What is the connection between Kurukshetra and the Bhagavadgita?

Kurukshetra, a city in the Indian state of Haryana, is inextricably linked to the Bhagavadgita as the setting for the discourse it contains.12

The connection is rooted in the Mahabharata, the Hindu epic that recounts a great war fought over 18 days at Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. At the beginning of this conflict, the warrior Arjuna experiences a profound moral crisis upon seeing his relatives and teachers among the opposing ranks.123

In response, Krishna—who serves as Arjuna’s charioteer—delivers a sermon on the necessity of fulfilling one's duty as a warrior to fight for a just cause. This dialogue, which takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, constitutes the Bhagavadgita. The scripture is famously mentioned in its very first verse, anchoring the philosophical teachings of the text to this specific historical and legendary location.231