Ekackrā (Ekachakra) was a city mentioned in the Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). After saving their lives from the Jatugṛha (Jatugriha or the house of fire) at Vārāṇāvata (Varanavata), the Pāṇḍavas (Pandavas), having followed the advice of Vedavyāsa (Vedavyasa) to save their lives from Duryodhana, took the disguise of brahmacārīs (brahmacharis or ascetics) and secretly wandered in various places. At that time the disguised Pāṇḍavas (Pandavas) took shelter in a house of a brahmin as brahmacārīs (brahmacharis or ascetics) and lived there for sometime in this Ekackrā (Ekachakra) city. Like brahmacārīs (brahmacharis or ascetics), they begged in the streets to attain their food and to hide their real identity. They visited many beautiful forests, rivers and lakes there. During their stay in this Ekackrā (Ekachakra) city, Bhīmasena (Bhimsena) went to the Vetrakīya (Vetrakiya) forest or the Vaka Vana or forest at the far end of this city and killed the torturous Vaka Rakṣasa (Rakshasa or demon) who lived in this forest. Thus Bhīma (Bhima) saved the lives of the inhabitants of this city from the demon. From this Ekackrā (Ekachakra), the Pāṇḍavas (Pandavas) went to participate in the Swayaṁvara Sabhā (Swayamvara Sabha or a special court where a princess had the right to choose her husband from a number of men present there) of Pāñcāla (Panchala) Princess Droupadī (Droupadi).

According to N. L. Dey, Chakranagar is established sixteen miles away from Itawah city in Uttar Pradesh. But other scholars have different opinions about it. They think that the place called Ara in Bihar is actually the ancient city, Ekackrā (Ekachakra). But undoubtedly it can said that Ekackrā (Ekachakra) was situated near Pāñcāla (Panchala) state. From this, it seems that the ancient Ekackrā (Ekachakra) was in Uttar Pradesh.

[GDAMI (Dey) p.59; A Short History of India: And of The Frontier States of Afganistan; J. T. Wheeler; London; Macmillan And Co.; 1887; p.9. ]