Tourism in Haryana

Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. It is a land of fat, flat fields and villages where the patriarch is still the venerated figure and politics revolves around rural and village-community loyalties. Its history lies buried in the ground beneath our feet with excavations, daily revealing its distant past. Its roads merge with those of Delhi's: it's difficult to know where one begins and the other ends.

Tourist attractions of Haryana are mainly centred in the capital, Chandigarh. Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden are worth seeing. The Sultanpur National Park, which houses many birds including flamingoes is also a must-see.

Capital : Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab & Haryana and the language spoken is Punjabi. It is a typically north Indian city with an interest in Delhi: every family has one family member either working in the capital or atleast a married daughter staying in Delhi. People in Chandigarh lead disciplined lives. Unlike its more industrial neighbours like Ludhiana, it's a service-oriented culture here. Chandigarh, is on the whole, a clean, planned, educated and corporate city.

History : The history of Haryana goes back to the period of the epics. Kurukshetra, where the great battle of Mahabharata was fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas, is situated in Haryana. The state was the home of the legendary Bharata Dynasty, which gave the name 'Bharat' to India. Haryana continued to play an important part in the history of India till the coming in of the Muslims and the rise of Delhi as the capital of British India. In 1857 AD, the people of Haryana joined the Indian leaders in the revolt against the British Government.

The People : Haryanvis are simple, straight-forward, enterprising and hard-working people. Preserving their old religious and social traditions, they celebrate festivals with 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. Haryana's Highways are replete with landscaped gardens, shops and hotels that prove to be weekend getaways for people of Delhi and neighbouring states. Of late, Haryanvis have also acquired a taste for weekend outings.

Occupation : Essentially an agricultural state, Haryana also has a few industries that produce tractors, bicycles and sanitaryware. Panipat is the main textile centre where cotton fabrics and carpets are produced. For tourists, the state has created a number of parks and lakes that add charm to the overall green scenery. Chandigarh is the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, the main language is Punjabi, Hindi.

Climate : Climatically, the state has three major seasons. Hot weather ( April to June) when the mercury shoots up to as high as 110oF. Rainy season is from July to September. The average annual rainfall ranges between 96 cms in the sub-mountain region and 58 cms in the plains. Winter months are October to March when the temperature dips to as low as 40oF. October to March is the best season to visit.

Population - 18 million.

Festival : Baisakhi, 'Mango Festival' and the 'Kurukshetra Festival.' The internationally famous Surajkund Crafts Mela is held every year in the month of February, to promote Indian arts and handicrafts.

TOURIST OFFICES :

Haryana Tourism (Head office) 111-113, Sector 17-B, Chandigarh.
Haryana State Tourism Dev. Corp. Ltd. 36 , Janpath , Chanderlok Building, New Delhi.
Haryana Bhavan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi.