The Haryana Junction

Haryana, a state in north India formed on 1 November 1966, has a very fertile land and is called the Green Land of India. The state of Delhi is landlocked on three sides by Haryana. The capital city of Haryana is Chandigarh, which is also the capital of Punjab. The largest city of Haryana is Faridabad. The state of Haryana is stretched over an area of 44, 212 sq. km.

Haryana can be divided into two natural areas; sub-Himalayan Terai and Indo-Gangetic plain. The plain is fertile and slopes from north to south with a height above sea level, averaging between 700 and 900 ft. South-west of Haryana is dry, sandy and barren. Haryana has no perennial river. The Ghaggar river flows through Haryana and passes through northern fringes of the state.

The region now known as Haryana - the Madhyama Dis (middle region) of the Later Vedic Period (c. 800-500 BC) - has been the birthplace of the Hindu religion. It was in this area that the first hymns of the Aryans were sung and the most ancient manuscripts were written. Urban settlements in Ghaggar Valley date from 3000 BC. From about 1500 BC, Aryan tribes became the first of many groups to invade the region. The area was the home of the legendary Bharata dynasty, which gave India its Hindi name, Bharat. The epic battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas, recorded in the Mahabharata, took place at Kurukshetra. In the 3rd century BC, the area was incorporated into the Mauryan Empire. It later became an important power base for the Mughals; the battle of Panipat in 1526 established Mughal rule in India.

Hindus constitute about 90 percent of Haryana's population. Most of the state's Sikh population is located in the northeast and northwest; Muslims are concentrated in the south-eastern districts adjoining Delhi. Jats (a peasant caste) form the backbone of Haryana's agricultural economy. Although roughly 75 percent of the population is rural, cities have been growing rapidly as commercial, industrial, and agricultural marketing centres.

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.