One of the youngest states of the country, Haryana came into
being in 1966 by getting carved out from the heart of the Indo-Gangetic
plains. Roughly the size of Belgium, Haryana, today, is said
to be the cradle of Part of India's ancient civilization.The
legendary Mahabharata battle was said to have been fought in
this area. It was also here that Lord Krishna is believed to
have delivered the timeless sermon contained in the Bhagvad
Gita.
Being the home of many early Indian empires, Haryana was also
the seat of the great kingdom of Harsha Vardhana. Many famous
battles were fought on its soil, which played a major role in
shaping the destiny of India. Haryana is 44,212 square kilometers
in size and presently has a population of more than 15 million.
Four national highways, Delhi - Agra, Delhi - Jaipur, Delhi
- Amritsar and Delhi - Fazilka pass through this green land.
Haryana is also a land of hot springs, rich in sulphur with
the temperature ranging between 46.10 and 51.70 degrees Celsius.
The land is famous for its fauna and is also the home of eloquent
mynahs, gorgeous peacocks and the fluttering black partridges.
Miles of rich-green countryside are crisscrossed by cart tracks
and dotted with colourful clusters of picturesque villages interspersed
with modern industrial complexes.
Haryana has well-developed tourist complexes, lakes, motels,
restaurants, bars, shopping arcades, swimming pools, sauna bath,
golf courses and other recreational facilities. It has good
facilities for the angler, the bird watcher or for just relaxing
in a garden chair.
Surajkund
Surajkund or `Pool of the Sun' is one of the region's oldest
and most interesting sights. It is believed to have been built
by Raja Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty. It looks like a Roman
amphitheatre having circular steps, paved in stone, that cup
the blue waters of the serene pool. Close by are the remnants
of a Sun temple and the Anangpal fort where one can walk in
the shadows of the past.
For two weeks every year (February 1-15), Surajkund is transformed
into a bustling, colourful little village for the Surajkund
Crafts Mela. For this hundreds of master crafts- people from
all over India gather to display and sell their authentic and
traditional handmade goods at prices far less than at regular
stalls and shops. Apart from enjoying a variety of Indian foods
and drinks, typical village performances by acrobats, magicians,
singers, musicians, dancers, offer a rare glimpse into the folk
art traditions of India.
ACCESS
Surajkund is 16 km from Delhi on the Delhi - Agra national highway.
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary
The world famous Bird Sanctuary at Sultanpur was discovered
by Peter Jackson, the famed ornithologist. This lake-sanctuary,
which stretches over an area of about 400 acres, has, at any
given time, besides local varieties, more than 100 species of
birds from Europe and elsewhere. Birds from as far away as Siberia
come to nest here, October through February.
The 150 acre jheel (lake) is filled by thousands of ducksruddy
shelduck, mallard, pochard, shoveller, teals of all kinds, gadwall,
greylag and bar-headed geese etc. From far-off lands come the
flamingoes, pelicans and demoiselle cranes. Flying in from neighbourhood
areas are painted storks, spoonbills, white ibises, herons,
large cormorants, egrets, red wattled lapwings and plovers.
ACCESS
46 km from Delhi, on the Delhi - Gurgaon - Gaurakhnagar road.
Pinjore Gardens
One of the major attractions in Haryana, Pinjore is the oldest
surviving Mughal Garden in India. Yadavindra or Pinjore (as
it's more popularly known), was built in the 17th century by
Fidai Khan, Emperor Aurangzeb's lieutenant and a reputed architect
of his time.
This unique seven-tiered terraced garden has a charm that is
unparalleled. Seeing the Pinjore Gardens one can also recall
the other Mughal gardens in Kashmir. There are seven descending
terraces each flanked by well laid-out lawns and flower beds
with tall palms and creepers. Waters cascade down the seven
levels and fruit bearing trees line the waterway.
Earlier, Pinjore was essentially a pleasure garden for the maharajas
and maharanis. The splendour of days bygone is beautifully preserved
in the three pleasure palaces: Rang Mahal, Sheesh Mahal and
Jal Mahal.
ACCESS
270 km from Delhi by road.
Haryana Travel Reservation Form
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