Hastinapur

Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Hastinapura is described as the capital of the Kuru kingdom in Hindu texts such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas; it is also mentioned in ancient Jain texts. Hastinapur is located on the right bank of the Ganga river.

Etymology

In Sanskrit, Hastinapura translates to 'the City of Elephants' from Hastina (elephant) and pura (city). Its history dates back to the period of Mahabharata.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is said that the city was named after King Hasti.<ref name="Mittal2006">Template:Cite book</ref>

It is also mentioned in the Ramayana, the 13th and 14th verses of which say (translated):

"Having crossed Ganga River at Hastinapura, they proceeded towards the west and, reaching Panchala kingdom through Kuru Jangala and observing well-filled lakes and rivers with clear water, the messengers mentioned above went briskly, due to the pressing nature of their mission." {{#if:|

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History

The early archaeological remains of the region belong to Ochre Coloured Pottery culture which was a Bronze Age culture of Ganga Yamuna doab. Around c.1200 BCE the region transformed to an Iron Age culture. The region was occupied by the Painted Grey Ware culture which corresponds to the Vedic Period.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the Mahabharata, Hastinapur is portrayed as the capital of the Kuru kingdom of the Kauravas. Many incidents in the Mahabharata were set in the city of Hastinapur. According to the Mahabharata, the 100 Kaurava brothers were born in this city to their mother, Queen Gandhari, the wife of King Dhritarashtra. On the bank of the Budhi Ganga, two places near Hastinapur (Draupadi Ghat<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Karna Ghat) reference Mahabharata personages.

File:Brooklyn Museum - Balarama Pulling Hastinapur toward the Ganages Page from a Bhagavata Dasamskanda series.jpg

Balarama pulling Hastinapur toward the Ganges, shown on a page from a "Bhagavata Dasamskanda" series

The first reference to Hastinapur in the Puranas presents the city as the capital of Emperor Bharata's kingdom.

File:170 Jain Tirthankars.jpg

A 2nd century stone relief of 170 Jain Tirthankars in lotus position excavated in Hastinapur

Excavations at Hastinapur were carried out in the early 1950s by B. B. Lal, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Although the main aim of this excavation, according to Lal himself, was to determine the stratigraphic position of Painted Grey Ware concerning other known ceramic industries of the early historical period, Lal found correlations between the text of the Mahabharata and the material remains that he unearthed at Hastinapur. This led him to historicize some of the traditions mentioned in the Mahabharata as well as link the appearance of the Painted Grey Ware with Aryans in the upper Ganges basin areas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Hastinapur is listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana under Delhi sarkar, producing a revenue of 4,466,904 dams for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 300 infantry and 10 cavalry. The author Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak describes it "an ancient Hindu settlement" lying on the Ganges.<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">Template:Citation</ref>

In British India, Hastinapur was ruled by Raja Nain Singh Nagar, who built many Hindu temples in and around Hastinapura.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Geography and climate

Present-day Hastinapur is a town in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh in India, about Template:Convert from Meerut and nearly Template:Convert north-east of Delhi on National Highway 34.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a small township re-established by Jawaharlal Nehru on February 6, 1949, located at Template:Coord.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With an average elevation of Template:Convert, Hastinapur experiences temperatures ranging from Template:Convert. Summer season is from March to May, during which the temperatures range from Template:Convert. The monsoon season is from July to September, during which the temperature is relatively low. Winter lasts from December to February, with December usually being the coldest month of the year. During this time, temperatures can drop to around Template:Convert and don't usually go above Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Hastinapur Nagar Panchayat had a population of 26,452, of which 14,010 are males while 12,442 are females. The literacy rate of the town was 74.5% slightly higher than the national average of 74%. Around 14% of the population was under 6 years of age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Places of interest

Located on the banks of an old ravine of the Ganges, Hastinapur is considered one of the holiest places for Hindus and Jains. It is believed to be the birthplace of three Jain Tirthankaras. There are many ancient Hindu temples including Pandeshwar Temple and Karna Temple, as well as Jain temples such as Shri Digamber, Jain Mandir, Jambudweep, Kailash Parvat, and Shwetambar Jain Temple.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur

Temples and monuments

Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur

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Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur is one of the oldest Jain temples in Hastinapur. The main temple is believed to have been built in 1801 under the aegis of Raja Harsukh Rai, who was the imperial treasurer of Emperor Shah Alam II.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The temple has many other facilities, including, police station, Digamber Jain Gurukul, and a Udaseen Ashram. Several tourist attractions including Jal Mandir, Jain Library, Acharya Vidyanand Museum, 24 Tonks, and the ancient Nishiyajis are situated few kilometres from the main temple.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Ashtapad Hastinapur.jpg

Ashtapad

Shri Shwetambar Jain Ashtapad Teerth

Shri Ashtapad Teerth was built under the aegis of Shri Hastinapur Jain Shwetambar Teerth Trust. It is a Template:Convert structure dedicated to first tirthankara Rishabhnath.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Kailash Parvat Rachna

Kailash Parvat is a Template:Convert structure, constructed under the aegis of Shri Digamber Jain Mandir, Hastinapur. The Kailash Parvat premises are home to several Jain temples, including Yatri Niwas and Bhojanshala. Kailash Parvat also has an auditorium and a helipad on the premises.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Jambudweep Rachna.jpg

Jambudweep

Jambudweep Jain Tirth

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Jambudweep, depicting a model of Jain cosmology, was designed here under the supervision of Shri Gyanmati Mataji in 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pandeshwar Temple

Situated in the historic location of the ancient city of Hastinapur, the Pandeshwar temple is dedicated to Shiva. This temple is believed to be the place where Kauravas and Pandavas received their education in Vedas and Puranas.Template:Citation needed A temple of the Hindu goddess Kali and many Hindu ashramas are also present on a hillock between the ruins. Legend has it that in the Mahabharata period, Pandu's eldest son Yudhishthira had established the shivalinga at the Pandeshwar Mahadev temple before the war of Mahabharata and prayed to Shiva for a blessing of winning the war.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karna Temple

File:Hastinapur-Karneshwar-Mandir-1.jpg

Karneshwar Mandir

The Karna Temple is located near the Pandeshwar temple on an old ravine along the bank of the Ganges. The Shivling inside the Karna Temple is believed to be established by Karna, one of the prominent figures in the Mahabharata.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bhai Dharam Singh Gurdwara

This is a small Gurdwara located in the village of Saifpur, around Template:Convert from Hastinapur.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Migratory Birds At Hastinapur.jpg

Migratory birds at Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Hastinapur Sanctuary

Hastinapur Sanctuary, established in 1986, is one of the prominent wildlife projects in India. The sanctuary extends over a wide area, encompassing the districts of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bijnor, Hapur, and Jyotiba Phule Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. It is a sprawling forest, occupying an area of nearly Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Festivals and fairs

Various cultural events and religious celebrations are held in Hastinapur annually, including Akshaya Tritiya, Das Lakshana, Kartik Mela, Holi Mela, and Durga Puja. These festivals, among others, are organized by non-government organizations (NGOs) and the State Tourism Department.

See also

• Indraprastha
• Mahabharata
• Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur
• Jambudweep
• Historicity of the Mahabharata

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
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External links

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