Haryana  

“Abode of God” 
 
Haryana is a state in north-central India. It is bounded on the northwest by the state
of Punjab and the union territory of Chandigarh, on the north and northeast by the states
of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, on the east by the state of Uttar Pradesh and the union
territory of Delhi, and on the south and southwest by the state of Rajasthan. The city
of Chandigarh, within the Chandigarh union territory, serves as the capital of not only that
territory but also of the states of Haryana and Punjab. 
The state houses several sites from the Indus Valley Civilization, which was a cradle of
civilization.  
In the Mahabharata, Haryana is mentioned as Bahudanayak Region. 
 
Origin of the name of the State 
Regarding the origin of the name Hariyana (Haryana), there are diverse interpretations.
Hariyana is an ancient name. During the olden period, this region was known as
Brahmavarta, Aryavarta and Brahomoupdesa. These names are based on the emergence of
Brahama-Lord on the land of Haryana ; the abode of Aryas and home of the preachings of
vedic cultures and other rites.  
According to Professor H.A. Phadke, “with an inter-mingling of various peoples and races,
Haryana’s contribution to the making of the composite Indian culture has been remarkable in
its own way. Quite significantly, the region has been hailed as the matrix of creation and the
very heaven on earth. Its other names Bahudhanyaka and Hariyanka suggest abundance of
food supply and vegetation”.  
As per the inscription found from Bohar village, Rohtak district, this region was known as
Hariyanak. The inscription pertains to the period of Balban during 1337 Vikram Samvat.
Later, the word `Haryana’ was inscribed on a stone found during the reign of Sultan
Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq.  
Dharanidhar, in his work Akhand Prakash, says that “this word comes from Haribanka,
connected with the worship of Hari, the Lord Indra. Since the tract is dry one; its people
worship Indra (Hari) always for rain”.  
Another thinker, Girish Chander Avasthi traces its origin from Rigveda where Hariyana is
used as a qualifying adjective with the name of a king (Vasuraja). He says that the king ruled
over this region and as such the tract came to be known as Hariyana after him. 
 
History  
Haryana has been ruled by Gupta Empire, Pushyabhuti dynasty, Gurjara-Pratihara
Dynasty, Tomara Dynasty, Chahamanas of Shakambhari, Ghurid Dynasty, Delhi
Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Durrani Empire, Maratha Empire, (George Thomas), Gwalior
State, Company Rule in India and British Raj. 
During Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, Haryana was known as Delhi Subah. Many
historically significant battles have been fought in it such as Battle of Tarain, Battle of
Panipat, and Battle of Karnal. 
After the Mughals, Haryana became Maratha Empire possession. After the treaty of Surji-
Anjangaon of 1803, Haryana was annexed by the British Empire and was later merged
with North West Provinces. After revolt of 1857, in April 1858 Haryana, then known
as Delhi Territory, was merged with Punjab Province as a punishment.\During the British
Colonial period, from 1858 to 1947 it was administered as a part of the Punjab province. It
became a separate administrative state of India in 1966. 
Haryana was constituted on November 1, 1966, as a result of the partition of the former state
of Punjab into two separate states—Punjabi-speaking Punjab and Hindi-speaking Haryana.
Although the reorganization followed demands made by the Sikh community for a
Punjabi suba (Punjabi-speaking province), it also substantially met the aspirations of people
in the Hindi-speaking region of Punjab for a Vishal Haryana (Greater Haryana). The name
Haryana, from Hari (the Hindu god Vishnu) and ayana (home), means “The Abode of God.”
Area 17,070 square miles (44,212 square km). Pop. (2011) 25,353,081. 
 
 
 
Haryana is called the Denmark of India. This is because like Denmark, Haryana is known for
its milk production. Other similarities include high temperatures during spring and summer,
the even distribution of rainfall across the year, and the high fertility of the soil.
 
Haryana is also compared to the American state of Texas due to the high number of
admissions in the respective armed forces. Every tenth soldier in the Indian Army hails from
Haryana. Both states also have primarily agrarian based cultures. 

Haryana is known as the milk pail of India, due to the high production of milk in the
state. Buffaloes constitute 45 % of the total livestock population and they contribute 80.5 %
of the total milk production. 

 
Language 
The official language of Haryana is Hindi. 
Haryanvi is an Indo-Aryan language also spoken in the state, and to a lesser extent in Delhi.
Haryanvi is part of the dialect group of Western Hindi, which also
includes Khariboli and Braj. It is written in the Devanagari script. 

With Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and English forming the main languages, there are numerous
dialects that are spoken in Haryana. However, almost all of them have their base in Hindi.
Sanskrit is also taught in most of the schools in Haryana. In towns and cities, English is still
to be adopted as the household lingo but is spoken in a hazy mixture of Hindi.

The most striking feature of Haryana is its language itself; or rather, the manner in which it is
spoken. Popularly known as Haryanvi, Bangaru, or Jatu, it is perhaps a bit crude but full of
earthy humor and straightforwardness. With rapid urbanization, and due to Haryana’s close
proximity to Delhi, the cultural aspects are now taking a more modern hue.
  
 
Sports 
Haryana is one of the leading states in sports. Haryana is known as a traditional powerhouse
in sports like kho-kho, judo, kabaddi, boxing and wrestling. The state contributes high
numbers of athletes. In the 2012 London Olympics, 81 members went in the Indian
contingent, 18 hailed from Haryana including all the top boxers and wrestlers. 
 
Yogeshwar Dutt, who won the gold medal in (Men's) Wrestling 60Kg Freestyle at the Indira
Gandhi Stadium, hails from Haryana. 

Fairs
Haryana is famous for its lively fairs. The most acclaimed of these are-

Surajkund International Fair

This fair set up in the suburbs of Faridabad every year is a heaven for craft and
handloom lovers. With the splash of colours and the rhythm of the drum beats, this fair
beautifully portrays the rural part of Haryana culture and is a super success every year.
Adorned with multi-cuisine food courts and different adventure and amusement rides,
this mela is attended by thousands of people from nearby places.

Mango Mela

Organized in the months of June and July at 'Yadavindra Gardens' of Pinjore, this mela is
a great treat for the mango lovers. The Mango Mela does not only quenches the people's
desires o the different variety of mangoes but also offers a forum to support the farmers
to sell their mangoes and teach them about the latest technology to raise their mango
production.

Baisakhi Mela

Hosted by the Haryana Tourism on 13-14th April at Pinjore Gardens every year, this fair
commemorates the festival of Baisakhi. A plethora of visitors gather for the celebrations
with great enthusiasm and frolic.

Pinjore Heritage Festival

This festival is celebrated every year in the month of December to celebrate the vibrant
and rich culture of Haryana. Poets, singers and dancers perform their art forms here.  
This is a great annual event that focuses on the history and heritage of old Pinjore town
and its magnificent gardens.

Cuisine
The authentic cuisine of Haryana offers finger licking delicacies namely- Kachri ki
Sabji, Churma, Malpuas, Bathua Raita, Meethi Gajar, Singhri ki Sabji, Meethe Chawal,
Rabri and much more. It will surely woo your heart and leave you with a lingering
aftertaste, asking for more. The people of Haryana give a lot of importance to milk
products like curd and lassi, and hence incorporate them in all their meals.  

Haryana has a tradition of preparing and distributing 'goond ladoos', prepared in desi
ghee, on the arrival of a new born. Likewise, there is a range of 'choormas' that are
served on specific occasions.

Some other traditional delicacies include paranthas with bathua raita, steamed rice with
kadhi, khichri, kadai hara cholia and some different varieties of rotis like besan masala
roti and bajra aloo roti.

Traditional Dress

Women of Haryana show a special affinity towards colours. Their basic trousseau
includes Daaman, Kurti & Chunder. 'Chunder' is the long, coloured piece of cloth,
decorated with shiny laces and motifs, and is meant to cover the head. 'Kurti' is a shirt
like a blouse. The 'Daaman' is the flairy ankle-long skirt, in striking vibrant colours. 

The men generally wear 'Dhoti', the wraparound cloth, tucked in between the legs with a
white-coloured kurta worn on top of it. 'Pagri' is the traditional headgear for men, which
is now worn mainly by the old villagers. All-white attire is a status symbol for men.  

Traditional Dances

Phag Dance or Phalgun

A seasonal dance through which the agricultural workers express their joy and vigour. During
the months of February and March (known as “phalgun” in northern India; hence the name of
the dance), they have some leisure between sowing and harvesting. The crops are growing
well, spring has arrived and the rural folk express themselves through song and dance.
In this dance, men and women perform together. The rhythm takes them on to emotional
expression  through their hands, eyes, and feet. The dance involves a variety of movement,
requiring sound co-ordination. Women wear traditional costumes in different colours. Men
similarly display different colours in their turbans. They sing in the ancient Daamal style, a
combination of dance and song, the origin of which dates to the hoary past, it is a mixed dance
but some times it is performed by men only. The songs are different in each case.

Loor Dance

Like any other folk dance, it is a medium for the local people to express joy and sorrow. As
the name suggests, Loor is performed by girls and women (‘Loor’ means girl in some parts of
Haryana).

It is very popular in Bangar and Bagar region of Haryana. It is performed during the month of
‘phalguna’, which corresponds to February/March of the Gregorian calendar. The dance also
signals the beginning of spring time and the sowing of the rabi crops. The dance is also
performed during the festival of Holi.

This dance form is used to depict a marriage. It is shown that the girl after getting married
reaches her in-laws place. Sentiments galore at this time as she is sad leaving her parent’s
place. Using dance and song as a form of expression, she mourns for her family she has left
behind. Then the husband leaves the place to join army. Years go by and he is not expected to
return soon. The girl sings and dances and addresses a pigeon, an imaginary one to convey
her heartfelt messages to her husband. Pigeon comes and perches on her shoulder and
informs her about her husband’s arrival. She is happy and her happiness knows no bounds.
With this joyful news the tempo and rhythm of the music reaches crescendo. Her friends
congratulate her and dance around her at fast pace ultimately reaching its climax.
Girls usually participate in this dance wearing their traditional dress of Ghagra, Kurti,
Chundri and Chunda.

Khoria/Khodia Dance

It is a popular dance in Central areas of Haryana and is performed only by women.

This dance is a group performance which is performed selectively at auspicious occasions
like weddings and functions etc. It is said that ‘Speed’ is the highlight of Khoria dance form;
it is the fastest of all the folk dances.
The performers wear dresses that have silver or gold embroidery on them along with heavy
jewellery.
One of the dancers begins by singing a folk song and is followed by the rest of the dancers to
form a circular arrangement. The performance slowly gains momentum until some of the
dancers break away from the circle and begin to sway their bodies. The performance is
related to the daily lives and harvest of the local people.

Gangor-Puja Dance

This dance is performed in villages bordering on Rajasthan. It is ceremonial dance of woman in

connection  with puja ceremony of Iswar and Gangor (Lord Shiva and Pravati) dressed in
colourful costumes and Jewellery, with brass jars on their head, the woman move in circle, the
movements and the pattern of the dance changing  according to the music. The smiles of the
dancers are important  element in the performance. It is devotional dance to invoke the
blessings of the gods for good harvest and is usually performed  in the months of palghun  and
Chait. Sometimes the dance takes the form of a Kirtan, associated with the love of Lord Shiva
and Parvati. The girls  enter the circle one by one, dancing and singing devotional songs. The
dance continues for hours.