CHAPTER:TOURISM IN HARYANA

Haryana is unique in many ways. The land has been referred to as ‘the Heaven on the Earth’ in an ancient Sanskrit inscription. The Indus valley and Vedic civilisations flourished here. The state has also witnessed several historic battles, including battles at Panipat and the epic battle of Mahabharata at Kurukshetra. It is also referred as ‘Gateway to North India’.

Haryana, the land of great culture and heritage is developing as an attractive travel destination. Due to its proximity to Delhi, a number of modern recreational centres for tourists have come up in Haryana. Haryana tourism highlights on cultural, pilgrim tourism, adventure, golf tourism and developing new locations as crafts centres.

Religious Places in Haryana

Haryana has a large number of Hindu temples that are important pilgrimage centres also. Being the land from where holy sermons of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita were given by Lord Krishna, the land is revered by Hindus. Many important Gurudwaras and Mosques are also located in Haryana.

Hindu Religious Places in Haryana

Pehowa

It is situated in the district of Kurukshetra.The town derives its name from King Prithu. According to a legend, on the death of his father, the King Prithu sat on the bank of river Saraswati, offering water to all visitors. As a result, the place came to be known as Prithudaka or Prithus pool. With time, the town of Prithu came to be called Pehowa. Today, it is an ancient place of great devotion, where prayer and find daan for ancestors is believed to grant moksha or redemption from the cycle of birth and death.

It has similar significance as Gaya in Bihar. Pehowa is also famous for temples devoted to Shiva and his son Kartikeya. The temple is known as Kaleshwar Teerth.

Thanesar

It is one of the most sacred places of Hindu pilgrimage in the district of Kurukshetra. It lies adjoining the town of Kurukshetra and is often called its twin town. The town derives its name from the words Sthan-esvar or the abode of God (Mahadev). The town was once the centre of great learning. Today, it is famous for the Sthaneswar Mahadev temple and the Maa Bhadra Kali temple.

Jyotisar

One of the most revered places of Kurukshetra is Jyotisar. The word Jyotisar constitutes of two parts i.e. ‘Jyoti’ meaning light and ‘Sar’ meaning tank and essence. Thus, Jyotisar symbolically signifies the essence of enlightenment. It is also called Geeta Sthali. It is here under the holy banyan tree, that Lord Krishna is believed to have delivered the eternal message of Bhagvad Gita to Arjuna before the commencement of the Battle of Mahabharata.

A beautiful marble chariot depicting Lord Krishna delivered the eternal message of Gita to Arjuna, canopied by a banyan tree exists at the site.

Brahmasarovar

The Sarovar (lake) is believed to be built by Raja Kuru. It is located in Kurukshetra district. The Sarovar is also mentioned in the memoirs written by Al-Biruni in 11th century AD called ‘Kitabul-Hind’. Bathing in its holy water is a ritual followed by people during Makar Sankranti and Poornima. A ‘deep daan ceremony is held in November-December where earthern lamps are floated in the waters of the Sarovar.

Sannihit

It is located in Kurukshetra and deemed as a permanent abode of Lord Vishnu. The place is beleived to be formed by King Ravana for establishing a Shiva temple.

Gaudiya Math

It is located in Kurukshetra. It is one of the largest religious groups in India formed by Bengali disciples who worship Lord Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Valmiki Ashram

It is located in Kurukshetra. It has a famous temple of Rishi Valmiki. Baba Lakshman Giri’s Samadhi is also situated here.

Markanday

It is a shrine located on the banks of Saraswati river in Kurukshetra district. Rishi Markandeya achieved a divine status by carrying out meditation here.

Prachi

It is located in Kurukshetra. it is considered a sacred site to carry out the rituals of Pitra Tarpan.

It is near Kuber Shrine where it is believed that Kuber had performed Yajnas. It is also beleived to be the residential place of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Ban-Ganga

It is located in Kurukshetra.This place is believed to the point where Arjuna had made the Ganges erupt so that it could quench the thrist of Bhishma.

Narkatri

It is situated in Kuruhshetra on the banks of Saraswati river. It is believed to be established by Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and wife of Rudra.

Aapya

It is an ancient river also known as Aapga. Rig Veda mentions Drishadvati, Saraswati and Aapya rivers where vedic civilisations have originated. With the passage of time, this river has turned into a muddy pond.

Dhosi

It is located in Narnaul and has a temple of Rishi Chwan who is beleived to pray here for 7000 years. The place has a Shiva temple and many kund (ponds). People take dip in the kunds during Somvati Amavasya.

Shir Kaleshwar Mahadev Math

It is located in Yamunanagar on the bank of Yamuna river. It is one of the 12 oldest mathas of the world. It is situated on the confluence of Saraswati, Yamuna and Sukhna.

Pushkar Teerth

It is located in Jind district. A temple and a sarovar is located here near which Lord Parshurams father Jandigi is believed to have prayed.

Ram Raya

It is located on the Jind-Hisar road. It is believed that this place was visited by Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman and a yajna was performed by Parshuram here. Dhundwa is located nearby this place where Duryodhana hid himself after defeated in the battle.

Asthal Bohar

It is located in Rohtak district. The place has ashrams for Darshani Sadhus who consider Gorakhnath to be their first teacher. These Sadhus ears are split. A fair is organised here on every Phalgun Shukla Navami.

Panchvati

It is located in Palwal. It is believed that Pandavas stayed here during their period of secret exile.

Pandu-Pindara

It is located in Jind on the Jind-Gohana road. The place is believed to be the place where Pandavas carried out the ritual of Pind-Daan. A fair is held every year on the day of Somvati Amavasya in this place.

Novo Graha

It is located in Kaithal. The place has 9 Kundas which are believed to be build by Lord Krishna to carry Nav Graha Havan (Yajna). Now most of the Kundas do not have much water left.

Tosham Teerth

It is located in Bhiwani. The place is considered sacred due to presence of 8 Kundas which are also known as Pandav Teerth.

Famous Temples of Haryana

Maa Bhadra Kali Temple

It lies near the Thaneswar Mahadev Temple in Kurukshetra. The famous Maa Bhadra Kali temple celebrates the legend of Sati Mata.

It is believed that Sati s lower limb ankle fell here, granting the area the sanctity of a Sidh Peeth or a place where wishes are fulfilled. Thousands of devotees visit the temple on the holy days of Navratra and every Saturday. The temple is also called ‘Devi Koop\

Bhima Devi Temple

This temple was established during the reign of Gurjar-Pratihars. It is located in Pinjore (Panchkula), is also known as Khajuraho of North India for its erotic sculpture. Next to the temple complex is Pinjore Garden which is also known as Mughal Garden established by Aurangzebs foster brother.

Chandi Temple

This temple is located 10 km from Mata Mansa Devi shrine in Panchkula. It is a small but famous temple worshipped as a Siddh Peeth. It is after this temple, that the town of Chandigarh gets its name. The temple falls on the Chandigarh-Kalka stretch of NH-22. Thousands of devotees visited the temple during Navratras.

Sthaneswar Mahadev Temple

It is located in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The presiding deity of Thanesar is Lord Shiva. Vaman Pur an categorically mentions the importance of this temple and legends tell us that Lord Brahma himself laid the first Linga of Lord Shiva at this temple. Renovated in recent times, the temple has a white amla {fruit shaped) dome. A large water body has been designed before the temple.

A gurdwara that lies opposite the Sthaneswar temple marks the spot blessed by the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Mata Mansa Devi Temple

It is located in Panchkula district. This sacred temple is dedicated to mother Mansa Devi. According to Hindu mythology, the head of Goddess Sati fell down here. In Panchkula, the Mansa Devi Temple is a symbol of Himalayan culture and faith and one of prominent Shakti temples of North India. Thousands of devotees visit the shrine from various parts of the country, especially during Navratra Mela.

Shri Mata Sheetla Devi Temple

It is located in Gurugram. This temple is dedicated to Mata Sheetla Devi, wife of Guru Dronacharya who was the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas. This temple is visited by large number of people during Navaratras.

Bhawani Amba Temple

This temple in Ambala district has derived its name from the presiding Goddess of the temple, Amba Devi or Bhawani Devi. There is a popular belief that the city of Ambala has been named after Devi Amba.

Kali Mata Temple

This temple is situated near Rambagh or cremation ground of Ambala and has 6-feet tall statue of Kali Mata installed here. The temple has been decked up with figurines of birds and animals and these depict the culture of the medieval times.

Bhuteshwar Temple

It is located in Jind. This temple is dedicated to Bhuteshwara, a manifestation of God Shiva. As per Hindu mythology, the Pandavas has an encounter with Prajapati Daksh, the father in law of Lord Shiva.

The place of their conversation, a pond, was in Bhuteshwar Mandir. This temple was constructed by the ruler of Jind, Raghbir Singh. It has a large water tank all around it and this is the reason that the Bhuteshwar temple is also recognised as Rani Talab.

Other Important Temples of Haryana

Name	Remark
Chamunda Devi Temple	Narnaul (Mahendragarh)
Radheshyam Temple	Pundarik (Kaithal)
Dukh Bhanjaneshwar Temple	Kurukshetra
Chandra Koop Temple	Kurukshetra
Sarveshwar Mahadev Temple	Kurukshetra
Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple	Kurukshetra
Dauji Temple	Banchari (Faridabad)
Ambkeshwar Temple	Kaithal
Panchavati Temple	Palwal
Bhimeshwari Devi Temple	Yamunanagar

 

Religious Places of Sikhs

Name	Place	Remark
Gurdwara Dhamtana Sahib	Narwana	Related to 9th Guru Teg Bahadur
Gurdwara Lakh an Majra	Rohtak	Related to 9th Guru Teg Bahadur
Gurdwara Kapal Mochan	Yamunanagar	Related to Guru Gobind Singh
Gurdwara Neem Sahib	Kaithal	Related to Guru Teg Bahadur
Gurdwara Manji Sahib	Ambala	Related to Guru Hargobind
Gurdwara Nadha Sahib	Panchkula	Related to Guru Gobind Singh
Gurdwara Patshahi Sahib	Kurukshetra	Related to Guru Gobind Singh

 

Important Mosques in Haryana

Mosque	Place	Creator
Lat Ki Masjid	Hisar	Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Humayun’s Mosque	Fatehabad	Humayun
Shishe Wali Masjid	Rohtak	Humayun
Pathar Masjid	Kurukshetra	–
Ali Wardi Masjid	Gurugram	Nawab Aliwardi Khan
Dargah of Bu-ali-Shah-Qalandar	Panipat	Ghyasuddin in 1324
Kabuli Bagh Mosque	Panipat	Babar in 1526
Jama Masjid	Gurugram, Ambala	–
Sheikh Musa Ki Mazar	Nuh (Mewat)	Akbar

 

St Paul’s Church It is located in Ambala cantonment area. It was built in 1857 and considered one of the oldest churches of the Northern region of India. It was bombed severely during the Indo-Pak war, which partly destroyed the beautiful church building.

 

Forts in Haryana

There are few historical places in Haryana. The state was the place from where large kingdoms emerged. A number of battles were also fought in Haryana. The important forts in Haryana are asfollows:

Asigarh Fort It is located in Hansi (Hisar). It was built in 12th century. It is also called Prithviraj Chauhans fort. It is also called Fort of Swords as it was the centre of sword making.

Farrukhnagar Fort It is located in Gurugram. It was built in 1732 by Faujdar Khan, first Nawab of Farrukhnagar.

Firoz Shah Place Complex It is located in Hisar. It was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1354. Hisar town was build as a walled settlement.

Ghasera Fort It is located in Ghasera village in Mewat district.

 

Gujari Mahal It is located in Hisar. It was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq for his beloved Gujri Rani.

Jind Fort It is located in Jind. It was built by Raja Gajpat Singh in 1775.

Gohana Fort It is located in Sonipat. It was built by Pritvith Raj Chauhan. Few remains of the fort exist as it was destroyed by Mohammed Ghori

Kaithal Fort It is located in Kaithal. It has Razia Sultan s tomb.

Kokhar Fort It is located in Rohtak. It is a Jat fort built by Kokhar Community.

Loharu Fort It is located in Bhiwani. It is a 440 year old fort built by Arjan Singh in 1570 AD.

Meham Ki Baoli It is located in Rohtak. It was built by Subedar Sedu Kalal (360 year old). It is a water storage system.

Madhogarh Fort It is located in Mahendragarh. It was built by Madho Singh in 18th century, situated in Aravalli hills.

Jal Mahal and Step Wells It is located in Narnaul. It was built by Shah Kuli Khan. The town is also called town of step wells and ponds.

Nahar Singh Mahal It is located in Ballabhgarh (Faridabad). It was built by forefathers of Jat Raja Nahar Singh around 1739 AD.

Rai Bal Mukund Das Palace It is located in Narnaul. It was built by Chatta Rai Bal Mukund Das during the reign of Shah Jahan.

Rang Mahal It is located in Yamunanagar. It was built by Sikh rulers.

Chor Gumhad It is located in Narnaul (Mahendragarh). It was built by Afghan Jamal Khan.

Taraori Fort It is located in Karnal. It is one of the fort of Prithvi Raj Chauhan.

Tosham Ki Baradari It is located in Bhiwani. It is a small monument built on top of a hill. It is in dilapilated condition.

Tavru Ka Kila It is located in Sohna. It is also called Sohna fort.

Important Mounds in Haryana

Mound of Rakhigarhi It is located in Narnaund in Hisar district. It is one of the biggest known townships of Harappan Civilisation. This site was excavated by Shri Amarendra Nath of Archaeological Survey of India. The excavation at this site revealed mature Harappan phase represented by planned township having mud-brick as well as burnt-brick houses.

Mound of Banawali It is an archaeological site belonging to Indus Valley Civilisation located in Fatehabad district of Haryana. This township of Indus Valley was built over upper middle valley of Saresvathi river. This site was excavated by RS Bisht and revealed all periods of Indus valley that is pre-Harappan, mature Harappan and post-Harappan.

Mound of Mitathal It is located in Mitathal village of Bhiwani district. This archaeological site dates back to the Sothi-Siswal phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Sothi phase has recently been dated as early as 4600 BC, while Siswal starts at 3800 BC. It was excavated in 1968 by the archaeologist, Suraj Bhan.

Mound of Siswal It is located in Siswal village of Hisar district. This archaeological site belongs to pre-Harappan period. Sites around Siswal were excavated by archaeologist, Suraj Bhan.

Mound of Raja Harsha This mound is located in Thanesar of Kurukshetra district. Here, excavation revealed a sequence of culture, which ranges from the Kushana to the Mughal period. It is 1 km long and 750 m wide, located on the West of Sheik Chillis tomb complex. This site has the ruins of the structure built by king Harsha in 7th century CE.

Raja Kama Ka Qila It is located in Kurukshetra. This mound was first surveyed by Alexander Cunningham and excavated by DB Spooner in 1921-23. Later on excavation by prof. UV Singh, Kurukshetra University, have yielded remains of three cultural period from 4th century BC to 3rd century AD.

Mound of Bhagwanpura It is an archaeological site that lies on the bank of Hakra Ghaggar Channel, North-East of Kurukshetra. The site is notable for showing an overlap between the late Harappan and painted grey ware culture (Vedic period).

Mound of Kunal It is a pre-Harappan settlement located in Fatehabad district. It is located on Sarasvati plain. It is recognised as earliest pre-Harappan site.

Mound of Balu It is a small archaeological site attributed to the Indus Valley Civilisation. It is located in Kaithal district. It was discovered by Dr. Suraj Bhan and Dr. Jim J Shatter in 1977.

Farmana Khas (Daksh Khera) It is an archeological site located in Rohtak district of Haryana. It is particularly known for its burial sites, with 70 burials of mature Harappan period. It is the second largest site excavated in Haryana after Rakhigarhi.

District-wise Tourism in Haryana

All the districts of Haryana are being developed into tourism centres. The district wise notable tourist destinations are listed as follows:

Ambala

It is located on the North-Eastern edge of Haryana. The history of the district dates back to AD 14th century and is believed to have been founded by Amba Rajput during this period. It is also believed that the district has got its name after Goddess ‘Bhawani Amba whose temple still exists in Ambala city.

The Badshahi Bag Gurdwara, Sheesh Ganj Gurdwara, Manji Sahib Gurdwara, Labhuwala Talaah and Sangat Sahib Gurudwara are worth visiting. Popular Muslim shrines of Lakhi Shah and Taqwal Shah, Saint Pauls Church and an old British Christian cemetery are also situated in Ambala.

Patel Park in Ambala Cantt and City Park in Ambala city have beautiful gardens. The Subhash Chandra Bose Park in Subhash Colony, Ambala Cantt has become a popular site for city dwellers.

Bhiwani

It is located on the Western part of Haryana. It was founded by the Rajput king Neem Singh after his wife named Bhani. It is also called Chhoti Kashi because there are about 300 temples within the town. It is now a progressive industrial town.

Gauri Shankar temple of Bhiwani is known throughout the country. Other prime attractions here are Prithviraj Ki Kutchery, Star Monument, Shrines of Khera Baba and Lohar Pir.

Another important city of the district is Dadri, which was founded by the son of Prithviraj Chauhan. It is also a place for industrial and commercial activity.

Star monument located in Bhiwani is one of the most breathtaking buildings in Haryana. This building houses the samadhi of Shri Tara Chand, fondly called Maharaj Ji by his followers.

Faridabad

The history of this city dates back to AD 1607, when Sheikh Farid, treasurer of Jahangir founded it with the object of protecting the highway, which passed through the town. The district has several places to visit and explore. The Badhkal Lake Tourist Complex, Surajkund Tourist Complex, Aravalli Golf Course, Raja Nahar Singh Palace, Baba Farid s Tomb and Dabchick are the famous tourist spots in Faridabad which are worth visiting.

Fatehabad

It is located in the South-Western part of Haryana. The town was founded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th century and named after his son Fateh Khan. Fatehabad district has a long-lasting history dating back to Harappan period. There is a small and a beautiful mosque known as Humayun Mosque located at Fatehabad town. Firoz Shah Tughlaq had built a fort, which is now in ruins, the fortification walls can be seen on the East of the town. Other prime attractions here are a Stone Pillar, Kunal Mound, Banawali Mound, etc.

Gurugram

It is one of the important districts of Haryana, which has been included in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. The district derived its name from the name of Guru Dronacharya. The village was given as gurudakshina to Dronacharya by his students. The district has several places to visit, out of which Sultanpur Lake Bird Sanctuary is a worth visiting place for its natural beauty. Sohna is a small town known especially for its remarkable hot springs. Other prime attractions here are Shiv temple, Sheesh Mahal, Sheetala Devi temple, etc.

 

Hisar

The city of Hisar was founded by a Muslim ruler, Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The word Hisar is an Arabic word, which means fort. A fort by the name of Hisar-e-Firoza was constructed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in the year 1354. Hisar town was one of the prime centres of Harappan culture.

Hisar is famous for its steel industry, therefore sometimes called as the Steel City of Haryana. The town has several sites to visit and rediscover.

The Bishnoi Mandir, Jain Mandir, Gujari Mahal, Barsi Gate, Humayun s Mosque, Jahaz Kothi and Lat Ki Masjid are famous tourist destinations of the district.

Agroha situated in Hisar, was the prosperous and illustrious kingdom of Maharaja Agrasen about 3,000 years back. The Agroha Mound, or ‘Ther’ as it is locally called, is about 1.5 km away from the present Agroha village. Under this mound the remains of an ancient town are burried and its excavation was started in the year 1888-1889. It was at that time when people came to know about this great kingdom. Now Agroha is a dham (pilgrim centre) and it also has a naturopathy centre.

 

Jhajjar

The name of the district is derived from Jharnaghar, a natural fountain. The town is believed to have been founded by one Chhaju and thereafter Chhajunagar was changed to Jhajjar. The town has developed into an important industrial centre of the state. Pratapgarh farms located in the district is an ethnic village and eco-tourism destination approved by Department of Tourism, Government of Haryana.

Jind

The district derives its name from the town Jaintapuri. It is also believed that this town was founded at the time of Mahabharata. The town grew up around the temple and was named Jaintapuri (Abode of Jainti Devi), which later on came to be known as Jind.

Jind is famous for its numerous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Apart from Bhuteshwar temple, the other places of worship are the temples of Hari Kailash, tanks of Surajkund and Jawala Maleshvara Tirath.

Karnal

The city is believed to have been founded by the famous character from Mahabharata, Kama and hence came to be known as Karnal. There are several places to visit in the district.

The worth visiting places include Kalander Shahs Tomb, Devi temple, Cantonment Church Tower, Old Fort, Miran Sahib s Tomb, etc. The city has made a significant contribution in the production of rice, wheat and milk in the state. Kama lake or Karnal lake located on the outskirts of the district adjacent to NH-1 is also a major tourist attraction.

Kaithal

It is situated in the North-West of the state. Kaithal is famous for the remnants of old forts and fortresses, centuries old temples, ponds, pools, gurdwaras, samadhis of saints and great personalities and graveyards of Muslim faquirs depicting the long lasting history of the citys antiquity, cultural heritage and prosperity.

The Phelgu Tank, Tomb of Razia Sultan, Gurdwara Nanji Sahib, Gurudwara Neen Sahib, etc are some other tourist places in Kaithal.

Kurukshetra

It is located in the North-Eastern part of Haryana. The name of this district signifies that this was the Land of Kurus. The Kurukshetra district is a tourist delight and there are about 360 Teerthas of religious and historic importance.

The foremost destinations are Brahmasarovar Temple, Sthaneswar Mahadev Mandir, Jyotisar, Baan-Ganga, Bhisam Kund (Narkatari), Chandrakupa, Nabhi Kamal, Arnai Temple, Prachi Tirath, Saraswati Tirath, Prithduk Tirath, Rantuk Yaksh Bir, Karan Ka Tila, etc. The district also has an ancient temple, Bhadra Kali temple which is the only Shaktipeeth Temple in Haryana. The Government of Haryana established the Kalpana Chawla Planetarium in Jyotisar, Kurukshetra. Thanesar also has Sheikh Chillis tomb.

Mahendragarh

It is located in the South-Western part of Haryana. The historical sites in this district include the Jal Mahal, Chor Gumbad, Birbal Ka Chhatta, Tomb of Shah Wilayat, Mausoleum of Ibrahim Khan Nasibpur, Tomb and Tripolia of Shah Quli Khan. Among religious places, the worth visiting sites in this district are the Chamunda Devi Mandir, Modawala Mandir and Dhosi Hill.

Panchkula

The major tourist attractions in this district are Morni Hills, Pinjore gardens, Mansa Devi temple and the picturesque Kalka town. A Bhima Devi temple and an old baoli in the Pinjore town (Panchkula district) have legendary connection with Pandavas and Mahabharata.

Morni hills (Panchkula district) are ideal for a holiday with its cool climate, beautiful natural vistas and myriad opportunities for bird watching, trekking, rock climbing and other adventure sports. Morni Hills have a fascinating range of flora and fauna. Pinjore Gardens, also called Yadavindra Gardens, are 20 km from Chandigarh in Pinjore, Panchkula. Special programs are held in the gardens in memory of Nawab Fadai Khan, great architect and foster brother of Aurangzeb.

The Mountain Quail Tourist Complex of Haryana Tourism is built close to the ruins of an old fort. A forest tourist hut. ‘Lai Munia and a PWD rest house were also constructed to accommodate tourists and trekkers.

Panipat

Panipat is a historic city known for the Battles of Panipat. These battles changed the course of the Indian history. Panipat is known for its furnishing fabrics and carpets. The old town has some interesting havelis and a 14th century tomb-shrine of the Sufi Saint Qalandar Shah. The main places of attraction are the Graves of Ibrahim Lodhi, Kabuli Bagh, Devi Mandir, Kala Amb, Salar Gunj Gate and Tomb of Bu-Ali Shah Kalandar.

Palwal

It is a place of great antiquity, supposed to figure in the earliest Aryan traditions under the name of Apelava, part of the Pandava kingdom of Indraprastha, which was later restored by Vikramaditya.

Palwal has the worlds second temple of Parsuram in Kulena. Palwal is famous for its greenery and parks, some of them are Shradhananda Park, Tikona Park, Panchayat Bhavan, Killey Wala Park etc. It also houses Panchavati temple, named after Pandavas.

Rewari

This district is situated in the Southern part of Haryana at only 80 km from the national capital, New Delhi. According to legends, a king named Rewat had established a city named Rewa wadi after the name of her daughter i.e. Rewati.

Later this town was called by the name of Rewari instead of Rewa wadi. The district is famous for its metal works. There are shops, which sell brass utensils and other articles made from brass. The places of tourist delight are Red Mosque (Lai Masjid) near the old courts (Kutchery), Bada Talab, Ghanteshwar Mandir, Rewari Heritage, Steam Locomotive Museum, etc.

Rohtak

It is located in the South-East region of Haryana. Rohtak is considered to be the Political Capital of Haryana and has given birth to several political leaders of the state. The town has a glorious history and is believed to have derived its name from the Roherra (Tacoma undulate) tree called Rohitaka in Sanskrit. Asthal Bohar, a place situated 6-7 km East of Rohtak city is known for its ancient sculptured stone idols. Meham town is 30 km West of Rohtak district and has two ancient monuments in the town i.e. Jama Masjid and Pirzada Masjid. It also has Tilyar lake, which is a famous tourist destination.

Sonipat

It is located in the South-East of Haryana. The places of religious importance in the district are Shri Gita Bhawan Mandir, Nirankari Sant Bhawan, Shri Gurunanak Gurudwara, Jain Mandir, Methodist Mission Church, etc. Satkumbha temple in Kheri Gujar village is also a place of historical importance.

Yamunanagar

It was earlier known as Abdullahpur. The various places of tourists’ delight are Adi Badri, Gopal Mochan, Chaudhary Devi Lai Herbal Park, Kathgarh Herbal Park, etc.

Chaudhary Devi Lai Herbal Nature Park is situated at Chuharpur Reserved Forest near Khizrabad in Yamunanagar district. A demonstrative herbal garden near the entrance of the park has been made, which displays more than 200 varieties of different medicinal plants on aesthetically designed herbal beds.

Role of State Government in Tourism Sector

The State Government not only confine its efforts to infrastructural development ensuring uninterrupted electricity, water supply and provision of basic medical facilities, but also responsible for dissemination of information, organisation of festivals and inter-departmental coordination to create conditions for attracting private sector investment for the tourism sector.

Haryana Tourism Policy, 2008

With the view to speed up development of tourism in Haryana, the State Government announced a Tourism Policy. The new Tourism Policy envisages creation of an environment conducive to increase the private investment in the tourism sector. The focus shall be on the following areas:

• To promote tourism as a major engine of economic growth and capitalise potential of sustainable tourism for economic and employment generation.
• To promote Haryana as a tourist destination to take advantage of the global travel and trade and to develop untapped potential of Haryana.
• To acknowledge the critical role of private sector in development of tourism with government working as proactive facilitator and catalyst.
• Developing hill climbing, river rafting, boat riding, parasailing.
• Developing heritage hotels, health clubs, adventure islands and entertainment parks.
• Developing Yamuna banks as tourist centres.
• To broaden and diversify the concept of tourism by creating tourism divisions.

Tourism Divisions

The HTDC has divided the state into various divisions so as to encourage tourism. The divisions are as follows:

Highway Tourism The areas adjoining the national highways are developed into tourist centres. They are Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Palwal.

Weekend Tourism Haryana Government has designed the weekend tourism complexes to cater to business class and upper income groups. They are developed in Faridabad, Rohtak, Gurugram, Hisar and Panchkula.

Heritage Tourism The areas having significant heritage sites are developed in heritage tourism. They are Pinjore in Panchkula and Ballabhgarh in Faridabad.

Pilgrim Tourism Many sites are developed to cater to pilgrim segment in Haryana. They are Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Panchkula.

Haryana Tourism Corporation Limited (HTCL)

It is the government owned official tourism agency of Haryana in India. It began its operation with one resort in 1966 and now owns and operates tourist complexes all over the state. These complexes offer lodging, fooding and recreational activities. Haryana Tourism Corporation also offers adventure tourism and farm tourism. To promote the ancient heritage of Pinjore, the Pinjore Heritage Festival is also celebrated every year. Several tourist spots were opened along the national highways crossing through the state to cater to the travellers.

Tourist destinations developed by HTCL

Tourist Spot	Place	Year of Formation
Aravalli Holy Course	Faridabad	1966
Yadavindra Gardens	Pinjore (Panchkula)	1967
Badkhal Lake	Faridabad	1969
Sultanpur Lake	Gurugram	1972
Kama Lake	Karnal	1972
Surajkund	Faridabad	1988
Damdama Lake	Gurugram	1989
Highway Golf Club	Uchana (Jind)	1999
Ethnic India Complex	Rai (Sonipat)	2000
Nahar Singh Palace	Ballabhgarh (Faridabad)	2003
Adventure Resort	TikkarTaal (Panchkula)	2003
Chokhi Dhani	Sonipat	–

 

Tourist Complexes

The Government of Haryana has set up a network of 44 tourist complexes in all over the state. Tourist complexes have been set at strategic points along the highway passing through the state. Further, tourist complexes have been developed around Delhi through promotion of leisure tourism and conference tourism. The HTDC tourist complexes are named after local birds and are in close harmony with nature.

Resorts Developed by HTDC

Name	Place	Year
Blue Jay	Panipat	1972
Parakeet	Kurukshetra	1972
Bulbul	Jind	1972
Jungle Babbler	Rewari	1974
Dabchick	Palwal	1974
Barbet, Saras, Shama	Gurugram	1974
Myna	Rohtak	1975
Skylark	Panipat	1976
Surkhab	Sirsa	1980
Sandpiper	Rewari	1982
Magpie, Rajhans, Sunbird	Faridabad	1982
Baya	Bhiwani	1983
Grey Pelican	Yamunanagar	1984
Koel	Kaithal	1984
Kingfisher	Ambala	1986
Neelkanthi	Kurukshetra	1987
Mountain Quail	Panchkula	1987
Gauriyya	Jhajjar	1990
Jatayu Yatrika	Panchkula	1993
Papiha	Fatehabad	1994
Blue bird,	Hisar	1996

 

Government Initiatives in Tourism Sector

Krishna Circuit The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India under its ‘Swadesh Darshan Scheme’ has identified Kurukshetra under the Krishna Circuit to promote Kurukshetra as major tourist destination. Accordingly, the State Government has shortlisted development of Brahmasarovar, Jyotisar, Narkatri, Sannihit Sarovar and development of city infrastructure of Kurukshetra.

Heritage Circuit Rewari-Mahendragarh-Madhogarh Under Heritage Circuit of Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Rewari-Mahendragarh- Madhogarh Circuit would be developed as a global tourism destination.

Swarna Jayanti Sindhu Darshan And Mansarovar Yatra Haryana Government has decided to provide financial assistance of t 10,000 per person for Sindhu Darshan Yatra, t 50,000 per person for Kailash Mansarovar Yatris and t 6000 per person for Swarn Jayanti Guru Darshan Yatra Scheme.

Light and Sound Show A light and sound show/multimedia show has been set up at Tilyar Lake, Rohtak with the help of Central Financial Assistance.

Eco-Tourism in Haryana

Haryana state is endowed with a rich and varied biodiversity spread over the Shivalik Hills of the North-East to the Aravalli range in the South and Yamuna-Ghaggar plain to semi-desert sandy plain to the South-West. The Haryana Forest Department has created the eco-tourism spots in the state as excellent natural resources. The efforts made by the department have witnessed tremendous increase in tourist flow in the last few months. Eco-lodges, jungle resorts with swiss cottage (tents), watch towers, nature walks, herbal parks, outdoor camps and many more activities are developing in Haryana.