Rohtak ( listen ) is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies 70 kilometres (43 mi) north west of New Delhi, just 40-45 km from Delhi Border and 250 kilometres (160 mi) south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9(old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the National Capital Region (NCR), so it can obtain cheap loans for infrastructure development from the NCR Planning Board.
Rohtak is the sixth most populous city in Haryana as per the 2011 census with population of 374,292 and has literacy rate of 84.08.
It is believed that the city's name is of Indo-Aryan origin and is recorded in the Vedas. It was founded by the Vedic people, and was named Rohtashgarh. Many aryans migrate in this city. The Jats & Rajputs of Rohtak under the leadership of Khokhar, attacked Mahmud Gaznavi and also accompanied Khokhar Jats in 1206 AD against Mohmad Gouri. Subsequently, the evolution of the named is traced as "Roh?taka-kula > Rohitaka > Rohtak" and Michael Witzel notes that this accords with the place existing around 500 BC. The same source also suggests that the name may have derived from the tree Rohitaka as well, a tree well known in the area for its superb timber.
The ruins of the ancient town at Khokrakot suggest that perhaps the town is as old as Indus valley Civilization as the Minar finds at Khokhrakot are typical of Indus Valley sites. It is also identified with Rohitika, a place mentioned in the Mahabharata It was quite possibly the capital of Bahudhanyaka, the kingdom of Yaudheyas. In the Vinaya of the Mulasarvasti-vadins, Jivaka is represented as taking journey from Taxila in the north west of Bhadramkara, Udumbasa, Rohitaka and Nathura in the Ganga Doab. The ancient highway carried the trade of the ganga valley to Taxila passing through Rohitika to Sakala. The existence of the town during the rule of Kushan is testified by the recovery of Khushana Pillar Capital decorated with carving of winged lions and riders. An example of a lion capital of the 1st or 2nd century AD, it resembles the lion capital in the British museum at London, well known for its inscriptions. The riders on it are similar to the riders on elephant at Karle cave and figures at Sanchi Gateway. It is a significant example of the sculptural art of Haryana towards the beginning of the Christian era. Clay mounds of coins discovered at Khokhrakot have thrown important light on the process of casting coins in ancient India. The coin moulds of the later Yadhyayas of the 3rd or 4th century AD have been discovered in large number here of the same and subsequent dates are several clay sealings. A Gupta terracotta plaque and a head of later date have also been discovered. The town continued to flourish till the 10th century AD as coins of Samanta Deva, the Hindu King of Kabul have been found here.
Video Rohtak
Art and culture
A very old and antique heritage has been preserved in Rohtak. Baba Mast Nath Math, Gokaran, kiloi temple, and several more such fine looking buildings erected in traditional Indian and Mughal styles such as spacious havelis with ornate facade, finely carved wooden door sets and sand stone pillars, mosques that were once lavishly decorated in stucco work, dharamshalas with fine looking statues of Radha and Krishna and temple spires and are few of them. The survey was extended to study a few large village estates such as Balambha, Farmana Khas, Lakhan Majra, jassia, Bhaini Surjan and Meham by Society for Peoples' Advancement, Technology and Heritage (SOPATH). The present Monastery was founded by Baba Mast Nath in 1731.
- Medieval Times
A centuries-old fort was situated at Rohtak, in present Quila Mohlla. That fort was built by shekhs of Yaman under Kazi Sultan Muhammad Surkh during Ghori Dynasty kings. The then emperor Delhi Mahmud Tughlaq posted two brothers named Malik Idrees and Mubariz Khan at that fort in 1400. The fort of Rohtak was besieged by Sayad Khizer Khan in 1410 which could only succeed after a long seize of six months.
- British period (1800-1947)
Rohtak is among the oldest organised districts of Haryana; the British officers used to reside here since 1810. Those British constructed a Church at Rohtak, which was completed in 1867. It was named as All Centre Church. Its central hall was built by Maj. Feindala in the memory of his daughter Athel Nora, while the contribution for woodwork was given by JF Bruster and RF Kalenal. There are some tombstones, having dated inscriptions in the graveyard near mini secretariat building of Rohtak. Previously it was said to be surrounded by a garden, but now only a narrow strip of land is left for this cemetery. It has some 180-year-old historic tombstones, including one identified to be that of DC Moore. This centuries old cemetery is currently in a deserted condition and a thick thorny vegetation growth has covered the tombs stones there.
Maps Rohtak
Geography
Climate
Average annual rainfall in Rohtak city is 458.5mm (18.0 inch). Rohtak's climate shows extreme variation in temperature. It does not usually fall below freezing point in the winter months from November to January. In summer from April to July, the day temperature generally remains between 30 °C and 40 °C occasionally going up to 48 °C on a few days.
- Lowest: 2 °C (36 °F)
- Highest: 45 °C (113 °F)
The climate is almost same as that of Delhi due to Rohtak being just 70 km far. So Delhi chart can be followed.
Rainfall
Annual rainfall of the district is about 58 cm. The rainfall is unevenly distributed and decreases from south east to south west. The rainy season is from July to September. About 80% of the total rainfall is received during this period. Some rainfall is received from western disturbances during the winter season. Due the low rainfall and its short duration, agricultural activities are mostly dependent upon canal irrigation and tubewells.
Hydrology
The development of the area largely depends over the quality as well as quantity of ground water. As far as Rohtak District is concerned ground water occurs in semi-confined to unconfined aquifers. The unconfined aquifers are tapped by dugwells. While the semi-confined aquifers are tapped by shallow tubewells which are 22,000 in number.
Economy
Industrial areas and townships
As of 2018, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) has developed an Industrial Model Township (IMT). MNCs like Maruti Suzuki, Asian Paints, Suzuki Motorcycle, HITech Plast, Coca-Cola Plant, Nippon Carbide, Super Gas, Lotte India Corporation Limited, Shivam Autotech Ltd., Vita Milk Plant, Amul Dairy, and Aisin Automotive,Hitech Plastic,Misra Dhatu,
launched work on projects.
Maruti research and development plant
Maruti is developing a mega research and development facility at Rohtak. The progress as R C Bhargava, non-executive chairman of Maruti Suzuki India, says "We will be able to do research and development and testing comparable to anything Japan has. We used to send all our models to Japan for testing; all that can be done here. There will be saving of time and money."
dustries and commercial offices.
Smart City contender
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's hometown, Karnal, tops the cities shortlisted by the screening committee for the 'smart city' tag at a meeting. Faridabad was placed second while Gurgaon, Rohtak and Hisar could seize only the third spot. The Department of Urban Local Bodies asked for recommendations for smart city contenders from all municipal bodies. Rohtak Mayor Renu Dabla has stated that the process adopted for the selection of Haryana districts for the Smart City project was biased and based on political considerations.
Facilities
The Municipal Corporation has prepared a strategy for future developments, that includes new residential areas, healthy environment, and maintained roads.
Healthcare
The city hosts the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS)and Civil Hospital, both of which are operated by the State Government. There are also various privately operated medical facilities. Pt B.D.Sharma, PGIMS, Rohtak has situated at a distance of about 240 km from Chandigarh and about 70 km from Delhi on Delhi-Hissar-Sirsa-Fazilka National Highway (NH-10). It is the only major Institution for Medical Education and Research and a tertiary care centre for provision of specialised health care services not only to the people of the State of Haryana, but also to those from Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and western U.P. The Institute was started under the name of Medical College, Rohtak in the year 1960. For the first three years, the students were admitted to Medical College, Patiala which acted as a host Institution. In 1963, the students were shifted to Rohtak. In the subsequent years, multifaceted expansion measures have transformed the Institute into a fully developed centre of Medical Education and research in all the major disciplines of Medicine. In the year 1994, Medical College, Rohtak was renamed as Pt. B.D.Sharma, Medical College, Rohtak and subsequently, it was upgraded to a Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in the year 1995. Today Pt. B.D.Sharma, PGIMS, Rohtak is a famous institution not only for medical education but also for the healthcare facilities both at the National as well as International level. The Institute complex houses the following buildings:
- Medical College
- Well Equipped Hospital of 1246 beds
- Super-specialty Centre
- Multislice whole-body CT Scan building
- De-addiction centre
- Dental College and Hospital
- Pharmacy College
- College of Nursing
The Institute has a remarkably well-developed campus spread over an area of 350 acres of land. During the 50 years of its existence, Pt. B.D.Sharma, PGIMS, Rohtak has witnessed a phenomenal growth achieving not only its designated goals but also in expanding its horizons to set newer objectives completely commensurable with the requirements of the National goal of "Health for all by 2020". Some other medical colleges -
- Gaur Brahman Physiotherapy College
- Shri Baba Mast Nath College of Physiotherapy [2]
- J. R. Kissaan Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital [www.jrkhmch.org]
Sport
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has developed the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex. in Sector-6 completed in 2012. The complex includes cricket, hockey and football facilities, tennis courts, an athletics stadium, wrestling hall, swimming pools and other leisure facilities. An athletic pavilion has also been constructed at the sports complex. The pavilion has a height of 100 feet and it has a capacity to accommodate 8000 spectators. A synthetic track has also been constructed in front of the pavilion for warming up of athletes. Apart from this, three earthen mounts have been developed on international standard and these would provide seating capacity for 22,000 spectators. Therefore, in all, a total of 30,000 spectators would be able to view the sports activities in this sports complex.
Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium is a cricket ground in the Lahli, Rohtak(Haryana). The Stadium can accommodate only 8,000 spectators. The ground came into the limelight when Sachin Tendulkar played his last Ranji match in October 2013
Tourism
- Tilyar Lake
The tourist spot of Tilyar Lake is near to the city. includes Restaurant, Bar and Rohtak zoo. The lake lies in a 132-acre (0.53 km2) area and forms an integral part of the tourist setup, making it one of the greenest stretches in the adjoining area. The spacious lawns and the scenery on view make this resort a great place to relax, and people visit from as far away as Mumbai. It is also an excellent spot for watching a variety of birds that flock on the little island located in the middle of the lake.
- Rohtak Zoo
The lake complex also houses Rohtak Zoo. Along with other heritage sites on the outskirts of city, there are many tourist places in Rohtak. The following animals have been housed in this zoo:[7], Tiger, Leopard, Fox, Hyena, Wolf, Gharial, Mugger, Hippopotamus, Himalayan Black Bear, Jackal, Otter, Pig-tailed monkey, Baboon, Bonnet macaque, Gray langur, Sambhar, Blackbuck, Chinkara, Indian hog deer, Barking deer, Guineafowl, Silver pheasant, Fantail pigeon etc.
- Gurudwara Manji Sahib Lakhan Majra
Gurudwara manji sahib has a historical shrine place in lakhan majra, rohtak. commemorating the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur who, halted here while travelling from Jind to Delhi. A single roomed shrine marked the site until after 1947 when immigrants from Pakistan to Delhi and Rohtak thought of enlarging the structure. The present flagmast was raised in 1958, and the foundation of the new five storeyed building was laid on 24 April 1967.
The Gurdwara now stands in a compound entered through a double storeyed gateway. The assembly hall, on the ground floor, is mounted over by a domed pavilion on the top storey. An annexe to the east of the hall is Guru ka Langar. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee manages the shrine through a local committee at Rohtak. Sikhs from Rohtak, Delhi and other places assemble in large numbers en every full moon day. The biggest festival of the year is Hola Mahalla, which is celebrated in March.
Infrastructure
The Haryana Government has asked the Union Government to declare Haryana Sub-Region (HSR) a zone of strategic national interest. HSR consists of 35 urban centres, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panipat, Sonepat and Rohtak. The growth rate of urban population in the zone has been above 60 per cent, the highest among all the constituents of National Capital Region. These urban centres face a rapid growth in population as the workforce travels to work from here to the Capital.
Sewerage
In NCR out of 108 towns only 33 towns have sewerage system and even in these 33 towns, the coverage can at best be classified as partial. The network coverage in some of the important cities in NCR includes NCT Delhi, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, Panipat, Gurgaon, Rohtak, Sonepat and Alwar where Rohtak was completed 65% in 2001 and 90% in 2011 according to an official report.
Transportation
Roads
Rohtak is connected to seven cities by three national highways NH 9, NH 709, NH 352 (old NH 10, NH71, and NH71A) and two State Highways (SH16 and SH18). National Highway 9 from New Delhi to Rohtak is upgraded to six lanes with 30 km Rohtak City Bypass, so that the vehicles travelling between New Delhi and Hisar do not have to enter Rohtak city. National Highway 9 from Rohtak to Hissar and several cities of Punjab is being widened to a four-lane highway.
National highway
Three National Highways, NH-9 (Malaut, Punjab to Askot in Uttarakhand), NH-709 (Rajgarh, Haryana to Panipat, Haryana) and NH-352 (Narwana to Rewari) pass through the city. Rohtak is connected to Delhi through NH-9, and currently the road is being widened to six lanes by NHAI, with the plans to develop the entire corridor as an industrial area. NH-352 From Rewari to Rohtak is 4 lanes, and NH-709 from Rohtak to Panipat is 4 lanes.
Railway
Rohtak City is a railway junction with connections to Delhi, Panipat, Rewari, Bhiwani and Jind converging on the city. Rohtak is connected to Bahadurgarh through Delhi line, to Gohana through Panipat line and Jhajjar through Rewari line. Delhi and Jind connections are part of the Delhi-Fazilka line, and the line is double tracked from Delhi to Bhatinda, Punjab, India, and is electrified between Delhi and Rohtak. All other lines are single track, and unelectrified
Rohtak Junction railway station is served by three Shatabdi Express services (New Delhi Moga Shatabdi Express, New Delhi Bathinda Shatabdi Express and New Delhi Ludhiana Shatabdi Express) and Ajmer Chandigarh Garib Rath Express.
The railway track between New Delhi and Rohtak has been electrified. EMU services has been running between the two cities since March,2013.
Air travel
There is currently no commercial airport serving the city. The state govt has shown interests in building a Greenfield Cargos Airport at the Meham town to serve this city and the AAI has given consent in principle for this. The nearest International Airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi.
Demographics
As of the provisional 2011 census figures, Rohtak municipality had a population of 373,133. The municipality had a sex ratio of 887 females per 1,000 males and 10.9% of the population were under six years old. Effective literacy was 84.08%; male literacy was 88.94% and female literacy was 78.68%.
Sectors
In Rohtak old sectors are Sector 1, Sector 3, Sector 14, Sector 2, 4 are newly developed and new sectors 4 ext. 5, 6, 25 are being planned. Model Town, DLF Colony, Sector 1 and 14 are considered to be upmarket areas of the city. Entrance of Sector-14 is opposite to Gate number 2 of Maharshi Dayanand University.
Media and communications
All India Radio has a local station in Rohtak which transmits various programs of mass interest.
Education
Govt. Institute of Training of Trainer Sector 5 Rohtak
Rohtak has 16 national government institutes, making it one of the biggest educational hubs of the country. Rohtak Loksabha constituency is the only constituency in India to have AIIMS, IIM and IIT. Current renowned health university named after Haryana's first chief minister, Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma will be upgraded to AIIMS at cost of Rs 200 crore.Indian Institute of Management Rohtak is currently being set up with a budget of Rs 1150 crore. IIM Rohtak is amongst the top management institutes in India and is positioned as analytics hub in India. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi extension campus also being set up with a budget of Rs 50 crore. These institutes along with Haryana's biggest university according to number of students enrolled Maharishi Dayanand University and numerous other universities of fashion technology, State Institute of Film and Television make it an educational city. Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak
Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences or PGIMS Rohtak is a graduate medical institute in the city of Rohtak, India. The institute offers various courses in major specialties of medicine.
Administration
There is a mini Secretariat in main city near by Court.
Notable individuals
- Rafi Muhammad Chaudhary, most prominent nuclear scientist from Indian sub continent AMU Alumni, Rutherford's PhD student and Pakistani scientist
- Paramvir Singh, During his 38 years service as WildLife Inspector set and broke his own records of Wild animal articles' seizure from poachers. Resultantly he was instrumental in wiping out illegal trade of Wild animals and their derivatives from NCT of Delhi. Lt. Governor, Delhi felicitated and commended his efforts vide letter Dt. 26-04-1988.
- Rao Abdul Hafiz Khan VC was the youngest Indian Victoria Cross holder, he came from Kalanaur village, Rohtak, .
- Chhotu Ram, most prominent pre-partition politicians in Punjab, co-founder of the National Unionist Party
- Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Chief Minister of Haryana
- Karambir Singh, Indian Army
- Deepender Singh Hooda, MP and politician
- Manushi Chhillar, Miss World 2017, Supermodel
Political controversy
The development of Rohtak caused controversy in 2013 as a result of the allegedly disproportionate number of state development projects that have been awarded to the city by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was born in a nearby village. This has led to severe criticism by both the opposition parties and some members of the governing Indian National Congress party, who have attacked Hooda for bias. Rao Inderjit Singh, a BJP leader from South Haryana, used Right to Information requests to determine that from a total of 5,135 announcements of schemes in the state, 2,045 went to the three districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat. These areas were in Hooda's own constituency and that of his son, the Lok Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda. Of the 3,356 completed schemes, 1,560 were from these three districts whereas 1,796 schemes were completed in the rest of the state. Ambala MP Selja Kumari is also against the region-specific and biased development of Rohtak.
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has spent over Rs 3.4 billion on the development of Rohtak. Up until 31 December, 2010 collected Rs 3.22 billion as External Development Charges(EDC) in Rohtak and spent almost Rs 6.63 billion of the EDC fund.
However the most developed cities of the state based expenditure on infrastructure over the last 15 years are Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar, Panchkula, Panipat and Ambala. Rohtak was epicenter of Jat reservation agitation and is one among the various cities of Haryana that faced huge violence [3] during Jat quota agitation that started on 12 February 2016 Jat reservation agitation.
See also
- Bahadurgarh
- Gurgaon
- Faridabad
- Sonepat
References
External links
- Rohtak Official Website
- Haryana Urban Development Authority
- Government Technical Institution
Source of article : Wikipedia