Around Faridabad
¤ Ballabgarh
The Foundation of Ballabgarh
Ballabgarh has a rags-to-riches story to it. Its founder, Ballab
Singh, was an extremely poor farmer who became a millionaire overnight
when he discovered two mules laden with gold on his tiny farm. For the
next seven generations he and his successors controlled over 200
villages. The last of this family was Nahar Singh who became a martyr
in the Uprising of 1857.
Excavations Around Ballabgarh
Excavations around this town have brought to light ancient pottery,
establishing that the Harappans lived here. It is also said to be one
the homes of the Pandavas (see Mahabharata). The grand Ballabgarh
fort, built in black stone, slate and lime, was once impregnable,
albeit a little ugly, and was built by the Rajputs to fend off the
Mughals and foreign invaders. It houses one of the finest paintings of
this period.
¤ Hodal- An Ancient Town
Hodal's oldest section lies on a hill under which is buried the
remains of an even older civilisation. Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur
built magnificient monuments here, but almost all of them are now in
ruins. A short distance away from the town is Panduban where there is
an an old temple in memory of the god Krishna and his wife Radha.
¤ Dabchick Tourist Complex
Hodal is more known for this resort than for its mounds and temples.
The complex consists of an old brick building mounted on stilts
surrounded by a small but lavish lawn. A small lake makes a perfect
picture with camel, elephant and pony rides, while on Teej (a Hindu
festival) the entire area is spruced up for a colourful fair.
¤ Palwal
Situated about 61kms from Delhi on the Delhi-Mathura highway, Palwal
used to be a part of the Pandava kingdom (see Mahabharata) of
Indraprastha. During the early days of their exile, the Pandavas are
reported to have dug in here for about three months. They later gave
it special importance in the kingdom.
However, the town decayed but later Raja Vikramaditya restored the
ruins to their former glory. Mahatma Gandhi was arrested from here by
the British Government on April 9, 1919, and the Gandhi Ashram stands
as a quiet reminder of his efforts against the Britishers.
The Panchayati temple is again the Pandavas doing. An old, ruined
Mughal fort stands guard over the town while a Jama Masjid built
around early 13th century and the shrines of Shihabuddin
and Roshan Chirag are other places to see.
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