It is one of the most agrarian states in India covered with greenery all around. The state is famous for wheat and milk production. The vast plains that stretch between river Indus and Gangetic belt have fertile soil and hence have improved the crop productivity of the country. The industrial revolution in the state can not be overlooked. It is also home to Maruti Udyog Limited, India's largest automobile manufacturer, and Hero Honda Limited, the world's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers.

Haryanvis (people of Haryana) are simple, straight-forward, enterprising and hard-working. Preserving their old religious and social traditions; they celebrate festivals in traditional fervor. Above all, it is the hospitality of the people which attracts people from across the globe to explore the state with nosiness.

History
Haryana, also called “the Madhyama Dis” (middle region) of the Later Vedic Period (c. 800-500 BC) was the birthplace of the Hindu religion. The first hymns of the Aryans were sung and the most ancient manuscripts were written here. Urban settlements in Ghaggar Valley date back to 3000 BC. From about 1500 BC, Aryan tribes were the first (of many groups) to invade the region. The area was the home to the legendary Bharata dynasty, which gave India its Hindi name, Bharat.

The epic battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas, recorded in the Indian epic poem, the Mahabharata, took place at Kurukshetra. In the 3rd century BC, the area was incorporated into the Mauryan Empire. It later became an important power base for the Mughals; the battle of Panipat in 1526 established Mughal rule in India. The area was ceded to British in 1803. In 1832 it was transferred to the then North-Western Provinces and in 1858 Haryana became a part of Punjab, remaining as such after the partition of India in 1947.

The demand for Haryana as a separate state, however, was raised even before India's independence in 1947. Lala Lajpat Rai and Asaf Ali, prominent figures in the national movement, advocated a separate state of Haryana. Sri Ram Sharma, a veteran freedom fighter, headed a Haryana Development Committee to focus attention on the concept of an autonomous state. The demand for unilingual states by Sikhs and Hindus gained momentum in the early 1960s. With the passage of the Punjab Reorganization Act (and in accordance with the earlier recommendations of the States Reorganization Commission), Haryana became India's 17th state on 1st November 1966.

Haryana was carved out of the mostly Hindi-speaking eastern portion of Punjab, while the mostly Punjabi-speaking western portion remained as current day Punjab. The city of Chandigarh, on the linguistic and physical border, was made a union territory to serve as capital of both these states. Chandigarh was due to transfer to state of Punjab in 1986, according to the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, but the transfer has been delayed pending an agreement on which parts of the Hindi speaking areas of Abohar and Fazilka, currently part of Firozpur District of Punjab, that should be transferred to Haryana in exchange.

Geography
Haryana is a state in northern India located between 27° 37' to 30° 35' latitude and between 74° 28' to 77° 36' longitude. It is surrounded by Uttar Pradesh (UP) on the east, Punjab on the west, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh & Shivalik Hills on the north and Delhi, Rajasthan and Aravalli Hills on the south. The altitude of Haryana varies between 700 ft to 900 ft above the sea level. An area of 1,553 sq km is covered by forests.

The four main geographical features of the state are: Shivalik Hills, Ghaggar Yamuna Plain, Semi-desert sandy plain and Aravalli hills. Rivers like Saraswati, Ghaggar, Tangri and Markanda originate from the Shivalik Hills. Ghaggar Yamuna Plain is made up of sand, clay, silt and hard calcareous balls like gravel known locally as “kankar”. This plain forms the largest part of the state. The other two regions are dry hilly areas and share its borders with Rajasthan. The state has a total of 81 cities & towns and 6,759 villages. For administrative purpose, the state has been divided into four divisions (Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hissar) and 20 districts.

Most of the land of Haryana is flat, covered with loamy soil which is very suitable for agriculture. Haryana significantly contributed to the Green Revolution which started in 1960. Haryana falls in the Seismic Zones II, III & IV creating low to moderate damage risk from Earthquakes. But the state comes under the “Cyclonic Zone” creating very high damage risk.

Major Cities

• Faridabad
• Gurgaon
• Chandigarh

The People

The people of Haryana belong to the Indo Aryan type and in parts to the Indo-Dravidian type. Harayan's population, are divided into a number of castes (jatis). The main classes of people in Haryana are the Brahmins, the Rajputs, the Jats, the Ahirs and the allied agricultural communities. From the ancient past to the present, religion provides the main basis of the structure of the Haryana society. In the early times people professed Hinduism. After some time Jainism and Buddhism came to have their hold on the people. In the medieval times came Islam, followed by Sikhism and Christianity.

Jats
The Hindu Jats occupy a prominent place in Haryana, being the single largest group in the region. Some of the Jats claim themselves to be of Rajput origin and maintained that their Rajput ancestors came from Malwa, Bikaner, Dharangar which lay to the east near the ancient Hastinapur. It was the Jats who formed the ethnic nucleus of the people now called the Punjabi's.

The Jats are divided into twelve chief clans (gotras) and about 137 minor gotras. The main gotras are Maliks ( also called Gatwallas), Dahiya, Ahlawat, Rathi, Dalal, Sahrawat, Kadian, Jakhar, Golia and Deswal. The Muslim Jats, called Mullas are a separate group. The Jats form a predominant proportion in the districts of Hissar and Karnal and are also found in good strength in Ambala.

The Jats have great physical and moral energy, are admirable cultivators. Besides agriculture, they engage themselves in trade and production of local products in the rural area. Jats join in large numbers in the Services, particularly in the army and the police. They are finding representation in civil services also.

Rajputs
Rajputs a sub clan of Gurjars occupy a respectable position in Haryana. The various Rajput clans trace their ancestry to the ancient warriors (Kshatriya) who figure so prominently in legend and ancient lore. The oldest Rajput settlers in Haryana are two principal clans, the Mandhars and the Chauhans. The Mandhars claim to have descended from Lav, one of the two sons of Rama, the great hero of Epic Ramayana. They are thus descendants of Surajabansis. The Chauhans claim descent from Rana Har Rai. Other Rajput clans are Badgujar, Parmara (Puars), Bachas, Tunwars, Gurs etc.

In earlier times the Rajputs have formed an important class of the feudals in Haryana. But now the new social legislation and in particular the land laws, have drastically cut down larger holdings of land which led to the disappearance of the feudal gentry.

Brahmans
The Brahmans form an important section of the people in Haryana. Most of the Brahmins in Haryana are Gaur Brahmins. The name is probably derived from their residence at Ghaggar. The other common gotras among Brahmans are Sarsut, Bharadwaja, Vashista, Gaudama, Bacchhasas, Parsira, Sandlasa, Gujarati or Bias and the Dakaut. The Sarsut Brahmins, less numerous than the Gaur are not so strict in their caste habits. The Gujarati or Bias who came from Gujarat are regarded in some respects as the highest class of Brahmins.

Brahmins constitute the most orthodox community. Not only do they keep aloof from others, but also practice taboos among themselves. But now the situation is changing and the Brahmins even take up other profession than the priesthood.

Tyagis or Tagas are of Brahmin origin who gave up priestly profession and took to agriculture. Tyagis wear the sacred thread but the other Brahmins will not inter marry or eat with them.

Fairs and Festivals
Haryana can be termed as the land of fairs and Festivals. Nearly 3500 small and big fairs and festivals are celebrated in different parts of Haryana every year. Whether the festival is religious, social or related to agricultural, the people of Haryana enjoy with same fervor. Many of the festivals are linked with many myths and traditions. The festivals are based on the lunar or solar calendar. A tourist can experience the diversity of the cultural and religious traditions of Haryanai people during the festival season. The main fairs and festivals celebrated here are International Kite festival, Diwali, Janmashtami, Holi, Tarnetar fair, Modhera Dance festival etc.

Fairs
Basdoda Fair
Melas
Gopal Mochan Fair
Masani Fair
Surajkund Crafts Mela