Gurgaon – known as one of the most chic and largest IT hubs of India today, Gurgaon evokes a lot of curiosity and awe in the minds of the corporate sector and the tourists.
Gurgaon is one of the fastest developing cities Around Delhi. Also known as the “City of Malls” it is situated to the west of Faridabad and South of New Delhi.
Legend has it that Gurgaon was an ancestral village gifted to their teacher Dronacharya by the Kauravas and Pandavas as it was where they underwent their archery lessons. Gurgaon underwent a facelift as it went in the hands of East India Company from the hand of Surji Arjungaon.
Climate: The summers are hot and dry with temperatures reaching 45°C and winters chilly with the lower temperatures reaching upto 7° C. However, Gurgaon has very pleasant monsoons. Hence light woolens in the winters and light cottons in summers are needed for the stay in Gurgaon.
How to Reach:
By Air: The Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi is the nearest airport from Gurgaon at a distance of 10 km.
By Rail: Gurgaon is decently connected with India through the rail network as it links Delhi on one side and Rewari on the other.
By Road: The state transport buses connect Gurgaon with the adjacent cities within and around the state. Private buses and taxis are also easily available here.
What to see in and what to do:
Though Gurgaon is chiefly the IT hub, yet it also has a few places as tourist attractions such as:
- Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary: Situated at a distance of 10 Km from Gurgaon this bird sanctuary founded by Peter Jackson, is a haven for bird lovers. The migrant birds from Siberia and Europe commonly flock here during the onset of winter and return to their natives when their colder homes warm up. Camping equipment are readily available on hire. This sanctuary houses close to 255 different species of birds.
- Sheetala Devi Temple: Located at distance of 15 minutes drive from the Ashok Katariya Chowk this temple is an important pilgrimage place in Gurgaon.
- Sai Dham: It is located about 20 minutes from the Rajiv Chowk.
- Damdama Lake: A very beautiful lake covering an area of 3000 acres and surrounded by Aravali hills where the revelers can enjoy boating, camping, adventure activities such as hovercraft, hotel, motel and restaurant, etc.
- Sohna Lake: The most beautiful lake of Gurgaon which has ripples all over. It has a well developed tourist complex too.
- Shama: Located on the Delhi Jaipur highway this is the most popular motel cum restaurant for the tourists.
- Jaypee Greens Golf Resort: A 18 hole golf course in Gurgaon which covers an area of 7347 yards which also includes 14 lakes.
- DLF Golf and country club: This is another golf club located in DLF city, Phase V.
What to see around Gurgaon:
- Sohna (Tehsil Sohna): Legend has it that gold dust was found here after there were heavy rains in the nearby torrents, due to which this place got the name “Sohna” from “Sona” meaning gold. This town is also worth visiting due to the hot sulphur springs found here containing sulphur, due to which these springs, also called as “Kunds” are said to have medicinal properties, the most famous among them being the Shiv Kund.
- Nuh (Tehsil Nuh): Chuhi Mal a masonry tank of red sandstone and adorned with beautiful floral designs is worth watching here. Other worth watching places are the tomb of Sheikh Musa, shaking minarets, the mosque and tomb of Bahadur Khan Nahir.
- Pataudi (Tehsil Pataudi): Attached to Rewari this tehsil houses the palace of the Nawab of Pataudi. It also has a cricket ground in its premises. Other places worth watching are a temple of Mahadeva at Inchapuri as well as the Hari Mandir Sanskrit Vidyalaya.
- Ferozpur Jhirka (Tehsil Ferozpur Jhirka): It was the former military post of Firoz Shah Tughluq for controlling the neighbouring tribal population.
- Farukhnagar (Sub tehsil): This town was founded by Faujdar Khan, a Governor of Emperor Farrukhsiyar. The tourist attraction here is Jami Masjid made of Agra red stone, as well as a shrine of Budho Mata at Mubarakpur.
