Jind

The district derives its name from its headquarters town Jind that is said to be a corruption of Jaintapuri. It is also said that this town had been founded at the time of Mahabharta. According to an old saying the Pandavas built a temple in honour of Jainti Devi (the goddess of victory), offered prayers for success, and then launched the battle with the Kauravas. The town grew up around the temple and was named Jaintapuri (Abode of Jainti Devi) which later on came to be known as Jind.

Excursion
The region comprising the Jind district formed boundary of the holy region of Kurukshetra and as such many holy places connected with tradition or referred to in religious literature are located in the district. Many of these places are mentioned in the Mahabharta, the Vamana,the Narda and the Padma Purans.

The town, headquarter of the district of the same name is situated on the Ferozpur-Delhi section of the Northern Railway, 123 kilometers away from Delhi and 57 Kilometers from Rohtak. It is also connected by road with Delhi, Patiala, Chandigarh and other important towns of the state.

Tradition assigns the settlement of the town to the Mahabharta period. According to the legend, the Pandavas built here a temple in honour of Jainti Devi(the goddess of victory) and offered prayers for success in their battle against the Kauravas. The town grew up around the temple and was named Jaintapuri) abode of Jainti Devi) which in course of time corrupted to Jind.

Raja Gajpat Singh in 1755 seized a large tract of country including the present districts of Jind from the Afghan and made Jind the capital of the state in 1776. He made a fort here in 1775. Later, Sangrur was chosen as capital of Jind State by Raja Sangat Singh (1822 A.D to 1834 A.D)

Jind is noted for its numerous temples sacred to the worship of Shiva. Raghbir Singh, ruler of Jind, built a temple known as Bhuteshvara temple, with a large tank around it, locally known as Rani Talab.

It has been renovated and a tourist complex has been built nearby. The other places of worship are the temples of Hari Kailash , tanks of Surya Kund, Jawala Maleshvara tirath. There is a shrine of Shah Walayat where an annual urs is held. There is also a gurdwara in the sacred memory of Guru Teg Bahadur who on his way to Delhi stayed here for sometime.

The town developed fast after the formation of Haryana and is a well provided town of the state. The town has a Arjun stadium, milk plant, cattle feed plant, Bulbul restaurant and a large grain market. There are facilities for the stay at PWD rest house, canal rest house and market committee rest house. The town is well provided with schools, colleges, hospitals and other basic amenities.

Pindara (Tahsil Jind)
The village is situated about 6.5 KM from Jind on Jind-Gohana road.

According to a legend, the Pandavas offered here pinds to their forefathers and hence the popular name of the village is Pandu Pindara. A fair is held on Somavati Amavas.

Ramrai (Tahsil Jind)
Ramrai is located on Jind-Hansi road, 8 Kilometers west of Jind.

Ramrai or Ramahrada is a traditional south-west Yaksha of the Kurukshetra region. It is connected with the mythological story of Parsurama who after the annihilation of Kshatriyas, filled five pools with their blood and propitiated his forefathers there. It is believed that a bath at Ramahrada tirtha and Sanet tirtha is very holy. There is an old temple of Parsuram where he is worshipped.

Dhamtan Sahib (Tehsil Narwana)
It is situated about 10 KM East of Narwana on Narwana-Tohana road.

Dhamtan is the corrupted name of Dharamsthan (religious place). It is said to be the ashram of Rishi Valmiki and venue of Asvamedha yagya of Lord Rama. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru stayed here on his way to Delhi and a fort like gurudwara was built in his memory. There is also another gurudwara know as Manji Sahib.

Hansdehar (Tahsil Narwana)
Tradition connects the place with Rishi Kardam who practiced penance (tapasys) here for many years. His son Kapilamuni took birth and composed Sankhya Shastra here. Its name is said to have been derived from the tradition that Brahma came here to attend the marriage of Kardam Rishi on the back of a hans (goose). The sacred Saraswati is said to have flowed by the place and Pandavas come here and offered pinds to their forefathers.

A Shiva temple and Bindusar tirtha is located here. The people worship Shiva and come in great number on Somavati Amavas to take holy bath in the tank.

Narwana
It is the headquarters of the sub-division and tahsil of the same name and is connected by rail as well as road. It is situated 37 kilometers northwest of Jind

Narwana is said to be the corrupted name of the word Nirvan’ which means salvation. There is a tomb of Sufi Saint Hazrat Gaibi Sahib who is said to have miraculously disappeared in ground. There is a tank around the tomb.

The town has PWD rest house, canal rest house, schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stand and other basic amenities.

Safidon
The town is the headquarters of the tahsil of the same name. It is situated on the bank of the Hansi branch of the Western Jumna Canal, 35 kilometers North-East of Jind.

The place is possibly the site of Sarpadevi or Sarpidadhi referred in Mahabharta and Vamna Puran. It is associated with snake sacrifice of Janamejaya son of Parikshit. The latter lost his life in the struggle against the Nagas of Taxile, which was later avenged by his son Janamejaya, symbolised in the epic tradition of Sarpasastra (snake sacrifice) which possibly took place at Sarpadevi. There are three ancient temples and tirthas of Negesvara Mahadeva, Nagadamni Devi and Nagashetra.

It has a rest house, schools, hospital and other basic amenities.

Uchana (Tahsil Narwana)
The town is situated on Jind-Patiala-Chandigarh road, it is a railway station on Delhi-Ferojpur railway line.

There is a famous Dharmarth eyes hospital built by a Sanyasi Ganesh Nandh through public donation. The other places of public utility include a milk-chilling centre and a big grain market.

There are many tirthas mentioned in the old texts, which are located in the district. A description of more important place along with the legends associated with them is given below:

Asvini Kumara Tirtha
It lies at village Assan, 14 kilometers east of Jind and is associated with the Vedic twin deities Asvins. Bathing here on Tuesday has sanctifying effect. It is mentioned in the Mahabharta, Padma, Narada and Vamana Puranas.

Varaha
It lies at village Brah 10 kilometers from Jind. According to the Vamana Purana, this well-known tirtha was praised by Vishnu and bathing here is considered as helpful in the attainment of final beatitude. The Padma and the Mahabharta inform us that it was the place of Vishnu who stayed here in his boar incarnation. A stay at this place is considered equivalent to the benefit of an Agnistoma sacrifice.

Ekahamsa
It lies at the village Ikkas, 5 Kilometers south-west of Jind. According to a local tradition it is associated with Krishna who concealed himself here in the guise of hans for escaping from gopies who sought him in the same form.

Yakshini Tirtha
It lies at village Dkhnikhera, 8 Kilometers south of Jind . According to the Vamana Purana it is located near Munjavata and is the place of Yakshini Mahagrahi. It is believed that bathing here and propitiating the Yakshini and observing fast enable a person to shed all sins.

Pushkara
It lies at the village Ponkar Kheri, 11 Kilometers south of Jind. According to the puranic tradition Parasurama, the son of Jamadagni, founded it. The worship of gods and ancestors here is rewarded with the merit of Asvamedha sacrifice. Other places of religious significance here are Kapila Mahayaksha, one of the dwarpalas and his wife Ulukhalamekhala.

Dasasvamedha tirtha
It lies at village Didwara in Safidon tahsil, 13 Kilometers north of Safidon. Bathing here with devotion is considered to have the merit of ten Asvamedha Sacrifices.

Panchanada
It lies at village Hat, about 10 kilometers south west of Safidon. The creation of this tirtha is attributed to Rudra. Inhabited by the gods, Panchanada tirtha is considered the remover of all sins.

Koti tirtha
It is situated near village Hat. Lord Rudra created a crore of tirthas here, it was known as Koti tirtha. It is associated with Siva Kotisvara and is believed that by bathing here one gets the religious merit of performing five yajnas.

Mention may also be made of Parasara tank and a brick temple of Mahadeva at Paju Kalan (5 Kilometers north-west of Safidon), Suraj Kund built in honour of Sun God at Kalwa (15 Kilometers south-west of Safidon), temple of Mahadeva at Barod (5.5 Kilometers north-east of Safidon) and a tank named after the Vedic sage Vasishtha at Budha Khera (12 Kilometers north-west of Safidon ).

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