Murthal

Murthal is a big village in Sonepat district of Haryana in northern India. It is located 13 km (8.1 miles) north of Sonipat,50 kilometers (31 miles) from the national capital New Delhi, and 202 km (126 miles) southwest of Chandigarh, the state capital. About 20 years ago Murthal was just another village along the National Highway-1 and now it is one of the fastest growing villages in the region.HistoryThe word Murthal is suggested to have originated from the compound word Muni Sthal meaning 'place where sants meditated' (e.g. kalli Baba). At one point, the village was surrounded by a dense forest. Eventually the forest was cleared for more agricultural space, and subsequently into a residential area after the development of the National Highway.PeopleThe majority of the population follows Hindu religion in one or the other form. However, people from all religions live in Murthal. Several ruins in the village for example the link indicate the presence of Muslim rulers in the Mughal era. After the partition of the India in 1947, many people migrated from Pakistan. Currently there is a large influx of people from Bihar given job opportunities in the agriculture industry. Farming remains the main occupation of Murthalites, although recently with growing population, shrinking cultivatable land, and increasing access to education, the village youth are entering into virtually every field.