Haryana: Wonderland of Vibrant Culture

Bounded by Punjab in the northwest, Himachal Pradesh in the north, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in the east, and Rajasthan in the south. Haryana is replete with myths, legends and Vedic references. It has been the cradle of Indian culture and civilisation.

This state has two major physiographic regions: the flat alluvial plain and the Shiwalik Range. The alluvial plain, which lies at a height of 700 to 900 feet, is drained by only one perennial river, the Yamuna. Another river Ghaggar, which flows from the Shivalik Range, also passes through the area. This state is extremely hot in summer and cold in winter.

Flora & Fauna

Thorny, dry, deciduous forest and thorny shrubs are found all over the state. Mulberry, eucalyptus, pine, kikar, shisham and babul are some of the trees found here. Animals like leopards, jackals, wild boars, black bucks, nilgais, panthers, foxes, mongooses and wild dogs are found in large numbers. It has two national parks, 8 wildlife sanctuaries, two wildlife conservation areas, four animal and bird breeding centers, one deer park and three zoos.

Cultural life

Holi, Haryali Teej and Janmasthami are main festivals celebrated in this state. Janmasthami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. is of special religious importance in Haryana because it was on a battlefield at Kurukshetra that Lord Krishna is said to have delivered to warrior Arjuna the teachings contained in the Bhagavad Gita. Haryana’s traditional family homes, called havelis, are known for their unique architectural features. It has its own traditional folk music, folk dances, saang (folk theatre), cinema, belief system such as Jathera (ancestral worship), and arts such as Phulkari and Shisha embroidery. Over 80% people of this state are vegetarian and staples foods are roti, saag, sabzi and milk products such as ghee, lassi, and kheer. This state is famous for its handloom and carpet industry.

Languages

Hindi and Punjabi are two main languages in this state. Punjabi is the second official language for administrative purposes.

Agro produce

A major contributor of wheat and rice, Haryana also produces significant amount of cotton, mustard seed, millet, chickpeas, sugarcane, sorghum, corn and potatoes.

Famous people

Freedom fighter Babu Dayal Sharma, cricketer Kapil Dev, actors Sunil Dutt, Juhi Chawla, Parineeti Chopra and Om Puri, wrestler Sakshi Malik, playback singer Sonu Nigam, astronaut Kalpana Chawla, boxer Vijender Singh, and shooters Anish Bhanwala and Manu Bhaker among others.

Kalpana Chawla

Born in Karnal (Haryana), she was an Indian American astronaut and the first woman of Indian descent to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist. In 2003, she was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Landmarks

Surajkund, Badhkal Lake, Damdama Lake, Morni Hills, Sultanpur Birds Sanctuary etc. Besides, many important resorts namely Ethnic India (Rai Sonipat), Skylark (Panipat), Blue Jay (Samalkha), Kingfisher (Ambala), Red Bishop (Panchkula) and Pinjore Gardens (Pinjore) etc are places where tourists visit.

Railway stations and airports

Kalka, Ambala Cantt, Panipat, Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jind, Karnal, Rewari, Sonipat, Kurukshetra and Rohtak, are the major railway stations. Besides the Chandigarh International Airport, there are civil aerodromes at Pinjore, Karnal, Hissar, Bhiwani and Narnaul.

Major cities

Ambala, Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Jind, Palwal, Rewari, Sirsa, Karnal, Sonipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Jhajjar etc