Haryana Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Haryana

Chameli Van is another attraction, being a sacred place with an ancient monkey temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, where devotees throng in large numbers from nearby areas, particularly on Tuesdays. Visitors bring large offerings of bananas for hundreds of monkeys who stay around the temple in a large area. It is also a good hot-spot for bird watching. Large numbers of migratory birds also come here from far-off places.

Khwaja Khizr was a Sufi saint who lived during the reign of Ibrahim Lodhi. A tomb was built during the period 1522-1524 A.D to preserve his mortal remains after his death. The inscription on the tomb indicates that he was the son of Darya Khan Sarwani.

The tomb of Khwaja Khizr is one of the few monuments built with kankar blocks and red sandstone. It is erected over an elevated platform and has been strengthened with square extensions over the corners. The tomb can be reached by a flight of steps that end up to the gateway which comprises two arched openings at the end of the central passage.

Its exterior is embellished with lotus medallions, floral designs and arched recesses. The ceiling of the mosque is decorated with floral designs bearing a variety of colours including yellow, green and red which together create an enchanting complex of hues.

The cenotaph or the burial chamber of the tomb is ringed by a semi-circular dome built upon low drums and topped by a canopy standing on an inverted lotus flower. The tomb is ringed by four acres of lush green gardens. It has been declared as a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

There are many beautiful parks in Palwal like Shradhananda park, D park, Tikona park, Panchayat Bhawan, Killey wala park, Tanki Wala Park, Bal Bhawan, D G Khan Hindu, Tau Devi Lal Park (Town Park), Dussehra Ground Park and Huda Park.

The shed housing the Rewari Heritage Steam Locomotive Museum is the only one in India hosting a few steam engines that have survived the wear and tear of their strenuous journeys along the length and width of the country.

The shed at Rewari has historic importance as it was built in 1893, around a hundred and twenty years ago and was a part of the railway system that connected Delhi with Peshawar, which is now in Pakistan.

It remained in a state of neglect after steam engines were removed from active service by 1990. It was, however, reclaimed by the railway authorities to host a heritage museum for steam engines in December, 2002. The shed was renovated with the aim of making it a destination for railway heritage tourism.

It was, therefore, converted into a museum to display the railway artefacts of the Victorian times that were used in the railway network all over the country. Later on the old signalling systems, seats and gramophones were also added to the existing exhibits.

The live demonstrations of the old engines are also offered in the museum. The museum has become a favourite locale for film makers. A part of the film, ‘Gandhi My Father’ was also shot here.

Shaking Minarets is a fine example of ancient engineering and is among the chief attractions of Nuh. These minarets are one of its kind in India, as these can vibrate/shake. When a person shakes the pillars of one minar, the person standing inside the adjacent minar will automatically feel the vibrations.

There are many temples in Palwal. Panchvati is the most famous temple among all the others. It has great significance in the Hindu religion. Dauji Mandir is a temple dedicated to Balram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. It is situated near the municipal Chowk. A festival known as Baldev Ka Mela is held annually here, and a large number of devotees visit this place.

The other important temples of Palwal are Bhagwan Parsuram Mandir Kulena, Jangeshwar Mandir, Devi Temple at Cameti Chowk and the Panchwati Temple.

Established in 2007, the Ambience Mall is located on the Delhi-Gurgaon border and is known as one of the most prominent malls of Gurgaon. Ambience Mall has renowned stores that offer quality necessities for the shoppers such as Marks and Spencers, Next, Pantaloons, BMW Car showroom, Big Bazaar Hypermarket and more.

Apart from the stores, Ambience Mall also offers entertainment to the visitors such as a bowling alley known as PVR Blu-O and also an indoor ice-skating rink, the iStake. The mall also houses a seven-screen PVR cinema multiplex.

Babur, the first Mughal emperor of India made several mosques, some original, others by destroying the Hindu temples like the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. Babur’s Mosque at Karnal, like so many other mosques built in various parts of India, bears the influences of the local as well the Mughal style of architectures.

The construction of the mosque started in 1527 and was completed in 1528. The mosque was constructed by Babur to celebrate his victory over Ibrahim Lodhi and conclusively establish his supremacy over the Indian Empire.

The huge mosque, located over a vast area, had a garden as well, but it has disappeared in the course of time.

The main prayer hall of the mosque measures 53.75x16.5 metres and is covered with a high dome. It had octagonal towers made of bricks and covered by domes, but only one of them has survived until now.

The mosque has three domes. The main dome is flanked by two small domes. The mosque is ringed by two huge walls which are built parallel to each other. It had also a deep well which provided cool and sweet water. A stone tablet in the mosque states in Persian that it was built by an architect Mir Baqi. The mosque is located in the heart of the city of Karnal.

Bhawani Amba Temple in Ambala is one of the popular attractions of the city. It is also believed that the city has derived its name from the presiding deity of the temple, Devi Amba. This ancient temple is considered a major pilgrimage centre in the city.

The other attractions of Ambala include Kali Mata Mandir, Gurudwara Shri Manji Sahib, St Paul's Church and Badshahi Bagh Gurudwara.

Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary is located 15 km from Jhajjar town in Haryana and three hours’ drive from Delhi, the capital of India. It is spread over an area of 1074 acres. The primary attraction of the sanctuary is its magnificent lake which draws approximately 35,000 varieties of migratory water birds comprising more than 250 species from various regions of the world.

Spread over an area of 440 acres, the lake is surrounded by a man-made 12 km embankment which was basically built to trap water that escaped from the Jawaharlal Lal Nehru canal through a tunnel whenever the lift system stopped functioning during the power failure.

The sanctuary has acquired an ecological importance in view of the diminishing water level in the world renowned Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan. It is a haven for birds here. The spectacular lake is a veritable feast to the eyes.

It contains a number of tiny islands which serve as nesting place for the birds. It is not possible to ‘shoot’ the beauty of the vast expanse of water without exceptionally powerful lens.

Named after the writer of the Indian epic Mahabharata, Maharishi Vyasa, Bilaspur is a census town which is located at the Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. Certain legends about this historical town state that there was an ashram of Rishi Ved Vyas situated on the shores of a pond.

Bilaspur has a number of ponds like Rinmochan, Kapalmochan and Surya Kund which are considered sacred. Visitors come from all around the country and take a dip in the holy water of these ponds to experience spiritual upliftment.

In addition to the ponds, the town of Bilaspur is also famous for the statue of Uma Mahadev, which is said to be created in the 9th-10th century. There is also an idol of Lord Ganesha which is believed to be made during the 11th-12th century. One can also find the Gupta Empire at this town.

Brahma Sarovar tank is a sacred waterbody in Thanesar. As per mythology, Kurukshetra was created by Lord Brahma ensuing a huge yagna. There is also a statue of Lord Shiva in the sarovar which can be reached via a bridge. The tank stands spectacular during Gita Jayanti in the end of November and the beginning of December with deep daan (floating lamps in water) & aarti taking place. A dip in this tank is said to bestow the fruits of performing the Ashvamedha Yajna.

The tank, which now stands renovated, is 1800 feet long and 1400 feet broad. It is especially crowded during the solar eclipse and during Gita Jayanti. Along with the Gita Jayanti, the end of November and the beginning of December sees the arrival of some migratory birds from far off at the sarovar.

Dera Sacha Sauda, or the people who believe in truthful dealings is situated on Begu Road, Shahpur Begu in Sirsa. It was set up in 1948 by Shah Mastana, whose actual name was Khemamal. He was an extremely religious person and had no interest in worldly affairs. He left his house in search of a true spiritual teacher at the age of 14.

He came to Beas in Punjab where he found his true teacher in the person of Baba Sawan Singh who accepted him under his tutelage and granted him Nam, the word of God. So impressed was the Baba with the devotion of his disciple that he gave him the name of Shah Mastana, a person who is continuously intoxicated with the supreme bliss of God.

Shah Mastana set up the Dera Sacha Sauda in 1948. It is a huge compound housing 600 rooms, a big hall for samagam and a vast ground where the religious gatherings are held on special occasions. The dera offers free kitchen (langar) and does not accept any donation from the public. The entire expenditure of running the establishment is met from the agricultural farm attached to it.

Shah Mastana died in 1960. The holy congregations organized by the group attract thousands of devotees all through the year.

The word “sahib” is normally used with gurudwaras, the temples of the Sikhs. But, the reason why it has been used with a village is because Dhamtan is a religious and historical place. The name Dhamtan is also considered a corruption of the word “dharamsthan” meaning “religious place”.

Village Dhamtan Sahib is primarily a Jat stronghold and is situated 17 kilometres from Narwana Tehsil in Jind district. The village is home to an ancient Shiva temple and an ashram of Rishi Valmiki, the creator of the epic Ramayan. It is also believed that Lord Ram conducted the Ashwamedha Yagna at this place.

Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth guru of the Sikhs, is also believed to have stayed here on his journey to Delhi. A fort like gurudwara in a 500 acre area gifted by the locals to the Guru was built to commemorate the visit of the guru. There is also another gurudwara in the village named Manji Sahib.

The tomb of Sheikh Farid or Baba Farid has two huge doors made up of marble. The east-facing door is known as Nuri Darwaza or Gate of Light, and the north facing door is known as Bahishthi Darwaza or Gate of Paradise.

Inside the tomb, there are two marble caves covered with cloth called chadders. These are the graves of Baba Farid and his elder son. People visit and offer flowers on the graves. However, ladies are not allowed.