This state could well be called a perfect vacation
land: A state that blazed a trail of holiday
traditions, with its highway tourism policy.
The bird named complexes of Haryana Tourism
dot the five national highways passing through
the state. They also await the holiday maker
at district headquarters towns and place of
tourist interest. Here you get in touch with
Nature. Kick off your shoes and relax with pampered
treatment. Eat out at well appointed restaurants.
Crowd the icecream parlours. Gift shops, bars.
Whereas the seventies saw the initial establishment
of the tourism strategy and infrastructure,
the eighties saw Haryana Tourism concentrate
on promoting cultural and pilgrim tourism.
The nineties brought in Adventure and Golf
Tourism. The turn of the century is seeing
Haryana Tourism venturing into privatization,
village tourism, development of new locations
and the opening of crafts centres. Beginning
with one resort in 1966, today Haryana Tourism
runs 44 tourist complexes dotted all over
the State. The resorts provide a wide range
of tourist facilities such as a hotel, motels,
restaurants, bars, fast food centres, health
clubs, conference halls and recreational facilities
like lakes for boating, picnic hides and children's
parks. 777 guest rooms are available in the
resorts run by Haryana Tourism.
All complexes are dotted with beautiful lakes,
picturesque landscaping, golf courses, bath
complexes, tennis and billiards facilities.
Here Adventure sport means canoeing &
kayaking, trekking & rock climbing, camping
and river rafting.
Chandigarh, the capital
of both Punjab and Haryana, is the only Indian
city to have been designed and planned by
a single architect – Le Corbusier. The
city, a model of wide roads and spacious residential
colonies, is an excellent base for specialised
sightseeing, and for visiting Sukhna Lake,
Pinjore Gardens, the Rose Garden and the Rock
Garden. The city of Chandigarh lies in the
valley surrounded by Shiwalik Hills that hem
the great Himalayas. From here one can travel
northwards to the hill resorts of Shimla Kulu,
Manali, Dharmashala and Dalhousie. Chandigarh
is not only the most modern city in the country
but has been planned to perfection by the
world famous French architect le Corbusier.
Best Season: October to March.
How to get there?
By Air : Indian Airlines
connect Chandigarh with Delhi, Jammu, Shrinagar
and Leh. Vayudoot Services connect Chandigarh
with Delhi, Kulu and Gaggad
By Rail : Chandigarh, the
terminus of Northern Railway, is connected
with Bombay, Delhi, Kalka and other major
cities in India
By Road : Chandigarh is connected
by good motorable roads with Amritsar 240
kms, Dehradhun 230 kms, Delhi 248 kms, Shimla
117 kms, Kulu 279 kms, Bhakra 116 kms, Kasauli
77 kms, Jammu 380 kms
Major tourist attractions of Chandigarh
: The Secratariat, The Assembly &
High Court, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden (2 kms),
Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Govt. Museum &
Art Gallery & Punjab University Complex,
International Doll Museum, National Gallery
of Portraits
Kurukshetra, lies
on the Delhi-Ambala stretch of the National
Highway number 1. It has a history that goes
back to times immemorial. The Purans tell
stories of how Lord Brahma created the Universe
from here. The legend of Shiva and Sati comes
alive in the temples dedicated to the mother
Goddess one sees here. The Mahabharatha battlefought
here, extols innumerable places of pilgrimage,
not to forget Kurukshetra as the land of Bhagwad
Gita.
Kurukshetra town is easily accessible by
state transport services. It is well connected
by rail, with the Shatabdi train making a
halt here. The nearest airport lies at Chandigarh,
which is 116 km away. To reach Kurukshetra,
one has to branch into Kurukshetra town along
a state road, from the national highway at
the Pipli cross-road. The unmistakable Kurukshetra
Gate welcomes all pilgrims to this land of
holiness.
The town of Kuruksheta also holds great sancitity
for the Sikhs. The town has been visited by
anumber of Sikh Gurus. As a result, a number
of Gurudwaras can be seen here. The place
where Guru Nanak stayed during his sojourn
through Kurukshetra is known as Gurudwara
Sidhbati. The Gurudwara dedicated to Guru
Hargobind, the sixth guru, stands near Sannehit
tank. On the bank of Brahma Sarover, stands
Gurudwara Rajghat, built in memory of the
visit of Guru Gobind Singh.
