Narnaul

Narnaul is a city, a municipal council and headquarter of Mahendragarh district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is one of the very few districts in India with the name of the district different from the name of the main town in the district.

Geography

Narnaul is located at .^[1] It has an average elevation of 298 meters (977 feet). The district is rich in mineral resources such as iron ore, copper ore, beryl, tourmaline, Muschovite mica, Biotite mica, albie, calcite, and quartz.

Transport

Road: Narnaul is connected by road to Rewari, Mahendragarh and other towns in Haryana and neaby towms Jhunjhunu, Bahror, etc. of Rajasthan. Buses ply from the main bus interchange in Narnaul to these and other towns and Delhi.

Railway: Narnaul is located on the Delhi-Ringas-Ajmer railway track. Only a few trains run on this section. The track will become a part of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor by 2015.

Airport: Delhi is the nearest airport 110 km away. There is an airstrip located at Bhilwara village 10 km from Narnaul used as a flying club.

Near By City : Delhi  :130 Km

            : Jaipur :165 Km
            : Gurgaon: 90 Km
            : Hissar : 155 Km
            : Chandigarh : 375 Km
            : Bhiwani: 85 Km
            : Jhunjhunu : 90 km

Education

Narnaul has schools, undergraduate colleges and postgraduate colleges. It has a Kendriya Vidyalaya (Central School).

Haryana government has proposed to construct an Ayurvedic Medical College in Narnaul. At present Classes of central university of Haryana are being held at Government B.Ed. College, University is bein constructed at village-Pali, Mahendergarh.

History

The main town of the district of Mahendragarh, Narnaul dates back to the Mahabharata era as Nar Rashtra according to legend. Another legend puts it to be about 900 years old where lions roamed free in the jungles surrounding the town. These lions gave the town the name Naharnaul (Fear of Lions). According to yet another legend, Raja Launkaran named it Narlaun after his wife.

Akbar established a mint here. During Aurangzeb's rein, the religious sect Satnami revolted against Aurangzeb's representative in Narnaul. The rebellion grew so severe that the emperor himself came down to quash the revolt. Some time later, the Nawab of Narnaul, Taherbeg, kidnapped a Hindu Satnami girl. The Satnamis then fought with Nawab Taherbeg and killed him.

"Satnamis Sat se lare, Lekar hath me Teg,
Narnaul ke gorve, mara diya Taherbeg."

When the Mughal dynasty disintegrated, the town was taken over by the Rajputs and became a part of Jaipur. However, after the Uprising of 1857 against the British at the Battle of Narnaul, Narnaul passed into the hands of the ruler of Patiala, Maharaja Narendra Singh as a reward for helping the British.

In 1857 Pran Sukh Yadav along with Rao Tula Ram of Rewari fought with the British at Nasibpur village, a village near Narnaul. The battle was one of the most ferocious battles of the First War of Indian Independence. Later Pran Sukh Yadav settled at the village of Nihalpura and rehabilitated the kins of dead soldiers.

Dhosi is a hill regarded as being holy by the inhabitants of the village of Kultajpur 8 km away from Narnaul. The famous "Chavanprash" was invented on this hill by Rishi (Sage) Chavan in ancient times.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[2] Narnaul had a population of 62,091. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Narnaul has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 58%. In Narnaul, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Tourist attractions

Major tourist attractions in this town include:

• Jal Mahal - The Jal Mahal is a building which is surrounded on all sides by water. It was built by Shah Quli Khan, an officer of Akbar and the ruler of Narnaul, in 1591. It represents a synthesis of Persian and Indian architecture and stands at the center of a large water tank, which is now dry. The approach through the water tank was via a causeway from the north, which opens through an arched entrance. The main building is surrounded by four minarets which have stairways leading right to the top. However, the lower chambers have by now disintegrated and no trace of them can be found.
• Tomb of Pir Turkman - A tomb-cum-mosque complex, it belongs to a Muslim saint called Hazarat Turkman who settled in Narnaul during the 12th century, much to the dislike of local Rathore chiefs. The original tomb is capped by a dome, but the pillared veranda was built by the British much later. Additions to the tomb were common even during the Mughal period.
• Tomb of Ibrahim Khan Sur - This tomb is a tribute by Sher Shah Suri,the ruler of Bengal and later India, for his grandfather Ibrahim. The Sur who lies here served as the administrative officer of Narnaul, and the monument was created by Sher Shah’s personal architect, Sheikh Ahmad Niyazi. The tomb is a perfect example of the Pashtun style of those times.
• Chor Gumbad - The Chor Gumbad is affectionately called the `signboard’ of the town. It is built separately from the other buildings in the town, standing upon a large rock located in the north of the town. The Gumbad is a well planned square building with a large chamber within and four minarets outside at each corner. Constructed by the Afghan Jamal Khan (as his tomb) during the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlaq, it became a hideout for robbers and thieves, thus earning its name (Chor means thief). The Chor Gumbad was recently repaired to ensure the structural stability of the buildings.
• Tripolia gateway - Constructed by Shah Quili Khan in 1589 as the main entrance to a garden, the gate has three sides. The Khan’s octagonal tomb (built in red and grey sandstone) and Islam Quili Khan’s tomb lie within the garden complex, named Aram-i-Kausa by Quili Khan. The gate itself is built from broken down masonry.
• Chatta Rai Bal Mukund Das - The 'Chatta Rai Bal Mukund Das' is a large palace built by Rai Bal Mukund Das, the Diwan (Prime Minister) of Narnaul during Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign. This five-storey building has several halls, rooms and pavilions, and the Diwan-e-Khas (inner chambers) flaunts marble floors and pillars. Fountains and springs were made to keep the building and the surrounding area cool in summer, with the water being sucked in from a well in the southwest. The Persian wheel was used to lift water into reservoirs at various levels from this well so that water could flow down at great speed. However, these fountains are no longer working anymore. The underground chambers (now eaten away) are believed to have had three layers where light streamed in throughout the day and had tunnels which lead directly to Delhi, Jaipur and Mahendragarh. Only a basement remains today.
• Mirza Ali Jan’s Baoli - This water well or Baoli (a sort of pond) was built by Mirza Ali Jan and can be found towards the northwest of Narnaul. The Mirza was the Nawab of Narnaul while Akbar ruled. The Baoli is surrounded by a mass of water called Chhotta Bara Talaab (small and big ponds), and the main structure of the building is shaped like a huge arched gateway carrying a Takht (Throne) with a Chhatri (Umbrella) on top. The decorated Chhatri is supported by eight pillars, with steps leading from the pillars right down to a well.
• Chamunda Devi Mandir - It is believed that Raja Naun Karan, the ruler of the area was a devout devotee of the Goddess Chamunda. He constructed a temple of the Devi at the bottom of a hill. This temple is located in the heart of the city. After the fall of the regime of Raja Naun Karan, this area came under the control of the Mughals. They built a mosque named Jama Masjid, the biggest Masjid(Mosque) at Narnaul on the temple of Chamunda Devi. After its independence, the people of this town started digging and found the temple in a dilapidated condition. This temple is now one of the most important temples in the area, and is often visited by the people of the town. A big fair is held on the occasion of Ramnavmi (The day on which Lord Rama was born) at this temple. This temple is famous among devotees for fulfilling their wishes, with the people of Narnaul saying that the wishes made here are always fulfilled.
• Modawala Mandir - The temple of Lord Shiva is situated at Narnaul-Rewari road near the New Bus Stand. This is the only temple of this area where every member of a Hindu family comes for the worship of Lord Shiva and other Hindu deities. A big fair is held here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. A legend of this temple is that there was a Khet (Field) and a man who was ploughing the land saw the Shiva Linga during ploughing. While he was asleep, he heard a voice telling him that he was the Lord Shiva and a temple was to be constructed here for the benefit of the people. Thus, the temple was built and is now a place of worship. It is the firm belief of the people of the area that every desire is fulfilled by Lord Shiva provided that he is worshipped and named by heart.
• Khalda Wale Hanumanji - The temple of Lord Hanuman, which is situated at Narnaul-Singhana road, is surrounded by mountains and greenery. The statue of lord Hanuman is situated on top of the hill, and the calmness around temple is the real beauty of Aravalis. This place is near to the Dhosi hills.
• Janki Sarovar also known as Bada Talab - Janki Sarovar is situated at Narnaul near Mishrwara Mohalla. It is an old and famous temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva.
• Hotel Vikas - Hotel Vikas is a hotel which is situated at Narnaul-Rewari road, near Modawala Mandir and the bus interchange.

• Gurukul khanpur : on narnaul - nangal chaudhari road there is a village khanpur . In this village there is a gurukul named as Aarsh gurukul. This gurukul is run under the supervision of Acharya Praduman ji maharaj who is a famous guru of sanskrit and vedik tradition . Famous yog guru Swami Ramdev completed his initial education in this gurukul under the guidance of Acharya Praduman ji maharaj. now a days this gurukul is run by Acharya Abhay Dev ji because Acharya Praduman ji is teaching most of the time in Patanjali yog peath haridwar.

References

External links

• Mahendragarh district website