Narnaul
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| ?Narnaul Haryana • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 298 m (978 ft) |
| District(s) | Mahendragarh |
| Population | 130,052 (2001) |
| Website: www.narnaul.in | |
Coordinates: Narnaul is a city and a municipal council in Mahendragarh district in the Indian state of Haryana.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Narnaul is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 298 meters (977 feet).
[edit] History
The main town of the district of Mahendragarh,Narnaul dates back to the Mahabharata as Nar Rashtra according to legend. Another one puts it to be about 900 years old, where lions roamed free in jungles and thus the name Naharnaul(lion’s fear). There’s one more – one Raja Launkaran named it Narlaun after his wife. Whichever one you choose to believe, today its called Narnaul so we’ll call it that too.
Sher Shah Suri,the Afghan king who came in from Bihar and shook the foundations of the Mughal dynasty, was born here. His father, Hasan Khan,was engaged in the services of emperor Jahangir and was the jagirdar of Narnaul. While Akbar ruled, he established a mint here, churning out coins for the masses. The religious Satnamis revolted against Aurangzeb's envoy in Narnaul so severely that the emperor himself came down to quash the revolt.
When the Mughal dynasty disintegrated, the town was taken over by the Rajputs and became a part of Jaipur.However,after the failed Uprising of 1857 against the British, Narnaul passed into the hands of the ruler of Patiala Maharaja Narender Singh, for helping the Britishers.
Pran Sukh Yadav along with Rao Tula Ram of Rewari fought with Britishers at Nasibpur village near Narnaul in the year 1857, this battle was one of the most ferocious battles of the First War of Indian Independence. Later Pran Sukh Yadav settled at Village Nihalpura and rehabilitated the kins of dead soldiers.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 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.
[edit] The Great History
The main town of the district of Mahendragarh, Narnaul dates back to the Mahabharata as Nar Rashtra according to legend. Another one puts it to be about 900 years old, where lions roamed free in jungles and thus the name Naharnaul (lion’s fear). There’s one more – one Raja Launkaran named it Narlaun after his wife. Whichever one you choose to believe, today its called Narnaul so we’ll call it that too.
Sher Shah Sur, the Afghan king who came in from Bihar and shook the foundations of the Mughal dynasty, was born here. His father, Hasan Khan, was engaged in the services of emperor Jahangir and was the jagirdar of Narnaul. While Akbar ruled, he established a mint here, churning out coins for the masses. The religious Satnamis revolted against Aurangzeb’s envoy in Narnaul so severally that the emperor himself came down to quash the revolt.
When the Mughal dynasty disintegrated, the town was taken over by the Rajputs and became a part of Jaipur. However, after the failed Uprising of 1857 against the British, Narnaul passed into the hands of the ruler of Patiala, Maharaja Narinder Singh, for helping the Britishers.
Narnaul is the birth place of Birbal who was one of the nav ratan in Akbar's lobby. Now this place is called Birbal ka Chatta.
Dosi is a Holy hill in village Kultajpur 8 km away from Narnaul. The famous "Chavanprash" was invented on this hill by Chavan Rishi in ancient time. Now a days this nutritious product is largely manufactured by different brands like Dabar , Jhandu etc. But the recipe is invented by Chavan Rishi.
[edit] Main Attractions
Jal Mahal
A building surrounded on all sides by water, 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 (now dry). The approach through the water 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 these parts in 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 Hindustan, for his grandfather Ibrahim. The Sur who lies here served as the administrative officer Narnaul, and the monument was created by Sher Shah’s personal architect Sheikh Ahmad Niyazi. The tomb is a perfect example of the Pathan style of those times.
Chor gumbad
The Chor gumbad is affectionately called the `signboard’ of the town. Standing majestically and isolated upon a rock in the north of the town, this 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 robber and thieves, thus earning its name (chor means thief).
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
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 a number of halls, rooms and pavilions, and the Diwan-e-Khas (inner chambers) flaunts marble floors and pillars. Fountains and springs (they don’t work anymore) were made to keep the building as well as the surrounding area cool in summer, 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. 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 Mahendergarh. Only a basement remains today.
Mirza Ali Jan’s Baoli
This water well or baoli(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 Chotta Bara talaab(small and big ponds), and the main structure of the building is shaped like a huge arched gateway carrying a takhat(bed) with a chhatri(umbrella) on top. The decorated chhatri is supported by eight pillars from where steps lead right down to a well.
Mandir Chamunda Devi
It is believed that Raja Naun Karan the ruler of the area was a devotee of Goddess Chamunda. He constructed a temple of the Devi at the bottom of a hill. This temple is 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 as Jama Masjid, the biggest masjid(mosque) at Narnaul on the temple of Chamunda Devi. After Independence, the people of this town started digging and found the temple in torn condition. This temple is now one of the most important and is visited by the people of the town and a big fair is held on the occasion of Ram Naumi(The day on which Lord Rama was born).
Modawala Mandir
The temple of Lord Shiva is situated at Narnaul-Rewari road near New Bus Stand. This is the only temple of this area where every member of the 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 brief history of this temple is that there was a khet (agricultural land) and a man who was ploughing the land saw the Shiv Ling during ploughing. He heard a voice during sleep that he is the Lord Shiva and a temple be constructed here for the benefit of the people. Thus, this 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 if he is worshiped or named by heart.
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Narnaul
- ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
