrace where he gazes upon a striking tomb built of yellowish stone. On the wall around are small cupolas which add a decorative effect. Punctuating these cupolas is a building which could have served as a pavilion. Both the tomb, which is octagonal in shape, and the pavilion are embellished by stone lattice work and patterns of flowers and amphoras.

Within the tomb lies the Sufi saint Abd-ur-Rahim Abdul-Karim Abd-ur-Razak, popularly known as Sheikh Chilli. The stunningly beautiful tomb can perhaps be attributed to imperial patronage received by the Sufi, who was also one of the spiritual masters of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh. The tomb was built around 1650 CE, a time when Dara was heir apparent to Emperor Shah Jahan and his influence was everywhere in court. The tomb was surrounded by a Mughal Garden of the Charbagh style, with water channels flowing. Glimpses of this are still visible.

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Behind the tomb is the Pathar Masjid, built of red sandstone. Its ceiling shows evidence of temple material being used. While it is thought of as Mughal, its design hints at an origin in the Sultanate period. The closed corridors in front of the tomb terrace probably found use as a madrasa. They now serve the purpose of an archaeological museum, which showcases not just the finds of the Harsh ka Tila mound but also of other parts of Haryana.

Persistent explorers who care to step out towards the back of the complex are rewarded with sights of the excavated area. This small site has played a stellar role in revealing the great past of Thanesar. The place was once part of the ancient mahajanapada of the Kuru kingdom. Some accounts mention that the place was even visited by the Buddha himself, who received alms near a lake at a place called Thullakohita, an old name of Thanesar.

Digs at this mound have thrown up an unbroken sequence of multiple cultural periods. Post the Kurus, the reign of Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE saw Thanesar being part of the Magadhan Empire, and a stupa came up in the vicinity of where the complex now stands. This was followed by the Kushans in the 1st–3rd century CE period, the Guptas (4th–6th century CE), the Vardhanas in the post-Gupta phase (6th–7th century), the Rajputs (8th–12th century) and the Islamic phase post that, of which the Mughal period was the high point. Of these diverse times, the most notable was in the late 6th century CE when Thanesar was ruled by Prabhakara Vardhana and later by his more illustrious son, Harsha Vardhana.

During the reign of Prabhakara Vardhana, it appears the kingdom was called Sthanvisvara, a name which later mutated to Thanesar. The three rulers who preceded Prabhakara used the title ‘Maharaja’, and it was Prabhakara who began using the title ‘Maharajadhiraja’. From this, it seems that the first three kings were feudatories of either the Hunas or the Guptas, or both. And it is only after the weakening of these larger empires that the Vardhanas broke free. The date of Harsha’s accession to the throne of Thanesar is put as 606 CE. He succeeded his elder brother Rajyavardhan to the throne.

His first challenge came from the direction of Kannauj. As the story goes, the ruler of Kannauj was Harsha’s brother-in-law. When he was killed and his kingdom invaded, Harsha led a successful counterattack. This paved the way for the kingdoms of Thanesar and Kannauj to be merged into one, and the combined energies of these kingdoms became a cockpit for Harsha to build an empire that spanned all of North India. Attempts to expand southwards saw Harsha fail.

Today, walking through the excavated site called Harsh-ka-Tila, it is difficult to visualise a mighty ruler like Harsha emerging from this spot. After his death in 647 CE, the kingdom weakened and fragmented. Thanesar once more became a minor outpost in other, larger empires. And it was in this quiet spot, not far from the precincts of Kurukshetra’s sacred sarovars, that a Sufi saint settled in the 17th century. And it is here that a Mughal prince came to him for spiritual guidance. If you happen to visit Kurukshetra for the Mahotsav, drop in to the archaeological complex at Thanesar to relive its history.

(The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.)