Haryana

For the town in Hoshiarpur district, see Hariana.

Haryana
Seal
Location of Haryana in India
Map of Haryana
Coordinates (Chandigarh): 30°44′N 76°47′E
Country	India
Zone	Northern
Established	1 November 1966
Capital	Chandigarh
Largest city	Faridabad
Districts	21
Government
• Body	Haryana Legislative Assembly
• Governor	Jagannath Pahadia
• Chief Minister	Bhupinder Singh Hooda
• Legislature	Unicameral (90 seats)
• Lok Sabha constituencies	10
• Rajya Sabha constituencies	5
Area
• State	44,212 km2 (17,070 sq mi)
Area rank	20
• Area under forest	1,684 km2 (650 sq mi)
• Net sown area	3,550 km2 (1,370 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• State	25,353,081
• Rank	16
• Density	573/km2 (1,480/sq mi)
• Density rank	11
• Urban	8,821,588
• Rural	16,531,493
Languages
• Official	Hindi
• Regional	Haryanvi
State symbols
• Bird	Black Francolin
• Animal	Black Buck
• Flower	Lotus
• Tree	Peepal
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-HR
Vehicle registration	HR-xx
HDI	0.644 (medium)
HDI rank	17th (2011)
Literacy	76.64 %
Sex ratio	877
Life expectancy	66.2
GDP	INR 3,093.26 billion (2011-12)
GDP per capita	INR 109,227 (2011-12)
Growth rate	8.1 %
Website	www.haryana.gov.in

Haryana /ˌhɑriˈɑːnə/ (Hindi: हरियाणा; Urdu: ہريانہ‎) is a state in India. It came into existence on 1 November 1966 as a newly created state carved out of the Punjab state on the basis of language. It has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the Apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar (VS 1189-1230). It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. The river Yamuna defines its eastern border with Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Haryana also surrounds the country's capital Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and southern borders of Delhi. Consequently, a large area of south Haryana is included in the National Capital Region for purposes of planning for development.

Sites in Haryana were part of the Indus Valley and Vedic Civilizations. Several decisive battles were fought in the area, which shaped much of the history of India. These include the epic battle of Mahabharata at Kurukshetra mentioned in the Hindu mythology (including the recital of the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna), and the three battles of Panipat. Haryana was administered as part of the Punjab province of British India, and was carved out on linguistic lines as India's 17th state in 1966. Haryana is now a leading contributor to the country's production of foodgrain and milk. Agriculture is the leading occupation for the residents of the state, the flat arable land irrigated by submersible pumps and an extensive canal system. Haryana contributed heavily to the Green Revolution that made India self-sufficient in food production in the 1960s.

Haryana is also one of the wealthier states of India and had the third highest per capita income in the country at Rs.108,859 in the year 2011-12 (See List of Indian states by GDP) and Rs.128,341 in the year 2012-13 including the largest number of rural crorepatis in India. Haryana is also one of the most economically developed regions in South Asia and its agricultural and manufacturing industry has experienced sustained growth since 1970s. Haryana is India's largest manufacturer of passenger cars, two-wheelers, and tractors. Since 2000, the state has emerged as the largest recipient of investment per capita in India. The city of Gurgaon has rapidly emerged as a major hub for the information technology and automobile industries. Gurgaon is home to Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automobile manufacturer, and Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers. Sonipat, Yamuna Nagar, Panipat, Panchkula and Faridabad are also industrial hubs, with the Panipat Refinery being the second largest refinery in South Asia. There are also long established steel, plywood, paper and textile industries in the state.

History

See also: History of Haryana

Etymology

The name "Haryana" could mean "the Abode of God", derived from the Sanskrit words Hari (the Hindu God Vishnu) and ayana (home).Scholars like Muni Lal, Murli Chand Sharma, HA Phadke and Sukhdev Singh Chib believe that the name Haryana comes from the words Hari (Sanskrit Harit, "green") and Aranya (forest).

Ancient period

Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra

Raja Rao Tula Ram Yadav played a major role against Britishers

Main articles: Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic Civilization

Haryana was the outermost location of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization with centers such as Banawali and Rakhigarhi. The most extensive center, Rakhigarhi, is now a village in Hisar District. The site is dated to be over 5,000 years old. Evidence of paved roads, drainage system, large rainwater collection, storage system, terracotta brick, statue production, and skilled metal working (in both bronze and precious metals) has been uncovered.

Also the Vedic Civilization flourished on the banks of the now lost Sarasvati River. Several decisive battles were fought in the area, which shaped much of the history of India. These include the epic Battle of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata (including the recital of the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna) and the three battles of Panipat.

Medieval period

See also: Harsha

Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya

Jat King Harshavardhana established his capital at Thanesar near Kurukshetra in the 7th century AD. After his death, the kingdom of his clansmen continued to rule over a vast region for quite a while from Harsha's adopted capital of Kannauj. The region remained strategically important for the rulers of North India even though Thanesar was no more central than Kannauj. Prithviraj Chauhan established forts at Tarori and Hansi in the 12th century. Muhammad Ghori conquered this area in the Second Battle of Tarain. Following his death, the Delhi Sultanate was established that ruled much of north India for several centuries. The earliest reference to 'Hariana' occurs in a Sanskrit inscription dated 1328 AD kept in Delhi Museum, which refers to this region as The heaven on earth, indicating that it was fertile and relatively peaceful at that time. Firoz Shah Tughlaq established a fort at Hisar in 1354 to further fortify the region, and also constructed canals or rajwahas as they were referred to in the Indo-Persian historical texts.

The three famous battles of Panipat took place near the modern town of Panipat in Haryana. The first battle took place in 1526, where Babur, the ruler of Kabul, defeated Ibrahim Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate, through the use of field artillery. In the second battle of Panipat (5 November 1556), Akbar's forces defeated, the local Haryanvi warrior Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya popularly called Hemu, who belonged to Rewari in Haryana and who had earlier won 22 battles, from Punjab to Bengal including two against Akbar's forces during 1553-1556 before acceeding to Delhi throne and establishing 'Hindu Raj' in North India on 7 October 1556. The decline of the Mughal Empire in early 18th century, led to rapid territorial gains for the Maratha Empire, including Haryana. In 1737, Maratha forces sacked Delhi, following their victory against the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi. A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protector of the Mughal throne at Delhi. Baji Rao's son, Balaji Baji Rao (popularly known as Nana Saheb), further increased the territory under Maratha control by invading Punjab and Peshawar in 1758. This brought the Marathas into direct confrontation with the Durrani empire of Ahmad Shah Abdali, who was based in Kabul. After the Third Battle of Panipat was fought in 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the Afghan warlord Ahmad Shah Abdali, Marathas lost Punjab, Delhi and Haryana to Ahmad Shah Durrani. Within 10 years, Mahadji Shinde re-established Maratha rule over North India, Haryana region remained under the rule of the Scindhia clan of the Maratha Empire, until in 1803, the British East India Company took control of Gurgaon through the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon after the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

Rao Tula Ram and Freedom Struggle

Before the Independence of India, Haryana was part of the British Punjab Province.

During the Indian rebellion of 1857, Rao Tula Ram Yadav (c. 9 December 1825 – 1863) was one of the key leaders of the Indian rebellion of 1857, in Haryana, where he is considered a state hero.[1] In heroism, valor, patriotism and sacrifice he can just be compared with the most brilliant characters of the revolt of 1857 such as Rani Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, Tantya Tope and Nana Sahib.

He is credited with temporary driving all of the British rule from the region that today is Ahirwal during the Rebellion, and also helping rebel forces fighting in the historic city of Delhi with men, money and material. Noted as a good administrator and military commander, after the 1857 uprising ended, he left India, met rulers of Iran and Afghanistan and also established contacts with the Tsar of Russia, to seek their help to fight a war to free India from the British. His plans were cut short by his death from dysentery in Kabul on September 23, 1863, at the age of 38

Formation of Haryana

Param Sant Arman Saheb also known as Ram Singh Arman He was the fourth guru of Radha Swami Satsang, Dinod

Haryana state was formed on 1 November 1966. The Indian government set up the Shah Commission under the chairmanship of Justice JC Shah on 23 April 1966 to divide the existing Punjab and determine the boundaries of new state Haryana giving consideration to the language spoken by the people. The commission gave its report on 31 May 1966. According to this report the then districts of Hisar, Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Rohtak and Karnal were to be a part of the new state of Haryana. Further, the tehsils of Jind in (district Sangrur), Narwana in (district Sangrur), Naraingarh, Ambala and Jagadhri were also to be included.

The commission recommended that Tehsil Kharar (including Chandigarh) should be a part of Haryana. However, the city of Chandigarh and a Punjabi-speaking area of Rupnagar district were made a Union Territory, serving as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.

Bhagwat Dayal Sharma became first Chief Minister of Haryana.

Geography

Yamuna River near the Haryana Border

Vultures in Haryana's green farms

Blackbuck male and female

Haryana is a landlocked state in northern India. It is located between 27°39' to 30°35' N latitude and between 74°28' and 77°36' E longitude. The altitude of Haryana varies between 700 to 3600 ft (200 metres to 1200 metres) above sea level. An area of 1,553 km² is covered by forest. Haryana has four main geographical features.

• The Yamuna-Ghaggar plain forming the largest part of the state
• The Shivalik Hills to the northeast
• Semi-desert sandy plain to the southwest
• The Aravalli Range in the south

Rivers of Haryana

The river Yamuna flows along its eastern boundary. The ancient Sarasvati River is said to have flowed from Yamuna Nagar, but it has now disappeared.

The river Ghaggar is Haryana's main seasonal river. The Ghaggar rises in the outer Himalayas, between the Yamuna and the Sutlej and enters Haryana near Pinjore, Panchkula district. Passing through Ambala and Hissar, it reaches Bikaner in Rajasthan and runs a course of 460 km (290 mi) before disappearing into the deserts of Rajasthan. An important tributary is the Tangri.

The Markanda river is also a seasonal stream. Its ancient name was Aruna. It originates from the lower Sivalik Hills and enters Haryana west of Ambala. During monsoons, this stream swells into a raging torrent notorious for its devastating power. The surplus water is carried on to the Sanisa lake where the Markanda joins the Saraswati and later Ghaggar. Shahbad Markanda town is situated on its bank.

The Sahibi River originates in the Mewat hills near Jitgarh and Manoharpur in Rajasthan. Gathering volume from about a hundred tributaries, it reaches voluminous proportions, forming a broad stream around Alwar and Patan. On reaching Jhajjar it branches off into two smaller streams, finally reaching the outskirts of Delhi and flowing into Najafgarh lake that flows into the Yamuna through the Najafgarh drain. However, of late, hardly any water flows in Sahibi as most of the water is impounded in small check dams uptream in Alwar district of Rajasthan and the Masani barrage built on the river on NH 8 (Delhi-Jaipur highway) remains dry.

There are three other rivulets in and around the Mewat hills – Indori, Dohan and Kasavati and they all flow northwards from the south.

Climate

The climate of Haryana is similar to other states of India lying in the northern plains. It is very hot in summer (up to a high of 50 deg Celsius) and cold in winters (down to a low of 1 deg Celsius). The hottest months are May and June and the coldest being December and January. Rainfall is varied, with the Shivalik Hills region being the wettest and the Aravali Hills region being the driest. About 80% of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season (July–September) and sometimes causes local flooding.

Flora and fauna

Thorny, dry, deciduous forest and thorny shrubs can be found all over the state. During the monsoon, a carpet of grass covers the hills. Mulberry, eucalyptus, pine, kikar, shisham and babul are some of the trees found here. The species of fauna found in the state of Haryana include black buck, nilgai, panther, fox, mongoose, jackal and wild dog. More than 300 species of birds are found here.

Demographics

Religion in Haryana
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			87.55%
Islam			6%
Sikhism			6%
Others			0.45%
Distribution of religions

See also: List of people from Haryana

Hindus are majority in Haryana and are about 88.23% of the population, Muslims 5.78% (mainly Meos), Sikhs 5.53%, Others 0.45%. In 2001 Hindus made up 18,655,925 of the population, Muslims 1,222,196, Sikhs 1,170,662, Jains 57,167, Christians 27,185, and Buddhists 7,140. Muslims are mainly in the Mewat district and Yamuna Nagar district, while Sikhs are mostly in the districts adjoining Punjab, Hisar, Sirsa, Jind, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Narnaul and Panchkula. Haryana has second largest Sikh population in India after the state of Punjab. Agriculture and related industries have been the backbone of the local economy. These days the state is seeing a massive influx of immigrants from across the nation, primarily from Bihar, Bengal, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. Scheduled Castes form 19.3% of the population.

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Haryana and Politics of Haryana

Yoga Guru Ramdevji born in Mahendragarh, Haryana

Sushma Swaraj Former Union Cabinet Minister, India born in Palwal, Haryana

Like in all other states of India, Haryana is governed through a governor, a largely ceremonial position who is appointed by the President of India. The Chief Minister is the head of the Haryana state government and is vested with most of the executive and legislative powers. Haryana’s legislature is unicameral; its one house, the Haryana Legislative Assembly, consists of 90 members. Haryana has five seats in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's national parliament, and ten in the Lok Sabha, the lower house. The largest political parties in Haryana are the Indian National Lok Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Haryana Janhit Congress, Bhartiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Indian National Congress. Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Indian National Congress has been the Chief Minister of the state since 2005. During his presidency, American president Jimmy Carter visited Carterpuri village in Gurgaon.

Education

Gurgaon city has the highest literacy rate in Haryana followed by Panchkula at 81.9 per cent and Ambala at 81.7 percent. District Rewari has the highest literacy rate in Haryana of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 67%..

See also: Education in Haryana and List of institutions of higher education in Haryana

Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak

Rohtak is the educational hub of Haryana. Rohtak has almost 22 colleges within the city. There are four engineering colleges and two polytechnic institutes, 32 primary schools, 69 middle schools and 101 high schools were upgraded to middle, high and senior secondary respectively during the year 2004-05^{citation needed}. During 2001-02, there were 11,013 primary schools, 1,918 middle schools, 3,023 high schools and 1,301 senior secondary schools in the state.^{citation needed} Haryana Board of School Education, established in September 1969 and shifted to Bhiwani in 1981, conducts public examinations at middle, matriculation, and senior secondary levels twice a year. Over seven lac candidates attend annual examinations in February and March, and 150,000 attend supplementary examinations each November. The Board also conducts examinations for Haryana Open School at senior and senior secondary levels twice a year. The Haryana government provides free education to women up to the Bachelor's Degree level.

North Haryana is more developed in terms of education and agriculture because of more fertile land and water availability. People from South Haryana were mostly government employees, soldiers and politicians and agricultural workers.

YMCA University of Science and Technology

Culture

V K Singh General Vijay Kumar Tanwar, born in (Bhiwani) Haryana

Haryana has a rich cultural heritage that goes back to the Vedic times. Dhosi Hill, the ashram of revered Rishi Chyawyan is an important site where Chyawanprash was formulated for the first time. The last Hindu emperor of India who belonged to Rewari in Haryana, Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, also called Hemu, taking a cue from Vedic times declared himself a 'Vikramaditya' king after defeating Akbar's forces in Delhi in 1556. It amounted to establishing a vedic 'Hindu Raj' in North India during medieval period after a gap of more than 350 years. The state is rich in folklore with the oldest extant romance of Sorath and Dhaj, Ror Kumar. The people of Haryana have their own traditions. The age-old customs of meditation, Yoga and chanting of Vedic mantras are still observed by the masses. Famous yoga guru Swami Ramdev is from Mahendragarh in Haryana. Seasonal and religious festivals glorify the culture of this region. Haryana has a variety of folk dances.

The people of Haryana have preserved their old religious and social traditions. The culture of Haryana and the humour is very much similar to that of Punjab (as Haryana was a part of Punjab state). They celebrate festivals with great enthusiasm and traditional fervor. Their culture and popular art are saangs, dramas, ballads and songs in which they take great delight. Regarding eating habits, there is an idiom that says, Hara-Bhara Haryana, Jit Doodh-Dahi ka Khana (meaning a lush-green state where milk and curd are the food). Food and cuisines of Haryana are almost same as the ones in Punjab (Greater Punjab); popular Haryanavi dishes include makke di roti (grounded dry corn) and sarso da saag, lassi (sweet yogurt), rajma, cholay-bhature, etc.

Languages

See also: Haryanavi

Haryanavi has traditionally been the dominant mother tongue in Haryana, with Standard Hindi being spoken as a second language. Haryanvi has no official status, as it is seen as a dialect of Hindi. Since 1947, Punjabi has also been spoken by a lot of people in Haryana especially by those Hindus and Sikhs who came over from the older Punjab region at the time of partition. As such, Punjabi is the second official language of Haryana (since Haryana was a part of Greater Punjab state). Haryana is the second-largest Punjabi-speaking state after Punjab.

The most striking feature of Haryana is its language itself or, rather, the manner in which it is spoken. Popularly known as Haryanavi, the language of Haryana's people, with Bangaru, spoken in the Heart of Haryana, being the most widely spoken dialect. With rapid urbanization, and due to Haryana's close proximity to Delhi, the cultural aspects are now taking a more modern hue.

Music

See also: Music of Haryana

Haryanvi Ragini is very famous in Haryana, and it is a part of folk music in Haryana. Punjabi Music is also widely popular especially in Northern Haryana & western Haryana in districts bordering Punjab.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Haryana

The headquarters of DLF Limited, India's largest real estate company, in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The economy of Haryana relies on manufacturing, business process outsourcing, agriculture and retail.

Manufacturing

• Yamuna Nagar is the largest industrial town wholly within Haryana. It has Asia's largest paper mill, BILT,^{citation needed} and Asia's largest sugar mill.^{citation needed} Yamuna Nagar has Asia's largest timber industry,^{citation needed} an HPGCL thermal power plant, a hydro power plant and India's largest railway workshop.^{citation needed} It is also famous for its old steel and brass industries.^{citation needed}
• Bahadurgarh is an important developing industrial town with glass, steel, tiles manufacturing and biscuits production.
• Faridabad is another big industrial part of Haryana. It is home to hundreds of large-scale companies like Orient Paper & Industries,^{citation needed} JCB India Limited, Nirigemes, Agri Machinery Group (Escorts Limited), India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., Whirlpool, ABB Group, Goodyear Tyres and Knorr Bremse India Pvt. Ltd. There are thousands of medium- and small-scale units as well, like Amrit Enterprises and McAma Industries.^{citation needed}
• Panipat is a city of textiles and carpets. It is the biggest centre for cheap blankets and carpets in India^{citation needed} and has a handloom weaving industry. The pickle "Pachranga International" is well known. Panipat has heavy industry, including a refinery operated by the Indian Oil Corporation and a National Thermal Power Corporation power plant.
• Hissar is another developing city and home town of Navin Jindal and Subhash Chandra of Zee TV fame. Savitri Jindal, Navin Jindal's mother, has been listed by Forbes as a 3rd richest woman in world.
• Ambala is the largest manufacturer of scientific apparatuses. It is named 'Science City' of Haryana. Ambala is one of the biggest exporters of education instruments in the country.^{citation needed}
• Rohtak- largest wholesale cloth market of Asia known as shori market. It is also emerging as a major industrial hub with the presence of many renowned organizations e.g. Research and development plant of Maruti Suzuki (only one of its kind out of Japan), Suzuki Motorcycles ltd. Asian Paints, Sabarkantha Cooperatives (Amul Subsidiary), High Tech Plastics, Nippon Carbides etc. Minsk Motors state-owned company of Belarus is also planning to start an engine manufacturing plant here. An International cargo airport is being set up here.

Service industries

Gurgaon has seen emergence of an active information technology industry in the recent years. A number of large international companies have their Indian headquarters or branch offices and contact centers in Gurgaon, including Nokia Siemens Networks, Mitsubishi Electric, General Electric, IBM, Huawei, and Tata Consultancy Services.

Agriculture

Despite recent industrial development, Haryana is primarily an agricultural state. About 70% of residents are engaged in agriculture Wheat and rice are the major crops. Haryana is self-sufficient in food production and the second largest contributor to India's central pool of food grains. The main crops of Haryana are wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, pulses, barley, maize, millet etc. There are two main types of crops in Haryana: Rabi and Kharif. The major Kharif crops of Haryana are rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton, jute, sugarcane, sesame and groundnut. For these crops the ground is prepared in April and May and the seeds are sown at the commencement of rains in June. The crops are ready for harvesting by the beginning of November. The major Rabi crops are wheat, tobacco, pulses, linseed, rapeseed and mustard. The ground is prepared by the end of October or the beginning of November and the crops are harvested by March.

An agricultural area in Haryana. Haryanvi community is largely agrarian.

About 86% of the area is arable, and of that 96% is cultivated. About 75% of the area is irrigated, through tube wells and an extensive system of canals. Haryana contributed significantly to the Green Revolution in India in the 1970s that made the country self-sufficient in food production. The state has also significantly contributed to the field of agricultural education in the country. Asia's biggest agricultural University - Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University is located at Hisar and it has made a significant contribution in ushering in the 'Green Revolution' in the state.

Dairy farming is also an essential part of the rural economy. Haryana has a livestock population of 98.97 lakh. Milk and milk products form an essential part of the local diet. There is the saying Desaan main des Haryana, jit doodh dahi ka khaana, which means "Best among all the countries in the world is Haryana, where the staple food is milk and yoghurt". Haryana, with 660 grams of availability of milk per capita per day, ranks at number two in the country as against the national average of 232 grams. There is a vast network of milk societies that support the dairy industry. The National Dairy Research Institute at Karnal is Asia's largest and oldest dairy, and the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes at Hisar are instrumental in development of new breeds of cattle and propagation of these breeds through embryo transfer technology. The Murrah breed of water buffalo from Haryana is world-famous for its milk

Roads, aviation and infrastructure

See also: List of state highways in Haryana

The 32 lane toll gate at National Highway 8 in Gurgaon is the largest in Asia and third largest in the world

It has a total road length of 23,684 kilometers. There are 29 national highways with total length of 1,461 km and many state highways with total length of 2,494 km. The most remote parts of the state are linked with metaled roads. Its modern bus fleet of 3,864 buses covers a distance of 1.15 million Kilometers per day. It was the first State in the country to introduce luxury video coaches. Grand Trunk Road, commonly abbreviated to GT Road, is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads. It passes through the districts of Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala in north Haryana where it enters Delhi and subsequently the industrial town of Faridabad on its way. The state government proposes to construct Express highways and freeways for speedier vehicular traffic. The 135.6-km long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway(KMP) will provide a high-speed link to northern Haryana with its southern districts such as Sonepat, Gurgaon, Jhajjar and Faridabad. The work on the project has already started and is scheduled to be completed by July 2013. Haryana is in close contact with the cosmopolitan world, being right next to Delhi. As a result, international and domestic airports, diplomatic and commercial complexes are located in close proximity to the state. Haryana and Delhi government has also constructed Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway which has the largest toll plaza in Asia and 3rd largest in the world. There is a proposal for a Badarpur Flyover and the widening of the Mathura Road passing through Faridabad from 6 lanes to 8 lanes. There is also a proposal to connect Chandigarh to Haryana without entering Punjab through a 4-lane highway via Yamuna Nagar and Panchkula. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation connects Gurgaon with Delhi and it will connect Faridabad and Bahadurgarh by 2014 and 2016 respectively.

Chandigarh Monument

Haryana State has always given high priority to the expansion of electricity infrastructure, as it is one of the most important inputs for the development of the State. Haryana was the first State in the country to achieve 100% rural electrification in 1970, first in the country to link all villages with all-weather roads and first in the country to provide safe drinking water facilities throughout the state. Haryana is well connected on the railway network also.

Communication and media

www.hellohisar.com is infotainment website about haryana.

Haryana has a state-wide network of telecommunication facilities. Haryana Government has its own state-wide area network by which all government offices of 21 districts and 127 blocks across the state are connected with each other thus making it the first SWAN of the country. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and most of the leading private sector players (such as Reliance Infocom, Tata Teleservices, Bharti Telecom, Idea Vodafone Essar, Aircel, Uninor and Videocon) have operations in the state. Important areas around Delhi are also an integral part of the local Delhi Mobile Telecommunication System. This network system would easily cover major towns like Faridabad and Gurgaon.

Telecommunications:

• Airtel, Aircell, BSNL, Idea Cellular, Reliance Mobile, Tata Docomo, Vodafone etc.

Satellite Television:

• Airtel digital TV, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV, TATA Sky.

• Electric media: MTV, 9XM, Star Gold, SET Max, News Time, NDTV 24x7, Zee Café etc.

Radio:

• All India Radio, FM.

The major newspapers of Haryana are Dainik Tribune, Punjab Kesari, Jag Bani, Dainik Jagran, The Tribune, Amar Ujala, Hindustan Times, Dainik Bhaskar, The Times of India, and Hari-Bhumi.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Districts of Haryana

The state is divided into four divisions for administrative purposes: Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hisar. Within these there are 21 districts, 47 sub-divisions, 67 tehsils, 45 sub-tehsils and 116 blocks. Haryana has a total of 81 cities and towns and 6,759 villages.

Districts

Ambala Division Ambala District Kaithal District Kurukshetra District Panchkula District Yamuna Nagar District

Gurgaon Division Faridabad District Palwal District Gurgaon District Mahendragarh District Mewat District Rewari District

Hisar Division Bhiwani District Fatehabad District Jind District Hisar District Sirsa District

Rohtak Division Jhajjar District Karnal District Panipat District Rohtak District Sonipat District

Sports

Vijender Singh Beniwal, Middleweight Boxer from Bhiwani Haryana

Volleyball player Maratha Balwant Sagwal

Haryana has produced some of the best Indian players in a variety of sports. In 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games 22 out of 38 Gold Medals came from Haryana. During the 33rd National games held in Assam in 2007, Haryana stood 1st in the nation with a medal tally of 80, including 30 Gold, 22 Silver and 28 Bronze medals. In team sports, Haryana is the national champion in men's volleyball and women's hockey. Haryana is a traditional powerhouse in games like Kabbadi, Kho-kho, Judo, Boxing, Volleyball and Wrestling. Great Indian volleyball player Maratha Balwant Sagwal hails from Haryana. Modern India's most enjoyed game, cricket, is very popular Haryana. Haryana hurricane Kapil Dev is from Haryana. Wisden - The Bible of Cricket awarded Virender Sehwag the award for the best test match player for two consecutive years in 2008 and 2009. Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar who won bronze medal in Beijing olympics and silver in London olympics and made a record in Delhi commonwealth games by winning the game in just 11 seconds in world history. In London Olympics another wrestler name Yogeshwar Dutt win bronze medal. IN Sports in the state are managed by the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs, Haryana. Nahar Singh Stadium for international cricket was built in Faridabad in the year 1981. This ground has the capacity to hold around 25,000 people as spectators. Tejli Sports Complex is an Ultra-Modern sports complex in Yamuna Nagar. The Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon is a multi-sport complex. It came into prominence because of the Indian Cricket League's inaugural Twenty20 tournament. AstroTurf hockey grounds in Nehru Stadium, Gurgaon and Shahbad, Kurukshetra. Haryana even have a dedicated sports school MNSS at Rai, Sonipat which is affiliated to Sports Authority of India.

At the 2008 Olympics, Vijender Singh Beniwal won a middleweight (75 kg) bronze medal and Vikas Krishan Yadav boxer from Bhiwani district won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games in the Lightweight category. Maratha Manoj Kumar of village Rajound, Kaithal district won a gold medal in light welterweight ctegory at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Haryana Sports Policy, 2009

Haryana has adopted a new sports policy on 21 August 2009, when Haryana Cabinet which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, approved the Sports Policy, 2009.

In the 2010 Commonwealth Games, most of India's male wrestlers were from Haryana.

Health

• Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS)
• NRHM, National Rural Health Mission

See also

• List of districts of Haryana
• Ahirs
• Jats
• Outline of Haryana
• India
• Outline of India
• Index of India-related articles
• Bibliography of India
• India at Wikipedia books

Further reading

• Sharma, Suresh K (2006). Haryana: Past and Present. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 763. ISBN 8183240461. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Khanna, C. L. (2008). Haryana General Knowledge. Agra: Upkar Prakashan. p. 75. ISBN 8174823832. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Yadav, Ram B. (2008). Folk Tales & Legends of Haryana. Gurgaon: Pinnacle Technology. p. 305. ISBN 8178711621. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Mittal, Satish Chandra (1986). Haryana, a Historical Perspective. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 183. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Singh, Mandeep; Kaur, Harvinder (2004). Economic Development Of Haryana. New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications. p. 234. ISBN 8176295582. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Gandhi, Mahatma (1977). Gandhiji and Haryana: A collection of his speeches and writings pertaining to Haryana. Usha Publications. p. 158. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Phadke, H. A. (1990). Haryana, ancient and medieval. Harman Publishing House. p. 256. ISBN 8185151342. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Singh, Chattar (2004). Social and economic change in Haryana. National Book Organisation. p. 252. ISBN 8187521104. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Yadav, Kripal Chandra (2002). Modern Haryana: History and culture, 1803-1966. Manohar Publishers & Distributors. p. 320. ISBN 817304371X. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Rai, Gulshan (1987). Formation of Haryana. B.R. Publishing Corporation. p. 223. ISBN 8170184126. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Handa, Devendra (2004). Buddhist remains from Haryana. Sundeep Prakashan. p. 97. ISBN 8175741538. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Haryana at a glance: Statistical overview & development indicators. Jagran Research Centre. 2007. p. 157. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Singh, Chander Pal (2003). Early medieval art of Haryana. Koshal Book Depot. p. 168. ISBN 818604907X. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Handa, Devendra (2006). Sculptures from Haryana: Iconography and style. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. p. 286. ISBN 8173053073. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Journal of Haryana Studies. Kurukshetra: Kurukshetra University. 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
• Harvey, Bill; Harvey, William; Devasar, Nikhil; Grewal, Bikram; Oriental Bird Club (2006). Atlas of the birds of Delhi and Haryana. Rupa & Co. p. 352. ISBN 8129109549. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 

External links

General

• Haryana at the Open Directory Project
• Encyclopædia Britannica entry about Haryana
• Find Haryana Pin Code

Government

• Official website of Government of Haryana
• List of websites of all departments, boards, corporations, institutes, officials, universities and districts of Haryana
• Haryana related information on official portal of Government of India
• HaryanaMirror Street View and Advanced Web Services for Haryana