Kurukshetra : The land of warriors

Kurukshetra is the one of best cities of Haryana. Kurukshetra is awarded with a batch of district. It is the city of divine souls. Kurukshetra is also known for the war of "Mahabharat" where the war of mahabharat was fought among the "Pandavas and Kauravs". This city touches the borders of Pacnkula city also which is also a important city in Haryana. Kurukshetra has its own identity in the india which is known world wide.

It is also known as the "Land of Bhagwad Gita". Kurukshetra lies at distance of 160 km from New Delhi and about 80 km from Chandigarh - city with the nearest airport.

History of Kurukshetra:


It is written in Puranas that Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru of the Bharata Dynasty, ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas.
The Vamana Purana tells how King Kuru came to settle here. He chose this land at the banks of Sarasvati River (dried up before 1900 BCE^[3]) for embedding spirituality with eight virtues: austerity (tapas (Sanskrit)), truth (satya), forgiveness (kshama), kindness (daya), purity (Shudhdha|shuddha), charity (daana), yajna and brahmacharya. Lord Vishnu was impressed with the act of King Kuru and blessed him. God gave him two boons: one that this land forever will be known as a Holy Land after his name as Kurukshetra (the land of Kuru) and the other that anyone dying on this land will go to heaven. The land of Kurukshetra was situated between two rivers — the Sarasvati and the Drishadvati.

The majestic statue of Arjun at the Arjun Chowk.

This land has been known as Uttarvedi, Brahmavedi, Dharamkshetra and Kurukshetra at different periods. When King Kuru came on this land it was called Uttarvedi. Over the period this land has been ruled by many empires. The Bharata Dynasty came and settled here.
According to the Hindu epic, the Battle of Mahabharata was fought on this land, during which Lord Krishna preached Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
By the archaeological grounds it has been proved that Ashoka the Great made Kurukshetra a centre of learning for people from all over the world. It reached the zenith of its progress during the reign of King Harsha, during which Chinese scholar Xuanzang visited Thanesar.
According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is a region named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and Pandavas, as depicted in epic Mahabharata. The importance of the place is attributed to the fact that the Kurukshetra War of the Mahabharata was fought on this land and the Bhagavad Gita was preached here during the war when Lord Krishna found Arjuna in a terrible dilemma.
The population of Kurukshetra was 964,655 in 2016. Before the establishment of a refugee camp named Kurukshetra in 1947, Thanesar was the name of the tehsil headquarters and the town. Thanesar or Sthaneswar is a historical town located adjacent to what is now the newly created Kurukshetra city. Thanesar derives its name from the word "Sthaneshwar", which means "Place of God". The Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, whose presiding deity is Lord Shiva, is believed to be the oldest temple in the vicinity. Local hearsay identifies the legendary "Kurukshetra" with a place near Thanesar. A few kilometers from Kurukshetra is the village known as Amin, where there are remnants of a fort which is believed to be Abhimanyu's.
In most ancient Hindu texts, Kurukshetra is not a city but a region ("kshetra" meaning "region" in Sanskrit). The boundaries of Kurukshetra correspond roughly to the central and western parts of state of Haryana and southern Punjab. Thus according to the Taittiriya Aranyaka , the Kurukshetra region is south of Turghna (Srughna/Sugh in Sirhind, Punjab), north of Khandava (Delhi and Mewat region), east of Maru (desert) and west of Parin.

International Gita Mahotsav

Kurukshetra has been celebrating Gita Jayanti (the Birthday of Gita Updesha) for decades. For long it was known as Kurukshetra Utsav and in 2016, the Haryana Government decided to give it a global flavourand organised International Gita Mahotsav at Kurukshetra from 1 December to 11 December. The Gita Jayanti was celebrated on 10 December as per the traditional calendar. In 2016, over 01 Million people visited the events. Kurukshetra in again getting ready to host the 2017 International Gita Mahotsav from 17 November 2017. The Gita Jayanti will fall on 30 November year.

Vegetarian status

In 2017, the government declared Kurukshetra a Holy City and the sale, possession and consumption of meat are banned within the limits of the Municipal Corporation owing to its religious significance.

Hindu Religious Sites

• Brahma Sarovar: Every year lakhs of people come to take a holy bath at Brahma Sarovar on the occasion of "Somavati Amavasya" (Sacred No-Moon Day that happens on a Monday) and on solar eclipse believing that a bath in holy sarovar frees all sins and cycle of birth-death. It is supposed to be the world's largest man-made pond. The world's largest chariot of bronze is placed in purushotam bagh in the center of Brahma Sarovar. It is believed that when Duryodhan lost Mahabharta war, he tried to hide in this lake. The Hindu genealogy registers at Kurukshetra, Haryana are kept here.
• Sannihit Sarovar: This sarovar is believed to be the meeting point of seven sacred Saraswatis. The sarovar, according to popular belief, contains sacred water. Bathing in the waters of the tank on the day of Amavasya (night of complete darkness) or on the day of an eclipse bestows blessings equivalent to performing the ashvamedh yajna.
• Jyotisar: The famous site where Bhagavad Gita was delivered to Arjuna under the tree. The tree of that time is the witness to Gita.


The Holy Peepal tree - witness to the Divine message of Sri Bhagavad Geeta by Lord Sri Krishna to Arjuna at this place during the Mahabharata war.
• Srikrishna Museum^[5] has some historical artifacts and paintings depicting the Mahabharata war.
• Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre: A world-class panorama depicting the Mahabharata war with scientific explanations justifying every episode in the war. There are also several scientific exhibits designed to kindle a curiosity for science.
• Jyotisar Light and Sound Show: A newly built tourist attraction which highlights some aspects of Geeta Saar through lights and sound.
• Dharohar Museum: A must visit to know the tradition and culture of Haryana; located in Kurukshetra University.
• Bhishma Kund at Naraktari: The place where Arjuna shot an arrow towards the earth to quench Bhishma Pitamah's thirst.
  
  
• The kund believed to be created by Arjun's arrow to quench the thirst of Bheeshma while he lay on the bed of arrows
  . This is the place where Bhishma was lying on bed of arrows. This place is about 3 km before the Jyotisar.
• Sthaneshwar Mahadev
• Kamal Nabhi
• Valmiki Ashram
• Birla Mandir
• Bhadrakali Temple: A temple that is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas. As per the story in Hindu mythology, the goddess Sati killed herself by entering the Yagna of Raja Daksha as a protest against the insult of Lord Shiva. Remorseful Lord Shiva wandered across the whole universe with the corpse of his beloved Sati on his shoulder. To bring him back to the original mood, it was necessary to destroy the corpse of Sati. Lord Vishnu cut the corpse in 52 pieces with his Sudarshana Chakra. The parts fell at different places where the temples of the goddess were later built by the devotees. One of them is in Kurukhsetra, where the ankle of the goddess fell.
• Shree Radhe Suvikashram is a Hindu Temple in Sector -7, Kurukshetra, where people get their various problems solved by performing Yajanas, Satsang and using Beej Mantras. These solutions are provided as per astrological charts and ancient Indian culture and Science.
• Shri Durga Devi Mandir, Pipli: This temple is in Pipli as entrance of Kurukshetra as name of Gita Dwar. Here is a world-famous temple that was founded in 1963 by late Pandit Shesh Mani Mishra after enlightenment by Goddess Shree Bala Sundari Devi Maa.

Other Religious/Historical Sites

Sheikh Chilli Tomb, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

The Sheikh Chilli's Maqbara at Kurukshetra.

• Sheikh Chilli's Tomb: This monument is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. It was built during the Mughal era in remembrance of Sufi Saint Sheikh Chehli, believed to be the spiritual teacher of Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh. However, this is an erroneous belief, since the Prince's main 'Murshid' or 'Sheikh' (Spiritual Guide) is historically known to have been Hazrat Sheikh Mian Mir Sahib, of Lahore, although Sheikh Chehli might have been an additional/minor guide. There is another theory that the site of the supposed 'makbara' or tomb was one of the meditative 'Chillas' or sites of Hazrat Mian Mir Sahib, who might have visited the area during his wanderings.^[8] It is possible that a later caretaker, some disciple of the Hazrat/Sheikh lies buried here, at the place sanctified by his 'Chilla'.
• Gurdwara Raj Ghat Patshahi Dasvin
• Gurdwara Teesari Patshahi
• Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi
• Gurdwara Siddh Bati Patshahi Pahili

General tourist Sites

• Crocodile Breeding Centre, Kurukshetra
• Chhilchhila Wildlife Sanctuary – 10 km on Ladwa road
• Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary – 40 km
• Kessel Mall: A shopping mall cum three-screen multiplex at sector 17 for food, shopping and entertainment.
• Kalpana Chawla Planetarium: The Kalpana Chawla Planetarium is situated in between Brahma Sarovar Lake and Jyotisar Lake. Kalpana Chawla was first woman of Indian origin in space when she flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in the year 1997. In the year 2003 she died during her second flight on Space Shuttle Columbia. Haryana Government honored the achievements of Kalpana Chawala by building a planetarium in her name. The planetarium runs a 30 min show which cost 60 INR and this show provides information related to space flight and the challenges faced by astronauts like how they bath in space, what they eat and how they troubleshoot the issues related to engine failure or other faults.

NIT

Sudarshan Chakra Chowk near NIT - Kurukshetra

48 Kos Parikrama

Main article: 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra

Map with description of 48 kos parikrama (48 miles circle) around the holy city of Kurukshetra, displayed at Ban Ganga/Bhishma Kund

Kurukshetra has immense importance as a Hindu pilgrimage. There are several pilgrimages around the city of kurukshetra and a complete parikrama means to visit all these pilgrimages. 48 kos parikrama is a Hindi phrase meaning 48 miles circle around the holy city of Kurukshetra.^[9] The picture depicts the complete map of all these sites. For complete list, main page as mentioned above may be seen.

Educational Institutes

• Kurukshetra University: one of the India's premier universities, established in 1956
• University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kurukshetra University
• National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra: Established as the Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra in 1963. It is an Institute of National Importance and one of the top most engineering colleges in the country.
• National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra

District administration

• The Deputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, is in charge of the General Administration in the district. He is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Haryana Civil Service and other Haryana state services.
• The Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service, is responsible for maintaining Law & Order and related issues in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Haryana Police Service and other Haryana Police officials.
• The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is responsible for the management of the Forests, Environment and Wild-Life in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Haryana Forest Service and other Haryana Forest officials and Haryana Wildlife officials.
• Sectoral development is looked after by the district head/officer of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Statistics etc. These officers are from various Haryana state services.
• Shahbad, Ladwa, Pehowa, Ismailabad and Jhansa are other towns in the district with significant populations.

General information

Kurukshetra is well connected with NH1 and has much access by road, rail and air. The journey is comfortable with facilities provided in route.

• By road: Buses of Haryana Roadways and other State Corporations ply through Kurukshetra and connect it to Delhi, Panipat, Ambala, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jammu, Amritsar and Shimla.
• By air: The airports close to Kurukshetra are at Delhi and Chandigarh, which are well connected by road and rail. Taxi service as well as bus service is also available.
• By rail: Kurukshetra railway station is a railway junction station, well connected with all important towns and cities of the country. The Shatabadi Express (not all) halts here. Dhoda Kheri, Dhirpur, Dhola Majra Shahabad Markanda and Mohri are the railway stations between Kurukshetra to Ambala of Indian railway route.

Kurukshetra in Popular Arts

Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' has written an epic poem by the title of Kurukshetra. It is a narrative poem based on the Santi Parva of the Mahabharata.^[10] It was written at a time when the memories of the Second World War were fresh on the mind of the poet.^[10]
Several films have been named Kurukshetra as it stands identified for the place of most deadly war in Indian history/mythology. A Bollywood film titled Kurukshetra in year 2000 directed by Mahesh Manjrekar is a famous example.

Karnal : The cleanest city of India

Karnal : The CM city of Haryana

Karnal has been ranked 65th (1st in Haryana) among 434 cities in the list of cleanest cities of India under Swachh Survekshan 2017.Karnal was selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.

Karnal was also known as Karnaal, Kurnaul or Karnaul during the British Raj. Karnal is said to have been founded by Karna, a key figure in the epic Mahabharata fame, who died at the hands of his brother and archrival, Arjuna. It is said that Kaurav prince Duryodhan gave "Ang Raaj" as a gift to Karna so he became eligible to fight the Pandav Prince. This "Ang Raaj" was later developed by Karna which is Karnal today.

• Karnal is the birthplace of the first Indo-American woman astronaut Kalpana Chawla who went to space twice. She first flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members that died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster^.
• Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan one of the founding fathers and the first Prime Minister of Pakistan was also from Karnal.

Former Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey, was also from Karnal.

Briefing on Karnal

Karnal, headquarter of the district Karnal, is one of the oldest districts of Haryana. The city has gained importance since Mahabharata era. It is believed that it was founded by Raja Karna, the eldest son of Kunti and hence the city is called the city of Daanvir Karna.
The place got its share of fame in 1739 when Nadir Shah defeated Muhammad Shah here.
The city is known as a walled town. The citadel of old time can still be seen in form of Kot Mohalla (Kot means fort). The fort was built by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind. The fort was used in many ways as British converted it into a residence for Dost Mohammad Khan, Amir of Kabul, part of it was also used as jail and a school was also running in the fort.

Location: 
Karnal is connected through Delhi-Ambala rail line & Sher Shah Suri Marg (G.T.Road) to all important places in the country. It is 123 kms from Delhi & 130 kms from Chandigarh. The Karnal district is surrounded by Kurukshetra District on its north-west, Jind & Kaithal district on its West, Panipat district on its south and Uttar Pradesh on east.Karnal is centrally located between Delhi and Chandigarh on the National Highway No. 1.

Place to Visit:

There are many more places in CM city to visit. You can take view of Karn Talab, Cantonment Church Tower,Dargah Nuri, Gateway of old Mughal Sarai, Kushan Stupa etc. The brief description of visitable places is under mentioned-

Taraori Sarai
Taraori, a small town of Haryana has been a battle ground, in which two battles were fought in 1191 and 1192. Those were decisive battles, fought between Prithvi Raj Chauhan of Hindu Chauhan dynasty and Mohmad Ghori of Afghanistan. Here in Taraori exists a old sarai, built during Mughal era. 

Old Badshahi Bridge

Location -:Village-Uncha Siwan, District : Karnal
Situation -: Situated on the eastern side of National Highway No. 1 near Karnal
Under protection of -: Haryana Government
Period -: 1540-44 AD
History and description -: This bridge was erected on the directions of emperor Sher Shah Suri to facilitate safe and easy passage for the travellers. This is a stone bridge having three arches, which are structurally sound. The piers of the arches on the both ends are strengthened by buttresses with marked positions indicated by four small minars with domed tops.

Cantonment Church Tower

Location -: Karnal, District : Karnal
Situation -: Situated about 1 km from Liberty Chowk towards Karnal city, adjoining the European soldiers graveyard.
Under protection of -: Government of India
Period -: 1806 AD
History and description -: This tower once formed a part of the St. James Church, which was at Karnal. In 1941, when the cantonment was shifted to Ambala, the church was dismantled. But the tower of the church built out of public contribution, was left standing. The tower has four storeys and on the first storey, Extruscan pilaster has been used structurally. The top storey has a semi-circular arch in Roman style. The entire exterior is plastered with lime and exhibits fine panelling work.

Dargah Nuri
Dargah Nuri was built in the memory of Hazrat Sufi Shah Alama Nur Mohammad of Delhi and it is situated at village Newal.

European Soldiers Grave

Location -: Karnal, District : Karnal
Situation -: Situated on the old G.T. Road approximately one km from Liberty Chowk towards Karnal
Under protection of -: Government of India
Period -: 1811-40 AD
History and description -: The cemetery (122mx76m) has a boundary wall about 2.5 m high and it houses about 500 graves of European soldiers who died here in the British cantonment at Karnal. The inscriptions on the graves date back to 1811 AD to 1840 AD. All the graves except a few are absolutely modest in appearance, having been raised on bricks platforms rising to the height of 1.5 to 2 metres.

Gateway of Old Mughal Sarai  

Location -:Gharaunda, District : Karnal
Situation -: Situated on the GT road which is 16 kms.away from Karnal.
Under protection of -: Government of India
Period -: 1637 AD
History and description -: The Sarai (Rest House) was built by Feroz Khan in 1637 AD during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.So it is named after the Mughals. Before the first battle of Panipat, Babur camped at Gharaunda. At present, there are two gateways present here. They are located within a distance of about 100 metres. The Sarai is quadrangular in shape with cells on all four sides. Existing gateways form a part of northern and southern walls and they both have three-storeys and are made of ‘Lakhauri’bricks. It is decorated with panels,balconies, rounded towers and angular flutes.

Kalander Shah Tomb

Kalander Shah's tomb is situated just outside the town. The well-sculptured grave is made of marble. The tomb was built by Ghias-ud-din, Emperor of Delhi, in the memory of Bo-Ali-Qualander Shah, a famous Muslim savant and sage, who influenced the thinking of his age and was very widely respected by all communities. One can see a mosque and a reservoir with fountains built by Emperor Alamgir.

Karna Tank
Named after King Karna, this is a popular tourist place in Karnal. One can enjoy boating in both rowing and paddle boats in this beautiful lake. The city municipality is further developing this lake with a central island. There are facilities like restaurant, bar, conference hall, banquet halls and a gift shop nearby the lake.

Kushan Stupa

Location -:Asandh, District : Karnal
Situation -: Located in Jhimaron Ka Mohalla at Asandh Town
Under protection of -: Government of India
Period -: Circa 1st Century AD
History and description -: The name Asandh is rooted in the ancient Asandhivat. The name Asandhivat (Asandh) has been mentioned in the Indian scriptures like Brahmanas and Sutras. In the scriptures, it has been suggested that in ancient past, it must have been an important site where painted greyware, and Kushana coins and bricks were found. It was also known as Jarassanndh ka Qila during the medieval times. It is located at a distance of about 40 kms. south-west of Karnal. The stupa must have originally been a very gigantic structure as the mound still rises to a height of more than 25 metres. It indicates circular drum with an elongated dome. The core was filled up with bricks and earth between the walls formed the spokes. In an exposed area, a circular wall made of baked bricks (as many as 44 courses of bricks) was noticed. The bricks used are approximately 34 to 35.5 cm x 21.5 to 23cmx5to 6cm in dimension.

Naraina
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb constructed a wall around the town, a mosque and a tank, which still exists here. The historic village is located 11 miles north of Karnal.

Here we see that Karnal is a Old Historical City as well as Modern nowdays.
The City has clean and wide roads. The people of Karnal is so friendly manner and helpful to every visiter. Here you will see that there is no chance of unfaithfulness for any person known or stranger. This is a kind of city that shows that Historical things are now modern but they are still beautiful.

Ok friends for now it is enough. See you again on my blog. Thanks in advance for reading this blog.

Satpal Dagar
any suggestions please mail me on mail address: satpaldagar85@gmail.com

 

Faridabad : The largest city of Haryana

Faridabad is the largest city in the north Indian state of Haryana in Faridabad district. It is a leading industrial centre and situated in the National Capital Region bordering the Indian capital New Delhi. Located 284 kilometres south of the state capital Chandigarh and 38 kilometers (21 miles) south of the national capital, Delhi, it is the most populous city in the state of Haryana. The river Yamuna forms the eastern district boundary with Uttar Pradesh. Government of India included it the second list of Smart Cities Mission on 24 May 2016.

The newly developed residential and industrial part of Faridabad (Sec. 66 to 89) between the Agra Canal and the Yamuna River is commonly referred as Greater Faridabad. The area is being developed as a self-sustained sub-city with wide roads, tall buildings, malls, educational institutions, and health and commercial centres.

Faridabad is also a major industrial hub of Haryana. 50% of the income tax collected in Haryana is from Faridabad and Gurgaon. Faridabad is famous for henna production from the agricultural sector, while tractors, motorcycles, switch gears, refrigerators, shoes and tyres constitute its primary industrial products.

Industries

Faridabad is the industrial capital of Haryana. As of 2013, out of total 11,665 registered working factories in Haryana, 2,499 were in Faridabad which was followed by Gurgaon with 2,116 factories. According to a study, growth of Faridabad has been declining in last 2 decades, share of Faridabad in investment is less than 1% and 93% of investment is in paper industry. The industrial contribution of Faridabad to Haryana’s revenue was declined from 29% to 22% in 2012-13. Faridabad is home to large-scale companies like India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., Havells India Limited, JCB India Limited, Indian Oil (R&D), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Agri Machinery Group (Escorts Limited), Whirlpool India Ltd., ABB Group, Goodyear India Ltd., Bata India Ltd and Eicher Tractor Ltd. Eyewear e-tailer Lenskart and healthcare startup Lybrate have their headquarters in Faridabad. More than 5,000 units of auto parts producers are based in Faridabad. Lakhani Armaan Group has set up manufacturing facilities at Faridabad (Haryana).

Metro

Delhi Metro Violet Line

Delhi Metro Violet Line connects Faridabad with Delhi. The extension of Violet Line to Faridabad was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 Sepetmeber 2015. There are 9 metro stations in Faridabad corridor of Delhi Metro which are all elevated.Further Delhi Metro will be extended to Ballabgarh from Faridabad and the work is likely to be completed by 2017.Haryana government is also planning to link Faridabad and Gurgaon by Metro. Currently the Faridabad corridor of Delhi Metro Violet Line is the longest metro corridor in the National Capital Region (NCR) consisting of 9 stations and the total length of corridor being 14 km.
The 9 metro stations are Sarai, NHPC Chowk, Mewala Maharajpur, Sector 28, Badkal Mor, Old Faridabad, Neelam Chowk Ajronda, Bata Chowk and Escorts Mujesar.

Tourism

Badkhal Lake

Dried Badkhal lake

Main article: Badkhal Lake

Badkhal Lake was located in Badkhal village, 8 km from Delhi Border. The lake fringed by Aravalli hills was a man-made embankment which has now dried up. The lake complex, spread over 40 acres, had come up in 1969. In June 2015, Haryana government decided to revive the Badkhal lake here to once again attract tourists.

Surajkund Tourist Complex and International Crafts Fair

Main article: Surajkund

SurajKund International Crafts Fair, Faridabad

Situated at a distance of around 8 km from South Delhi. It is a 10th-century water reservoir which believed to be built by Tomar king Surajpal. Place is known for its annual fair "Surajkund International Crafts Mela". 2015 edition of fair was visited by 1.2 million visitors including 160,000 foreigners with more than 20 countries participating in fair. The Suraj Kund Lake here is surrounded by rock cut steps.
2016 edition of Surajkund International Crafts Mela will be the 30th edition and People's Republic of China will be participating in the fair. Participation of the China will be the part of agreement signed between India and China in 2014 to celebrate year 2016 as "Year of China in India".

Anangpur Dam

Main article: Anagpur Dam

Surajkund dam downstream side

The Anagpur Dam, located close to the Anagpur village (also called Arangpur) in Faridabad district of Haryana, India, is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the more famous Surajkund. 

This unique Indian hydraulic engineering structure was built during the reign of King Anangpal of the Tomar dynasty in 8th century. It is approachable by road from Delhi from the Delhi - Mathura road. The ruins of the fortifications found in Anangpur village establishes by an inference that it was built by Anangpal as part of the Lal Kot that was developed as the first city of Delhi in the 8th century.

Palwal - The Cultural City of Haryana

Introduction of Palwal :

Palwal is a city and a municipal council. It is the headquarters of Palwal district, the 21st district of Haryana state in northern India. It is a centre for the cotton trade in the area.

Palwal is 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Delhi, 313 kilometres (194 mi) from Chandigarh and 143 kilometres (89 mi) from Agra.The latitude of the town is 28° 40' N and longitude is 76° 59' E. The area of town is 22.10 square kilometres (8.53 sq mi).^[1]

The local tradition identifies Palwal with the Apelava town mentioned in the Mahabharata, which was later restored by Vikramaditya.^[2]

^{On 15 August 1979, Gurgaon district was further divided to form a new Faridabad district, and Palwal became a part of it.[4] On 15 August 2008, Palwal became the administrative headquarters of the newly formed Palwal district, 21st district of Haryana.}

^{Tourism In Palwal :} 

^{Hodal :}
The ancient history of the town is obscure. It lies within Brij Bhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, and, therefore, follows all the traditions of the region. In the pre-Mughal era, the site of the present Hodal is said to have belonged to Odes, a nomadic community whose traditional occupation related to digging and managing the excavated earth. The services of Odes, who were expert in building earthen dams and kutcha ponds, were utilised even by kings and monarchs. It is not known for how long the Odes remained in occupation of the old site of Hodal before the arrival of the Jats. Some old persons in the town say that a few Deshal Brahmin families used to live here with the Odes. The Odes were traditionally a brave as well as a haughty community. It is said that on some occasions they had offended their Brahmin neighbours, who could not bear such humiliation and became vengeful. A few days before Divali, the Brahmins thought of taking their revenge and called upon the Sorot Jats who lived at Kashi Khera, near Hodal. The Brahmins and Jats invited the Odes to a feast on the eve of Divali. The Odes drank plenty of wine unaware of what was in store for them. When the Odes were in an inebriated condition, the Jats eliminated them.

Hodal is well known due to three reasons: firstly, Maharani Kishori Devi, first wife of Jat Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur belonged to this place; secondly, it is the head village of a group of 24 villages inhabited by the Sorot Jat clan; and thirdly, an ancient temple devoted to Lord Krishna is situated here.

Kishori Devi was the daughter of one Chaudhary Kashi Ram Sorot. Legend has is that one day Maharaja Suraj Mal was passing Hodal on his stately elephant when he noticed an unusual incident. An agitated bull was frightening everyone and roaming angrily when Kishori Devi, along with her friends, was returning from a well with pitchers on her head. She put her toe on the loose bridle and restrained the bull. Kishori was a brave, stout and beautiful young maiden. Suraj Mal was greatly impressed and after some time sent his purohit with the marriage proposal. Her father is said to have agreed to the relationship but wished that his status was at par with that of the reputed Raja. Upon hearing this, Maharaja Suraj Mal granted him the title of Chaudhary with the authority to collect revenue from the parganah of Hodal. The marriage was solemnised sometime around 1730.

Haveli Built by Kashi Ram
There are a number of old buildings and places of historical importance in and around Hodal. The most notable are the ruins of a haveli of Chaudhary Kashi Ram and the adjoining Court House, known as Izlaas Khas, built by him around 1750. Apart from these, there are the ruins of a fine baoli, a step well, in the middle of the new settlement. These dilapidated buildings are situated on an elevated ground in Andua Patti, to which Kashi Ram belonged. Of the Court House, only the high facade now survives. The adjoining courtrooms and storehouses, which were on the verge of coming down, were demolished on orders of the Municipal Committee a few years ago. The old haveli of Chaudhary Kashi Ram has fine stone carving on the surviving interior walls, masonry columns, and a high façade. All of them are made out of heavy blocks of stones, brought in bullock carts in those times from Bansi Paharpur and Dhaulpur mines. The haveli is in a poor condition. Its upkeep seems to be nobody’s responsibility, for it has several claimants.

                                                                                             Haveli of Mr. Kashiram

Sati Temple and Talab:

To the eastern side of the town, and not far away from the house of Jaildaar Balwant Singh, is a finely built large masonry tank known as Sati ka Talaab, the Sati temple, an artistically built cenotaph, some other temples of deities revered in the village and ruins of an old kachehri. All these structures are in front of the P.W.D. Rest House at Hodal and not very far away from the G.T. Road. The Sati ka Talaab is quite deep and has eight quays around it. The presence of corner quays is a unique feature of this tank. The tank used to receive considerable flow of rainwater from the eastern and southern side till five decades ago. During the last several decades the catchment-area has been encroached upon by builders of colonies.

The cenotaph was raised sometime between 1765-67 in the memory of Balram, brother of Kishori Devi and only son of Kashi Ram who was killed during the invasion of Delhi by Jawahar Singh. The body of Balram was brought to Hodal like an honorable general and assigned to flames on the banks of the Sati ka Talaab. The cenotaph, raised on a high platform, has a plinth layout which matches that of a cross or a chaupar. The stone pillars are 16 in number. The temple of Sati was built a few years earlier than Balram’s cenotaph. It is said that Chaudhary Kashi Ram passed away at Bharatpur. When his body was being consigned to flames at Bharatpur, his wife Jaskaur wished to perform sati. Her wishes were fulfilled. The ashes of both the husband and wife were brought to Hodal and kept on a chabutra on which the temple is said to have been built. The footprints of both the husband and wife were carved on a stone slab and placed in the sanctum sanctorum. Every year on Magh Sudi Duj and Baisakh Sudi Duj, a devotional fair is held in memory of Jaskaur who performed sati. Rawat Jats of the neighbouring villages congregate here to pay respects to her. Jaskaur belonged to Maanpur village of Rawat Jats.

The Sati ka Talaab has been fairly well maintained. The tank was cleaned and restored a couple of years ago while the Sati Ghat was reconstructed 25 years ago by a local trader, Haridayal, in memory of his wife Chandrawati Devi.

Pando Ban - Where Pandavs take thier exile in Mahabharat

The most revered and sacred place of Hindus in Hodal is Pando Ban. Legend has it that during their period of exile, the Pandavas had rested at this place and worshipped Lord Krishna. A thick forest surrounds this religious place on three sides. It is now a resting-place for monkeys. There is a deep pond inside the forest which receives water only during the rainy season. 

Modern Hodal -

Fifty years ago, Hodal was like a big, self-sufficient village with a bazaar run entirely by local baniyas. At that time there were nearly 200 families of Mahajans. Most of them settled here after the British took over the territory and ensured peace and stability. They had migrated to Hodal from far off places, and built their shops-cum-residences in the mandi and old bazaar area, now within the old town.

Modern Hodal has all the civic amenities except a degree college for boys. The degree college for girls was started here in an impressive new building on the initiative of Harsh Kumar a few years ago when he was a Minister in Chaudhary Bansi Lal’s government. The Municipality at Hodal was started by the Punjab Government Notification No. 1464 of September 24, 1885. It still functions from the old building beside the old thana building.

Dubchik - The Tourist Motel

Location : 92 km from Delhi
District : Faridabad

Dabchick Hodel tourist resort lies on Haryana's stretch of the Delhi-Agra-(National Highway No.2)
On the border of Haryana as one travels to Agra, Dabchick resort greets the tourists. The resort is cosy, compact and geared to cater to the tourists in a hurry. Here the very best of facilities await the travellers

 Pawal Tourist Places - 

Dau Temple -

The Dau Temple is an ancient temple of Lord Balarama (the elder brother of Lord Krishna). The temple has beautiful carvings and paintings narrating the story of how the Lord killed the demon- Palwalsur.

Gandhi Sewashram -

The Gandhi Sewashram is built on the National Highway on the outskirts of the city and is a place of peace and integration. Ashram means a home of service. The ashram is being run by Gandhi Sewashram trust. Every year on Gandhi Jayanthi tribute prayers are organized for the Father of the Nation.

Jama Masjid -

There is an old Muslim Shrine called the Jama Masjid in Palwal. Every Friday mass prayers are offered here by the locals. The Islamic festivals are celebrated in the mosque with great enthusiasm.

Panchvati Temple -

The Panchvati Temple located on the South of the town is dedicated to the five mythological heroes – the Pandavas. The beautiful paintings in the temple narrate the exile period of the Pandavas and inspire the victory of truth over evil. An idol of Lord Hanuman is also placed in the temple.

Historical Places In Palwal -

Draupadi Ghat  -

Draupadi was the wife of the mythological heroes – Pandavas (Yudhishtira, Bheem, Arjuna, Nakula and Sehadeva) from the epic Mahabharata, who is said to have spent a year during their exile. The Draupadi Ghat is located close to the Panchvati Temple.

Idgah Of Shihab Ud Din -

The Idgah of Shihab-Ud-Din is completely in a ruined state today. It is currently occupied by the Jawahar Gausala.

Matia Fort -

The Matia Fort is an old fort in Palwal that is now completely ruined. Only the remains of the temple are left now.

Tomb Of Roshan Chirag -

The tomb of Roshan Chirag is a tomb belonging to Saint Roshan Chirag. The tomb is on the Mathura Road and is made of stone slabs.

 For today, it is enough. I will available again with facts of haryana. So good by for today.