Gopal Mochan is an ancient place of pilgrimage for both

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

and

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

s, 17 km north-east of Yamunanagar city-

Jagadhari Jagadhri is a city and a municipal council in the Yamunanagar district of the Indian state of Haryana. The town is adjacent to the city of Yamunanagar, around 90 km from Chandigarh, the capital city of Haryana state. Etymology Jagadhri may ...

town, on the Bilaspur road in

Yamunanagar district Yamunanagar district is one of the 22 districts of the Indian state of Haryana. The district came into existence on 1November 1989 and occupies an area of . Yamunanagar town is the district headquarters. Yamunanagar's average rainfall in Mons ...

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is also called Gopal Mochan and Somsar Mochan. As per Legend, ''

Brāhmanahatya Brahmahatya (), also rendered Brahmanahatya () is the Sanskrit term for "the killing of a Brahmin". It is translated as Brahminicide in English. The Manusmriti regards the murder of a Brahmin to be the greatest of sins, and the highest of the ''m ...

'' i.e. killing of

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

is considered as a major sin, but one who kills a Brahmin and bath here, his ''Brāhmanahatya'' sins will be washed. Nearby

Bilaspur, Haryana Bilaspur is a census town and block headquarter in Yamunanagar District in the state of Haryana, India. Demographics 2001 Census of India, India census, Bilaspur had a population of 9620. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47 ...

(not to be confused with

Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh Bilaspur is a town and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. History Bilaspur was the capital of a state of the same name founded in the 7th century, also known as Kahlur. The ruling dynasty wer ...

) in

Yamuna Nagar District Yamunanagar district is one of the 22 districts of the Indian state of Haryana. The district came into existence on 1November 1989 and occupies an area of . Yamunanagar town is the district headquarters. Yamunanagar's average rainfall in Monso ...

which takes its name from the corrupted form of "Vyas Puri", was the

ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Ved Vyasa Vyasa (; , ) or Veda Vyasa (, ), also known as Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa (, ''Vedavyāsa''), is a ''rishi'' (sage) with a prominent role in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahābhārata, w ...

rishi In Indian religions, a ''rishi'' ( ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "gre ...

where he wrote the

Mahabharta The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

on the banks of

Sarasvati river The Sarasvati River () is a Apotheosis, deified myth, mythological Rigvedic rivers, river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedas, Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Historical Vedic religion, Vedic religio ...

near Adi Badri where Sarasvati river leaves Himalayas and enters the plains.Sarasvati Sodh Sansthan Publications 2015
/ref> It is one of the most ancient vedic religious site in Haryana along with

48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra The 48 kos parikrama is a parikrama (a circumbabulatory pilgrimage) of various ''Mahabharata''-related and other Vedic-era tirthas (Hindu sacred sites) around the Hindu holy city of Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana, India. Associated ...

and

Dhosi Hill Dhosi Hill is an extinct volcano that stands alone at the north-west end of the Aravalli mountain range in southern Haryana, India. It was an important site during the Vedic period. Its rises 345 to 470 meters from the surrounding land and 740 ...

Demographics

India census, Bilaspur had a population of 9620. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bilaspur has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 69% and female literacy of 61%. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Kapal Mochan Tirth Mela

The place finds mention in the

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

and the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

'', and was visited by Mahadeva,

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

. There is historical Mahadev Temple, Gau Bacha Temple and Gurdwara with ancient Pool. Every year, nearly five

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

pilgrims visit the place during the annual, "Kapal Mochan Mela" during November. As part of INR1200 crore Morni to Kalesar tourism development plan announced in January 2019, Government of Haryana is developing Kapal Mochan Tirth centered around the sacred pond, along with Kalesar Mahadev temple, Panchmukhi Hanuman temple of Basatiyawala, Sharda Mata Temple of Chotta Trilokpur and

Lohgarh Lohgarh is a village in Notified Area Committee of Zirakpur in district Mohali in state of Punjab in India. This is not to be confused with another namesake Lohgarh (Bilaspur) in Haryana which was capital of the First Sikh State under Banda ...

fort capital of

Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur, born Lachman Dev (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a Jathedar, general of the Khalsa Fauj, Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an Sannyasa, ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Baira ...

.Kalesar-Kalka stretch to be promoted for tourism
, The Tribune, 18 jan 2019.

History

Shiva's visit

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

also visited this place after killing Brahma Ji.

Rama's visit

According to local legend, in the ''

Treta Yuga ''Treta Yuga'' (IAST: ''Tretā-yuga'') (Devanagari: त्रेतायुग), in Hinduism, is the second and second-best of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'' and followed by '' Dvapara ...

'' (age)

came here in his ''Pushpak Viman'' after killing

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

(a Brahmin from his father's side). From that day this pond is called Surya Kund

Guru Nanak ji's visit

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...

ji stopped here during one of his udasis in 1584 and have spoke to a large gathering disputing the ritual of Sootak (the concept that a newborn baby is born impure). According to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sootak is there on Mind when it is entangles in vices. Adi Granth states: ਮਨ ਕਾ ਸੂਤਕੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਹਵਾ ਸੂਤਕੁ ਕੂੜੁ ॥ ਅਖੀ ਸੂਤਕੁ ਵੇਖਣਾ ਪਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਅ ਪਰ ਧਨ ਰੂਪੁ ॥ ਕੰਨੀ ਸੂਤਕੁ ਕੰਨਿ ਪੈ ਲਾਇਤਬਾਰੀ ਖਾਹਿ ॥. A

Gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

Sahib is located which commemorates his visit.

Guru Gobind Singh's ji visit

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

ji visited Kapal Mochan after

Battle of Bhangani The Battle of Bhangani was fought between Guru Gobind Singh's army and Bhim Chand (Kahlur) of Bilaspur on 18 September 1686 or 1688, at Bhangani near Paonta Sahib. An alliance of Rajput Rajas of the Shivalik Hills participated in the engage ...

in 1688 and gave robes of honour (turbans) to soldiers who fought this victorious war against Hill Rulers. He also had discourse with priests of temple on

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

. He gave

Hukamnama A Hukamnama ( Punjabi: ਹੁਕਮਨਾਮਾ, translit. ''Hukamanāmā''), in modern-times, refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an injunction, order, or edict to Sikhs. It also refers to edicts issued by the contemp ...

to temple priests which is still preserved by them. Also, Guru Gobind Singh ji and his soldiers get temple, rid of those people, who pollute the pond water, by doing toilets on short distances from ponds.Charitar 71, Charitar of Kapal Mochan, Charitropakhyan, Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh ji In

Dasam Granth The ( Gurmukhi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ''dasama gratha'') is a collection of various poetic compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.

Khalsa Mahima Khalsa Mahima (or Khalsa Mehma; lit. 'Praise of the Khalsa') is the name of two compositions that praise the Khalsa in poetic form, composed by Guru Gobind Singh, each present in Dasam Granth and Sarbloh Granth. Khalsa Mahima of the Dasam Gra ...

(the praise of Khalsa) and Charitar 71 describe a few events happened during Guru Gobind Singh ji's stay at Kapal Mochan.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby

(not to be confused with

) in

which takes its name from the corrupted form of "Vyas Puri", was the

where he wrote the

on the banks of

near Adi Badri where Sarasvati river leaves Himalayas and enters the plains. On

road lies another popular religious site of Kapal Mochan. Adi Badri,

Amadalpur Amadalpur village is a part of tehsil Jagadhri of district Yamunanagar, situated in Haryana, India. Population The latest available information as per Census 2011 showed that a total of 2975 people stayed in the village consisting of 1564 m ...

, Buria,

Chhachhrauli Chhachhrauli is a town, ''tehsil'' and gram panchayat consisting of 20 wards in the Yamunanagar district in the state of Haryana, India. It is 11 km north-east of Yamunanagar city-Jagadhari. Chachhraulli is often known as "Cherapunjii of H ...

Chaneti Buddhist Stupa Chaneti Buddhist Stupa is a 3rd century BC monument protected by the Government of India. The stupa is located in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana, three kilometers east of Jagadhri, and about three kilometers northwest of the archaeological ...

and

Sugh Ancient Mound Sugh Ancient Mound, also known as the Ancient Site of Sugh, is located in the village of Amadalpur Dayalgarh, in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana, India. Suryamandir-Tirth in Amadalpur is nearby. Buddhist stupa here is identified with the ...

are other ancient sites.

References

{{Sikhism Archaeological sites in Haryana Yamunanagar district Sarasvati River Hindu holy cities Hindu temples in Haryana Shaivism Gurdwaras in Haryana Ambala district Cities and towns in Yamunanagar district Tourism in Haryana Tourist attractions in Haryana Mahabharata