Hastinapur

Hastinapur (Hindi: हस्तिनापुर Hastināpur) is a town in the Upper Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. While the name is popular throughout India as one of the ancient cities mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata, the town is not known for being a tourist destination.

Understand

Kailash Parvat Rachna

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.

See and do

• 1 Digamber Jain Mandir. Consecrated in 1806, it is the oldest Jain temple in Hastinapur dedicated to Shri Shantinatha, the 16th Jain Tirthankara. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. A protected area in the Gangetic plains that covers 2,073 km². Mammal species recorded include swamp deer, smooth-coated otter, Ganges river dolphin, gharial, Indian leopard, chital, sambar deer, nilgai. 117 bird species have been recorded. (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 Jambudweep. A Digambara Jain temple built in 1972. Jambudweep is a depiction of Jain cosmology. (updated Dec 2023)
• Shri Ashtapad Teerth. A 46-metre-high (151 ft) structure dedicated to first tirthankara Rishabhnath. 
• Kailash Parvat. A 40-metre-high (131 ft) structure that is home to several Jain temples, including Yatri Niwas and Bhojanshala. 
• Pandeshwar Temple. This temple is dedicated to Shiva. It is believed to be the place where Kauravas and Pandavas received their education in Vedas and Puranas. 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. 
• Karna Temple (near the Pandeshwar temple). The Karna Temple is located on an old ravine along the bank of the Ganges. The Shivling inside the Karna Temple is believed to have been established by Karna, one of the prominent figures in the Mahabharata.