Karnal
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| ?Karnal Haryana • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 228 m (748 ft) |
| District(s) | Karnal |
| Population | 210,476 (2001) |
| Codes • Pincode |
• 132001 |
Coordinates: Karnal pronunciation (Hindi: करनाल) is a city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana. Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas at around the time of the Mahabharata epic for the king Karna, a key figure in the epic tale. It is 123 km from Delhi on the National Highway NH-1 [also called the GT Road(short for Grand Trunk Road)] and 126 km from Chandigarh. Delhi and Chandigarh can be reached from Karnal within 2 hours using a very high frequency bus network plying on GT Road. Karnal is known for the manufacture of shoes, the production of basmati rice and for its many agricultural research institutions. Liberty shoes was started from Karnal and has the largest manufacturing facility in the city.
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[edit] Geography
Karnal is located at [1]. It has an average elevation of 228 metres (748 feet).
Karnal is known for its lush greenery. It is roughly equidistant from New Delhi and Chandigarh and lies not only on the NH-1 road but also on the Delhi to Ambala railway line. The city is divided into several sectors, colonies and mohallas. Due to its geographical location several group housing companies like Sahara, Narsi Village, Palm Residency, Alpha City and Ansal Royale have built new luxury apartments and villas in the city.Liberty Drugs Gram udyog samiti engaged in manufecturing of herbal medicine since 2000 with G.M.P.certificate.
[edit] History
The city of Karnal is said to have been founded by Raja Karna, a central character in the Mahabharata epic. This is the same Karna, who was the eldest son of Kunti and thus Karnal is called "the city of Daanvir Karna". It has been a walled town as far as its history can be traced and it may have had a citadel at one time. It is speculated that Karna died in Karnal.
Karnal sprang into prominence in 1739 when Persian emperor Nadir Shah defeated and captured the Mughal ruler Muhammad Shah in the Battle of Karnal. Raja Gopal Singh of Jind seized Karnal in 1763, and the Marhattas established themselves at Karnal in 1785. Skirmishes however, followed between the Marhattas and the Sikhs. In 1795 the Marhattas finally wrested the city from Raja Bhag Singh of Jind and made it over to the British-Irish military commander George Thomas, who took part in the fight. Meanwhile Raja Gurdit Singh of Ladwa obtained possession of Karnal. It was captured by the British in 1805 and made over to Muhamdi Khan (Mandal). The British established a cantonment in 1811 but abandoned it after 30 years due to an outbreak of malaria. The fort which had been built by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind, was taken over by the British and converted into a residence for Dost Mohammad Khan, Amir of Kabul. The fort was used as a jail, as quarters for native cavalry and as a poorhouse. In 1862, it was made over to the Education Department, when the district school was moved into it from the city.
There is an interesting story attached with Karnal with regards to the partition of India and the birth of Pakistan. History suggests that the person who dragged back Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah into politics was from Karnal and lived in Klandri Gate. The district of Karnal has given a lot of big political figures to Pakistan and Nawab Liaqat Ali Khan ranks foremost amongst them. Liaqat Ali Khan was the Nawab of Kunjpura and his palace has now been converted into a Sainik School and it is situated at a distance of 10 kilometers from the city of Karnal.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India census[2], Karnal had a population of 210,476. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Karnal has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 68%. In Karnal, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Agricultural research
Karnal is a major centre of agriculture and dairy research with the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Regional Station, CSSRI, Wheat Research Directorate, National Bureau of Animal Genetics Research, Regional Research Station of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University and Sugarcane Breeding Institute being located in Karnal. Karnal Bunt, a major disease of wheat was first discovered in 1931 in IARI[3], Regional Station, Karnal, thus it is named as such.
[edit] Astronaut
It was at the Karnal Flying Club that Kalpana Chawla, a native of the city, first became interested in flying. Ms Chawla went on to complete her engineering degree at Punjab Engineering College and later become the first Indian origin woman to fly in space. She died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of 2003.
[edit] Education
Karnal has a number of good schools. Nishan Public School and Dayal Singh Public School among others are well established institutes. Even An engineering College is established in Karnal offering various courses of engineering along with courses of management like MBA etc. A proposal to develop a medical college in Karnal is being considered by the State government.
And Various ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) Institutes, like NDRI, NBAGR, DWR, etc.. stcs rocks.................................
[edit] Madhuban Police Training College
Madhuban is a police training college situated on the NH1 10 km from Karnal. It recruits students not only from Haryana but also from other states.[4] The Forensic Science Laboratory Haryana is also located in Madhuban.[5] Madhuban has excellent sports facilities and has been declared a sports district. The annual police sports meets draw police personnel from the state and the nation; they are followed by cultural shows and fireworks.
[edit] Places of interest
- Karan Lake
- Oasis Tourist Resort
- Golf Club,
- Atal Park,
- Rose Garden,
- Karan Taal
- Devi Temple
- Cantonment Church Tower
- Old Fort
- Gurdwara Manji Sahib
- Group Housing Development
[edit] Notes
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Karnal
- ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ APHIS | News
- ^ Haryana Government page on Police Training College [1]
- ^ Haryana Government page on FSL [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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