Kapal Mochan Tirtha

Kapal Mochan Tirtha is an ancient Hindu pilgrimage centre located at Bilaspur in Yamunanagar district, Haryana, near the foothills of the Shivaliks. Centred around three sacred water tanks – Kapal Mochan, Suraj Kund and Rin Mochan – it is revered for ritual bathing believed to absolve sins. The complex includes Shiva temples and ghats, is mentioned in the Mahabharata and Puranas, and hosts a large Kartik Purnima fair attracting devotees from across North India.

Visitors can expect a temple-tank complex with three main kunds (Kapal Mochan, Suraj Kund and Rin Mochan) surrounded by ghats, small Shiva and other Hindu shrines, and open bathing areas. The setting is semi-rural at the edge of Bilaspur town with paved parikrama paths, shops selling offerings, and dharamshalas nearby. Pilgrims perform ritual bathing and prayers, while general visitors can walk around the tanks, observe temple architecture and visit during the annual fair when the site is crowded with stalls and devotees.

Kapal Mochan is an ancient tirtha mentioned in the Mahabharata, Vamana Purana and other texts. Tradition associates it with Brahma and Shiva, where Shiva is believed to have been freed from the sin of Brahma-hatya after bathing here, giving the name Kapal Mochan (liberator of the skull). The site has been a centre of pilgrimage for centuries and is part of the 48 Kos Parikrama of Kurukshetra.

Revered in Hinduism as a sin-cleansing tirtha where ritual bathing in the three kunds, especially Kapal Mochan Kund, is believed to absolve sins and ancestral debts. The site is central to the Kartik Purnima fair held annually in October-November, which holds religious importance for both Hindu and Sikh devotees due to the nearby Gurudwara Kapal Mochan associated with Guru Gobind Singh.