KAITHAL

city, north-central Haryana state, northwestern India. Said to have been founded by Yudhisthira, a Pandava king in the ancient epic poem the Mahabharata, Kaithal was later a Muslim cultural centre. Of historical interest are the large bathing tank (reservoir) and tombs of several saints dating from the 13th century AD. An agricultural market centre, it was constituted a municipality in 1867. Industries include cotton ginning, saltpetre refining, and metalwork, pottery, and lacquered woodwork manufacture. Kaithal houses several colleges affiliated with Kurukshetra University. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 71,096.