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Tourism Places In Haryana
Haryana has network of
44 Tourist Complexes in the state and caters to about 70 lakh tourists
every year. Some of the important tourist complexes are:
- AMBALA: Sikh pilgrim
centre.
- BADKHAL LAKE: Picnic spot, Boating, Fishing.
- BHIWANI: Temples, Stately
homes, Jewellery.
- CHANDIGARH: Capital of State.
- DHARUHERA: Industrial centre.
- FARIDABAD: Industrial centre.
Haryana is the 16th largest state in area and
population. This state has a very fertile land and is called as the . Green Land
of India. . The state is bounded by Uttar Pradesh in east, Punjab in west, Himachal
Pradesh in north and Rajasthan in south. Union Territory of Delhi is landlocked
on 3 sides by Haryana.
Haryana can be divided into two natural area sub-Himalayan Terai and Indo-Gangetic
plain. The plain is fertile and slopes from north to south with a height above the
sea level, averaging between 700 and 900 ft. South-west of Haryana is dry, sandy
and barren. Haryana has no perennial river. The only river which flows through Haryana
is the Ghaggar, which passes through northern fringes of the state. For most of
the year, climate of Haryana is of a pronounced character-very hot in summer and
markedly cold in winter; temperatures can reach 47° C (117° F), and cold in winter.
Winter temperatures range from 5° to 9° C (41° to 48° F), occasionally dropping
to freezing.
Haryana has a single-chamber legislature with 90 seats. The state sends 15 members
to the Indian national parliament: five to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and ten
to the Lok Sabha (Lower House). Local government is based on 16 districts.
Chandigarh is the shared capital of Haryana and Punjab.
History
The region now known as Haryana--the Madhyama Dis (middle region) of the Later Vedic
Period (c. 800-500 BC)--was the birthplace of the Hindu religion. It was in this
area that the first hymns of the so-called Aryans were sung and the most ancient
manuscripts were written. Urban settlements in Ghaggar Valley date from before 3000
BC. From about 1500 BC, Aryan tribes became the first of many groups to invade the
region. The area was the home of the legendary Bharata dynasty, which gave India
its Hindi name, Bharat. The epic battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas, recorded
in the Indian epic poem, the Mahabharata, took place at Kurukshetra. In the 3rd
century BC, the area was incorporated into the Mauryan Empire. It later became an
important power base for the Mughals; the battle of Panipat in 1526 established
Mughal rule in India. The area was ceded to British in 1803. In 1832 it was transferred
to the then North-Western Provinces, and in 1858 Haryana became a part of Punjab,
remaining as such after the partition of India in 1947. The demand for a Haryana
state, however, was raised even before India's independence in 1947. Lala Lajpat
Rai and Asaf Ali, prominent figures in the national movement, advocated a separate
state of Haryana. Sri Ram Sharma, a veteran freedom fighter, headed a Haryana Development
Committee to focus attention on the concept of an autonomous state. The demand for
unilingual states by Sikhs and Hindus gained momentum in the early 1960s. In 1966,
with the passage of the Punjab Reorganization Act (and in accordance with the earlier
recommendations of the States Reorganization Commission), Haryana became India's
17th state.
Society and Culture
Hindus constitute about 90 percent of Haryana's population. Most of the state's
Sikh population is located in the northeast and northwest; Muslims are concentrated
in the southeastern districts adjoining Delhi. Jats (a peasant caste) form the backbone
of Haryana's agricultural economy and, like the Sikhs of the Punjab, are prominent
in India's armed forces. Although roughly 75 percent of the population is rural,
cities have been growing rapidly as commercial, industrial, and agricultural marketing
centres.
Haryanvis are simple, straight-forward, enterprising and hard-working. Preserving
their old religious and social traditions, they celebrate festivals traditional
fervour. The region has its popular folklores, folksongs and musical instruments.
The women are devoted and diligent and assist their men-folk on the farms. The people
have simple food habits. They are known for their love for cattle and the abundance
of milk and curd in their diet.
The boisterous spring festival of Holi is celebrated by people showering coloured
powder (or coloured powder mixed with water) on each other, irrespective of age
or social status. Janmastami, the birthday of Krishna, is of special religious importance
in Haryana because it was on a battlefield at Kurukshetra that Krishna is said to
have delivered to the warrior Arjuna the teachings contained in the Bhagavadgita.
The solar eclipse bathing festival at Kurukshetra attracts more than half a million
pilgrims from various parts of India. Among numerous ancient pilgrimage centres
in the state are Agroha (near Hisar) and Pehowa. The latter, situated on the bank
of the sacred Sarasvati River (identified in the Vedas with Sarasvati, a Hindu goddess
of learning and the arts), is considered the premier place for performing propitiatory
rites (sraddha pinda) for ancestors. Fairs in honour of various deities and saints
are an important element of Haryana culture. Cattle fairs are also held at several
locations.
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Economy and Infrastructure
Most of the land in Haryana is suitable for agriculture and 60 percent is irrigated.
More than three-fourths of the population is employed in agriculture. The state
is a major producer of wheat and rice. Other important crops include oilseeds, sugarcane,
cotton, potatoes, pulses (edible seeds gathered from pea and bean crops), barley,
millet, and maize. Production has been stimulated by Haryana's closeness to the
markets of New Delhi and (Old) Delhi, good road and rail links, and the use of fertilizers
and improved seeds. Haryana is renowned for its prizewinning steers and dairy cattle.
The state has an extensive rail system. Delhi, on Haryana's eastern boundary, serves
as the main air traffic hub.
The state also has a very sound industrial base. Major industries include cotton
and woolen textiles, scientific instruments, glass, cement, paper and sugar milling,
automobiles, tires, bicycles, and electronic equipment. Haryana is India's largest
producer of automobile spare parts. Haryana produces the largest number of tractors
in the country. It is well known for its handloom products. Panipat has earned the
reputation of being the "weaver's city" of India for its exquisite hand- tufted
woolen carpets and colourful handloom products.
Haryana is a beneficiary of the multi-purpose project on Setluj with Beas, where
it shares benefit with Punjab and Rajasthan. Major irrigation projects are Western
Yamuna Canal, Bhakra Canal System and Gurgaon Canal. The state has completed Jui
Loharu and Sewani lift irrigation schemes. Jawaharlal Nehru irrigation scheme, the
biggest of its kind shall be completed soon. Haryana is well connected by rail,
air and road network. With a total road network of 23106 kms, it has airports at
Pinjore, Karnal, Hisar, Bhiwani and Narnaul.
Hotels of Haryana
The State has hotels of star and non star category catering to the needs of the
tourists visiting Haryana. Besides it has resorts, restaurants and cafés which cater
to the needs of all segment of travelers.
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