Major cities of Haryana: part-3

3)Hisar:

Also known as ‘The Steel City’ of India, Hisar is a part of the Indian state Haryana and falls under the National Capital Region. With an elaborated history that is associated to the city, Hisar also is an important part of modern India. Encompassing the remains and traces of Pre-Harappan Civilization and Harappan Civilizations, Hisar is India’s largest site showcasing the life of earliest settlements of the humans. Also it is the world’s second largest Harappan site after Mohenjodaro and is spread in an area of about 2180 hectares. The place derives its name from Firoz Shah Tughlaq during his rule and named the city as Hisar-e-Firoza in 1354 AD. Hisar has also been a part of the journey to independence and been a spectator during the British-raj. Hisar is a blend of the historic India with modern urban developing India. Here is a list of top 7 places to visit when in Hisar.

1. Asirgarh Fort
Photo by Yashasvi nagda, CC BY-SA 3.0
Asirgarh Fort, alternatively known as the Hansi Fort is one of the most famous places of the area. Locally it is also known as Prithviraj Chauhan ka Quila. The fort is believed to be built initially by Harshavardhana and also has the reminiscent of the coins of even earlier eras. The present day fort is said to be built by the materials from the old fort. The fort was reconstructed in the 12th century by Prithviraj Chauhan and was captured by the British on a later stage. The fort underwent renovation by British official George Thomas in the later 18th century. The fort is a flat roofed structure standing on long pillars and also has a mosque inside which was built after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan. George Thomas also added a huge gate as an entry to the fort while it was being reconstructed.

2. Lohari Ragho
Lohari Ragho is the site of the Harappan Civilization and lies on the outskirts of the city. The site, when excavated is said to have three mounds from the Pre-Harappan civilization. Also traces from Harappan Civilization too were found here. Harappan ceramics like globular jars, bowls, vases and wheels made of red ware were also found here. Some other materials were said to be dated back to the early Rig vedic age and hence the place has become an important site for the preservation as well as for studying the initial eras of the mankind settlements. The place also hosts few religious monuments that date back to various times in history.

3. Barsi Gate
Standing tall with a height of 30 meters, Barsi Gate is an important part of the area.The gate also has inscriptions that gave a lot of information about the structure dating back to Prithviraj Chauhan era in 1303AD. It has served as an entrance to the nearby village of Hansi for over 850 years now. The gate was initially built as the defence to the Hansi Fort. Being constructed by Sultan Alaud-din Khilji and repaired during the rule of Ibrahim Lodhi in 1522 AD, the gate is a fine example of the Sultanate style of architecture.

4. Dargah Char Qutab
Being the final resting place of four important Sufi Saints, Dargah char qutab is a mausoleum complex. The dargah is dedicated to Jamal-ud-Din Hansi, Nur-ud-Din, Burhan-ud-Din, and Qutab-ud-Din Manuwar. These four celebrated Sufi saints were called as the ‘Qutabs’ and char is the Hindi translation for the number four. The most astonishing is the large mosque that was built around the site by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. As a belief it is said the site was constructed because a Sufi Saint known as Baba Farid used to meditate and pray here.

5. Firoz Shah Palace
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Built in the late 14th century by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Palace is a fine example of the Islamic and the Indian style of architecture. The initial settlement of Hisar was inside the four gates of the fort. These gates are Mori gate, Delhi gate, Talaqi gate and Nagauri gate. The palace is a marvel constructed in red sandstones that were taken from the ruins of the old Hindu temples. Also a mosque called Lat ki Masjid