BALARAMA'S PILGRIMAGE TO THE SACRED SITES ALONG THE SARASVATI

The famous Kuruksetra War is rightly considered as one of the greatest mythological conflicts in world literature. All the heroes of the Mahabharata came together on Kuru's field to fight with each other. But one of the great warriors was absent. He was Balarama, Krsna's brother, who alone refused to take part in the war and went on a pilgrimage. In this paper I aim to present Balarama's travel during the epic battle. My research is based on an Epic sub-parvan, namely the Sarasvata-parvan. This book is a detailed catalogue of the sacred sites along the Sarasvasti. Having studied this text I examine how the importance of these places changed through the ages. Some of them (like Somnath, Thanesar) are among the most popular places of pilgrimage, while others have lost their significance. This paper may provide an insight into the history of this sacred area along the mysterious river.