Rohtak Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Rohtak

Tilyar Lake is located approximately 89 km from the Delhi-Haryana border. It is spread over an area of 132 acres and is situated close to Rohtak city. The area surrounding the lake is one of the greenest stretches in the region and therefore, attracts a huge number of tourists from Delhi and surrounding areas who come here looking for some peace and solace.

It is also an ideal destination for water sports lovers for its facilities for kayaking, angling and boating. The lake is an excellent picnic spot. It has a mini zoo housing animals such as tiger, panther, deer, monkey, birds and many more.

There is also a mini train for kids, a Columbus swing for adults and green parks for lolling and playing. The lake itself attracts a huge variety of birds. The lake also boasts of a resort named after it. It has a bar, restaurant and shops. Accommodation for tourists who wish to stay overnight is also available.

Asthal Bohar is a math, or a spiritual habitat of the followers of the Guru Gorakh Nath sect. The followers of the sect are the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. The math is located approximately 7 km to the east of the main city of Rohtak on the Rohtak-Delhi Highway No.10.

According to folklore, Pooran Bhagat, a resident of Sialkot, now in Pakistan, and a disciple of Guru Gorakhnath visited this place. He loved this place so much that he built a math for his peers so that they could meditate and perform rituals as per their traditions.

The math, however, remained in a state of neglect for some time, but was revived when Baba Mastnath, a reputed saint, reformist and luminary of the Guru Gorakh Nath sect came here in 1791. The math houses a host of relics, ancient discoveries, sculptured stone idols, scriptures, books and several other objects of religious significance.

It is regarded as one of the holiest and most venerated hermitages by the followers of Nath sect, especially the Kanphada yogis — ascetics with pierced ears.

The existence of Radha Krishna temples in almost every town and city across Northern India testifies to the place of the divine duo in the heart of every Hindu. The jaat dominant city of Maham in district Rohtak is no exception. The city hosts a magnificent temple dedicated to Radha Krishna in ward No. 6 and 8 of Chintala Mohalla, close to the old bus stand.

The idol of Shri Krishna housed in the sanctorum is made of a rare black stone, the kind of which is found only in certain parts of the Himalayas. Radha and Krishna are known for demonstrating their love for each other especially on the festival of Holi which they play along with their friends. The festival of Holi is celebrated in the temple with gaiety and abandon every year.

Like every other city in Haryana, Rohtak too hosts a holy tank called Goakaran Tank or Gau Karan tank. It is located in the city itself. Like most other religious tanks, Goakaran tank complex contains a number of structures of religious importance including shrines of various gods and goddesses. These temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Hanuman and Goddess Parvati.

A large number of people visit the tank, take bath in it and pay obeisance to their favourite deities in order to seek their blessings. The tank is flanked by ghats on its three sides. The people take holy dips on days of religious significance and also during festivals.

There is a dharmshala (a charitable lodge) for accommodating the pilgrims or the general visitors to the city who wish to stay overnight. There is also a park which attracts a large number of visitors during the weekends and in the evenings and mornings.

Bhindawas Lake is an ideal destination for weekend picnickers, for bird lovers, photographers and videographers. The lake is regarded as the largest wetland areas in the state of Haryana. The lake itself covers an area of 12 km. It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1985.

Bhindawas Lake is actually a man-made lake. It was built to trap the excess water that could not be lifted out from the Jawaharlal Nehru Canal due to power failures. The lake attracts thousands of migratory birds from all parts of the world. They leave their winter habitats and come here to spend time in a more comfortable climate.

Their sheer numbers and variety is what attracts the largest number of bird lovers to the lake. Tourists can enjoy the sight of kingfishers, peacocks, bulbuls, common hoopoe, Greater Cormorants, purple swamp hens and several other species of birds flying about and creating a cacophony of sounds.

The shimmering expanse of the water in the lake is a feast to the viewers’ eyes. The lake has a number of small islands where the birds take rest after they get tired of floating in its water and flying above it. The expanse of the lake is too vast to be captured by the lens of the common cameras.

Khokars, also called Khokhar or Khokals form an important component of the Jat community. They are found among the Jats of not only Haryana, but Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as well. Interestingly enough, Khokars are found among Muslims also. It is like Bakshis, Maliks, Junejas, Kakkars and even Pandits who are found both in Hindu and Muslim communities in India and Pakistan.

Khokars likewise are also found in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. There is a Khokar clan of Jats among the Balochs in Balochistan, a province in Pakistan. It is believed that the Khokar Jat community owes its origin to Nagavanshi Karkotaka. The Khokars were also the rulers of Raya – Mathura and Sindh.

It is said that Bhai Roop Chand, a devout disciple of the Sikh Guru Hargobind Ji, was also a Khokar. Khokar Fort was built by the Khokars of Haryana in district Rohtak. It was a grand and formidable fort in its heyday but now, unfortunately, lies in ruins today.

Most Masjids or mosques are known after their builders or the places they are built upon. But there is one type of masjid that is commonly found across all the cities, towns and villages of the world which bears neither the names of its builders nor the place which hosts it. It is generally called Jama Masjid. The town Mayham in district Rohtak also houses a Jama Masjid.

There is some confusion about who built it and when it was built. There are two inscriptions in the mosque that point to two different builders and, therefore, two different dates. According to one inscription found on the pulpit under the stairs, the mosque was built during the reign of Emperor Humayun in 1531 A.D.

But there is another inscription on the south arch of the masjid indicating that it was built during the time of Aurangzeb from 1667-68 A.D. It states that the mosque was built by Khwaja Rahmat Ullah at the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb during the tenth year of his reign.

But there is also a view that says that the mosque existed even before the advent of Humayun. The mosque has been converted into a gurdwara where prayers are held daily.