HISTORY
Ancient period
Haryana was the outermost location of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization with centers such as Banawali and Rakhigarhi. The most extensive center, Rakhigarhi, is now a village in Hisar District. The site is dated to be over 5,000 years old. Evidence of paved roads, drainage system, large rainwater collection, storage system, terracotta brick, statue production, and skilled metal working (in both bronze and precious metals) has been uncovered.
Also the Vedic Civilization flourished on the banks of the now lost Sarasvati River. Several decisive battles were fought in the area, which shaped much of the history of India. These include the epic Battle of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata(including the recital of the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna) and the three battles ofPanipat.
Medieval period
After ousting the Huns, king Harshavardhana established his capital at Thanesar near Kurukshetra in the 7th century AD. After his death, the kingdom of his clansmen, the Pratiharas continued to rule over a vast region for quite a while from Harsha's adopted capital of Kannauj. The region remained strategically important for the rulers of North India even though Thanesar was no more central than Kannauj. Prithviraj Chauhan established forts at Tarori and Hansi in the 12th century. Muhammad Ghori conquered this area in the Second Battle of Tarain. Following his death, the Delhi Sultanate was established that ruled much of India for several centuries. The earliest reference to 'Hariana' occurs in a Sanskrit inscription dated 1328 AD kept in Delhi Museum, which refers to this region as The heaven on earth, indicating that it was fertile and relatively peaceful at that time. Firoz Shah Tughlaq established a fort at Hisar in 1354 to further fortify the region, and also constructed canals or rajwahas as they were referred to in the Indo-Persian historical texts.
The three famous battles of Panipat took place near the modern town of Panipat in Haryana. The first battle took place in 1526, where Babur, the ruler of Kabul, defeated Ibrahim Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate, through the use of field artillery. In the second battle of Panipat (5 November 1556), Akbar's forces defeated Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya popularly called Hemu, who belonged to Rewari in Haryana and who had earlier won 22 battles, from Punjab to Bengal including two against Akbar's forces during 1553-1556 before acceeding to Delhi throne and establishing 'Hindu Raj' in North India on 7 October 1556. The Third Battle of Panipat was fought in 1761 between the Afghan warlord Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau of Pune. Ahmad Shah won decisively, on 13 January 1761.
British period
The Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848 to 1849 resulted in the Battle of Gujrat on 21 February 1849, at which the British defeated the Sikhs. As a result of this, on 2 April 1849 they annexed the Punjab as a new province of British India. This included most of Haryana, while the rest were ruled by the princely states of Loharu, Nabha, Jind and Patiala. During the Indian rebellion of 1857, several leaders from this region, including Rao Tula Ram, participated actively. People of Haryana took an active part in the Indian Independence movement. Many battles were fought by the rulers of the states and by the farmers also, sometimes defeating the British army. Some most important fights were atSonipat, Rohtak, Sirsa and Hissar. Later, leaders like Sir Chhotu Ram played an important role in the politics of the Punjab province. Rao Tula Ram was one of the important leaders of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Formation of Haryana
Haryana state was formed on 1 November 1966, on the recommendation of the Sardar Hukam Singh Parliamentary Committee. The formation of this committee was announced in the Parliament on 23 September 1965. On 23 April 1966, acting on the recommendation of the Hukam Singh Committee, the Indian government set up the Shah Commission under the chairmanship of Justice J. C. Shah, to divide and set up the boundaries of Punjab and Haryana giving consideration to the language spoken by the people. The commission gave its report on 31 May 1966. According to this report the then districts of Hissar, Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Rohtak, and Karnal were to be a part of the new state of Haryana. Further, the tehsils of Jind (district Sangrur), Narwana (district Sangrur), Naraingarh, Ambala and Jagadhari were also to be included. The commission recommended that Tehsil Kharar (including Chandigarh) should be a part of Haryana.[15]
The city of Chandigarh, and a Punjabi-speaking area of district Rupnagar were made a Union Territory serving as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. According to the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, Chandigarh was to be transferred to the state of Punjab in 1986, but the transfer was delayed and it has not been executed so far.
Climate
The climate of Haryana is similar to other states of India lying in the northern plains. It is very hot in summer (up to a high of 50 deg Celsius) and cold in winters (down to a low of 1 deg Celsius). The hottest months are May and June and the coldest being December and January. Rainfall is varied, with the Shivalik Hills region being the wettest and the Aravali Hills region being the driest. About 80% of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season (July-September) and sometimes causes local flooding.[16]
Flora and fauna
Thorny, dry, deciduous forest and thorny shrubs can be found all over the state. During the monsoon, a carpet of grass covers the hills.Mulberry, eucalyptus, pine, kikar, shisham and babul are some of the trees found here. The species of fauna found in the state of Haryana include black buck, nilgai, panther, fox, mongoose, jackal and wild dog. More than 300 species of birds are found here.
Demographics
The population of Haryana, according to the 2001 census, is 21,144,000, with 11,364,000 males and 9,781,000 females. The population density is 477 people/km2. Haryana, along with neighboring Punjab, has a skewed sex ratio at 861, with many more men than women. Selectiveabortion of female fetuses has a very high provenance, reflecting a widespread preference for the male child.
Major ethnic group in Haryana is of Jat people.[11][12][13][18] Other ethnic groups are of Ahirs ,Punjabis , Gujjars , Agarwals , Rors , Brahmins , Rajputs and Sainis.[18]
Hindus are majority in Haryana and are about 90% of the population, Sikhs 6.2%, Muslims 4.05% and Christians 0.10%.[18].Hindus make up about 18,655,925 of the population, Sikhs 1,170,662,Muslims 1,222,196, Jains 57,167, Christians 27,185, and Buddhists 7,140.[19] Muslims are mainly in the Mewat district, while Sikhs are mostly in the districts adjoining Punjab, Hisar and Jind.Agriculture and related industries have been the backbone of the local economy. These days the state is seeing a massive influx of immigrants from across the nation, primarily from Bihar, Bengal,Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.
Culture
Haryana has a rich cultural heritage that goes way back to the Vedic times. The state is rich in folklore with the oldest extant romance being that of Sorath and Dhaj, Ror Kumar.[21] The people of Haryana have their own traditions. The age old customs of meditation, Yoga and chanting of Vedic Mantras, are still observed by the masses. Famous yoga guru Swami Ramdev is from Mahendragarh in Haryana.[22]Seasonal and religious festivals glorify the culture of this region. Dance is said to be the mother of all arts. Music and poetry exist in tune, painting and architecture in space. Dance is not just a form of recreation but something needed to release physical and emotional energy. Haryana has a variety of folk dances, which like other creative art, help in sublimating the performer's worries and cares.
The people of Haryana have preserved their old religious and social traditions. They celebrate festivals with great enthusiasm and traditional fervor. Their culture and popular art are Saangs, dramas, ballads and songs in which they take great delight. Haryanavi has traditionally been the dominant language spoken by the martial people of Haryana. Post-1947, Punjabi is also spoken by a lot of people in Haryana especially by those Hindus and Sikhs who came over from Pakistan. Punjabi is second official language of Haryana.[23] Sanskrit is also taught in most of the schools in Haryana. In towns and cities, English is still to be adopted as the household lingo, but is spoken in a hazy mixture ofHaryanvi. The most striking feature of Haryana is its language itself; or rather, the manner in which it is spoken. Popularly known asHaryanavi, with Bangaru or Jatu (language of Jats) being the most widely spoken dialect, it is perhaps a bit crude, but full of earthy humor and straightforwardness. With rapid urbanization, and due to Haryana's close proximity to Delhi, the cultural aspects are now taking a more modern hue
Roads, aviation and infrastructure
Haryana is a trend setter in the field of passenger transport. It has a total road length of 23,684 kilometers. The remotest parts of the state are linked with metaled roads. Its modern bus fleet of 3,864 buses covers a distance of 1.15 million Kilometers per day. It was the first State in the country to introduce luxury video coaches.[37] Grand Trunk Road, commonly abbreviated to GT Road, is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads. It passes through the districts of Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala in north Haryana where it enters Delhi and subsequently the industrial town of Faridabad on its way. The state government proposes to construct Express highways and free ways for speedier vehicular traffic. The 135.6-km long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway(KMP) will provide high-speed link to northern Haryana with its southern districts such as Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurgaon and Faridabad. The work on the project has already started and is scheduled to be completed by July 2009.[38] Haryana is in close contact with the cosmopolitan world, being right next to Delhi. As a result, international and domestic airports, diplomatic and commercial complexes are located in close proximity to the state. Haryana and Delhi government has also constructed Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway which has the largest toll plaza in Asia and 3rd largest in the world. There is a proposal for a Badarpur Flyover and the widening of the Mathura Road passing thought Faridabad from 6 lane to 8 lanes.
Haryana State has always given high priority to the expansion of electricity infrastructure, as it is one of the most important inputs for the development of the State. Haryana was the first State in the country to achieve 100% rural electrification in 1970, first in the country to link all villages with all-weather roads and first in the country to provide safe drinking water facilities throughout the state[29] Haryana is well connected on the railway network as well. The main railway routes passing through Haryana are: Amritsar - Delhi, Rewari - Ahmedabad, Bhiwani - Rohtak - Delhi, Ambala - Ferozepur, Delhi - Ferozepur, Kalka - Jodhpur, Kalka - Howrah, Amritsar - Howrah and Delhi - Shimla
Two of the 16 airlines in India are based in Gurgaon which is just a few kilometers from the international airport in Delhi.
Ambala Air Force Base
History
This air base was first built in 1948 following the independence of India. It is also the home to the No. 5 and No. 14 Squadrons of Jaguar aircraft, No. 23 Squadron of MiG-21bis and No. 24 Squadron of Su-30.
The Indian Air Force base at Ambala was attacked by the Pakistani Air Force in both the 1965 and 1971 wars. In 1965, the Pakistanis struck Ambala and reportedly destroyed some 25 Indian planes just after they had returned from missions. But the PAF did not take the responsibility because of the non-availability of night bombing[citation needed]
The Flying Instruction School, or simply known as FIS was formed here in 1948 but was resituated to Tambaram near Chennai in 1954.
Tourist Places in Haryana
Panchkula
Panchkula district has the Morni Hills - the only hill station of Haryana; a charming and peaceful place. During the monsoon season, a carpet of lush green grass covers the hillside which makes them excellent grazing ground for the black buck and Neelgai. Tigers and panthers can also be spotted, while foxes, mongooses, jackals and wild dogs are to be found aplenty.
Panipat
The district is situated at a distance of 85 kms from New Delhi. The place is very important from historic point of view. The great battle of Panipat was held in this place which changed the fate of Indian history. TheMughal Empire was established in 15th century AD. Now the place is a flat dusty plain consisting of interesting havelis and a 14th century tomb dedicated to the Sufi saint Qalandar Shah. Today Panipat is a busy town and it is famous for its furnishing fabrics and carpets.
Jyotisar
Jyotisar is believed to be the site where Lord Krishna had delivered the Holy Scripture Bhagwad Gita to Arjun. The site lies some 12 km from Kurukshetra on the Pehowa road.
Jyotisar has fine water bodies, bathing ghats and small temples. The marble image of Lord Sri Krishna and Arjun is carved in such a way that Lord Krishna explaining to Arjun, the doctrine of Karma through the Gita Updesh. A banyan (believed to be an off-shoot of the original tree under which the Lord gave His Sermon) gives shade to the area.
Thanesar
Thanesar is one of the most important pilgrimages of Haryana famous for its temples. The city derives its name from Sthan-esvar or the abode of God (Shiva). Temples of Maa Bhadra Kali and Sthanesvar Mahadev are situated near the town and attract thousands of devotees during Navratra festival. The presiding deity of Sthan-esvar temple is Lord Shiva. A gurudwara is present opposite to the temple and was visited by Guru Teg Bahadur.
Pehowa
Pehowa is 27 km west of Thaneswar. It is on the left bank of the river Saraswati and is famous for various temples. The town derives its name from king Prithu. There is a legend that after the demise of his father, king Prithu sat on the side of river Saraswati and offered water to the visitors. Hence the site came to be known as Prithudaka or Prithu's pool. By the passage of time the place got the name Pehowa from Prithudaka. Pehowa is famous for temple of Lord Shiva. Unlike other Shiva temples of India it has no linga inside. Rather the temple has a Panch Mukhi (five faced) idol of Lord Shiva which is said to be one of its kinds in the country.
Adventure Tourism
Adventure Tourism is very popular in Haryana. Adventure Sports like Rock Climbing, Trekking, River Rafting, and Parasailing are such events held in different places in the state. The enthralling ride in the air under Parasailing and Para Gliding may stop your breathe before you land. Pinjore Aviation Club is a famous name for Parasailing rides for years. The rock climbing at “Damdama” is an unforgettable experience for any one going for the same. Canoeing orkayaking in the river Yamuna from Panota Sahib to Hathnikund is really enthralling.
