Haryana

Haryana, state (2001 provisional pop. 21,082,989), 17,120 sq mi (44,341 sq km), N central India. Chandigarh is the capital, and Ambala, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, and Bhiwani are other important cities. The terrain is mostly flat and dry but does support irrigated agriculture. Wheat, rice, and cotton are the major crops. Its proximity to Delhi state provides a huge market for agricultural and manufacturing products. Haryana was created in 1966 out of the Hindi-speaking portions of Punjab state. It is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to an elected, unicameral legislature and by a governor appointed by the president of India. Haryana has suffered from spillover of the violence associated with Sikh separatism in Punjab state.

Haryana is a state in north India. Neighbouring states are Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, Rajasthan to the west and south. The river Yamuna acts as the eastern boundary between Haryana and the states of Uttaranchal & Uttar Pradesh. Seasonal rivers like Ghaggar River, Markanda, Tangri, Sahibi etc pass through the state.

Geography

Haryana is situated in the north between 27 deg 37' to 30 deg 35' latitude and between 74 deg 28' to 77 deg 36' longitude. The altitude of Haryana varies between 700 to 3600 ft (200 metres to 2 kilometres) above sea level. The state is divided into four divisions for administrative purpose - Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hissar. There are 19 districts, 47 sub-divisions, 67 tehsils, 45 sub-tehsils and 116 blocks. Haryana has a total of 81 cities and towns. It has 6,759 villages. An area of 1,553 km� is covered by forest. Haryana has four main geographical features.

Shivalik Hills 
Yamuna - Ghaggar (Saraswati) plain 
Semi-desert sandy plain 
Aravalli Range 

History

The mostly Hindi-speaking eastern portion of Punjab became Haryana, while mostly Punjabi-speaking western portion remained as Punjab. Today, Haryana has the vast majority of the ethnic Hindu population. Chandigarh, on the linguistic border, was made a union territory, that serves as capital of both these states. Chandigarh was due to transfer to Punjab alone in 1986, but the transfer has been delayed while agreement is reached on the districts of Punjab that should be transferred to Haryana in exchange.

Haryana, with an almost 4000 year old history, is the cradle of Vedic and Hindu civilization. It was here 3000 years ago that Lord Krishna preached Gita at the start of the battle of Mahabharat. Before the Mahabharat war, a battle of ten kings took place in the Kurukshetra region in the Saraswati valley. Mahabharat (900 BC) mentions Haryana as Bahudhhanyaka, 'land of plentiful grains' and Bahudhana, 'land of immense riches'. The word 'Hariana' occurs in a Sanskrit inscription dated 1328 AD kept in Delhi Museum which refers to this region as "The heaven on earth". It was here that the Aryan Culture took birth and matured.

Excavations in places like Naurangabad, and Mittathal in Bhiwani, Kunal in Fatehbad, Agroha near Hissar, Rakhigarhi in Jind, Rukhi in Rohtak and Banawali in Sirsa have unearthed evidence of pre-Harappan and Harappan Culture. Findings of pottery, sculpture and jewellery in sites at Kurukshetra, Pehowa, Tilpat and Panipat have proved the historicity of the Mahabharat war. These places are mentioned in the Mahabharat as Prithudaka (Pehowa), Tilprastha (Tilput), Panprastha (Panipat) & Sonprastha (Sonipat).