Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District

Karnal District

Karnal district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. Karnal town is the administrative headquarters of the district. Other major towns in this district are Assandh, Gharaunda, Nilokheri, Indri and Uncha Siwana. This district is part of Rohtak Division.-History:Karnal...

 in the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state

States and territories of India

India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...

 of Haryana

Haryana

Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

.

Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

 era for the king Karna

Karna

Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...

, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale. It is midway between Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 and Chandigarh

Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...

, being 123 km (76 mi) north of Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 and 126 km (78 mi) south of Chandigarh

Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...

, on the National Highway NH-1, which is famous as the Grand Trunk Road

Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...

. Delhi and Chandigarh can be reached from Karnal within 2 hours using the very high frequency bus service provided by the Haryana

Haryana

Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

 Roadways.

Karnal is famous for lush green pastures, Liberty Shoes

Liberty Shoes

Liberty Shoes Limited is an Indian shoe company, based in Karnal, Haryana.Established in 1954, today the company through its six manufacturing units collectively produces, 50,000 pairs of footwear a day, sold through 6,000 multi-brand outlets and 350 exclusive showrooms, and has a presence in 25...

, the production of high-quality basmati

Basmati

Basmati is a variety of long grain rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, notable for its fragrance and delicate, nuanced flavour. Its name means "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit, but it can also mean "the soft rice," and the word coincidentally means "my smile" in Arabic...

 rice and for its many agricultural and dairy research institutions. Liberty shoes was started from Karnal and has its largest manufacturing facility in the city. Karnal is also famous for manufacture of agricultural implements and its spares as more than 40% of country agricultural implements and spares are manufactured here. One of the bigger units involved in the manufacture of spares is Karnal Agricultural Industries Ltd. having largest manufacturing base in the country.

Geography

Karnal is located at 29.68°N 76.98°E. It has an elevation of 235 to 252  meters (748 feet). Karnal is known for its lush greenery. It is roughly equidistant from New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

 and Chandigarh and lies on the G.T. road

Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...

 and on the Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 - Ambala

Ambala

Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...

 railway line. The Karnal Distt. is surrounded by Kurukshetra District on its north-west, jind & Kaithal Distt. on its west, Panipat Distt. on its south and Uttar Pradesh on east. Yamuna River forms eastern boundary of the district and flows from north to south. The district is a part of the Ganga-Sindus (Indo-Gangestic) plains and has a well spread network of western Yamuna canal. Its geographical area has been divided in to three agro climatic regions, Khadar, Bhangar and Nardak belt. Khadar starts from Indri-Karnal road one mile away from Karnal covering the area in between Yamuna River and National Highway Road No.1 up to Patti-Kalyana village. Bhangar area starts from west of Khadar area covering Gharaunda, development block. The nardak area lies in Nissing, Nilokheri and Assandh development block. However, its water is saline and not fit for irrigation. The city is divided into several sectors, colonies and mohallas. Due to its strategic location, several big-brand builders like Sahara, Narsi Village, Palm Residency, Alpha City and Ansal Royale have built new luxury apartments and villas in the city.

History

The city of Karnal is said to have been founded by Raja Karna

Karna

Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...

, a central character in the Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

 war. The original name is Karnalaya (home of Karna). This is the same Karna, who was the eldest son of Kunti and thus Karnal is called the city of Daanvir Karna.

It has been a walled town as far as its history can be traced and it had a citadel

Citadel

A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....

 at one time.

Karnal sprang into prominence in 1739 when Persian emperor Nadir Shah defeated and captured the Mughal ruler Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah also known as Roshan Akhtar, was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at 17 with the help of the Sayyid Brothers, he later got rid of them with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk Chin...

 in the Battle of Karnal

Battle of Karnal

The Battle of Karnal , was a decisive victory for Nader Shah the emperor of Persia during his invasion of India. Shah's forces defeated the army of Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor in little more than three hours thus paving the way for the Persian sack of Delhi...

. Raja Gopal Singh of Jind

Jind

Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...

 seized Karnal in 1763, and the Marathas

Maratha Empire

The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....

 established themselves at Karnal in 1785. Skirmishes followed between the Marathas and the Sikhs and in 1795, the Marathas finally wrested the city from Raja Bhag Singh of Jind and made it over to the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

-Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 military commander George Thomas

George Thomas (soldier)

George Thomas was an Irish mercenary who was active in 18th century India. In the 1790s he was the most successful general in India.-Biography:...

, who took part in the fight. The British established a cantonment

Cantonment

A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...

 in 1811 but abandoned it after 30 years due to an outbreak of malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

. The fort which had been built by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind, was taken over by the British and converted into a residence for Dost Mohammad Khan

Dost Mohammad Khan

Dost Mohammad Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan between 1826 and 1863. He first ruled from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1843 to 1863. He was the 11th son of Sardar Pāyendah Khan who was killed by Zaman Shah Durrani in 1799...

, Amir of Kabul

Kabul

Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...

. The fort was used as a jail, as quarters for native cavalry and as a poorhouse

Poorhouse

A poorhouse or workhouse was a government-run facility in the past for the support and housing of dependent or needy persons, typically run by a local government entity such as a county or municipality....

. In 1862, it was made over to the Education Department, when the district school was moved into it from the city.

Interesting facts

First Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, was born on October 1, 1895 in Karnal. His family belonged to the Nausherwan Pathan

Pashtun people

Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...

 clan. Liaquat Ali Khan was nabob of Kunjpura

Kunjpura

Kunjpura is a village on the banks of the Yamuna River, off the Grand Trunk Road that runs from Amritsar to Delhi and further on to Calcutta.- Overview :...

, presently a part of the Karnal district

Karnal District

Karnal district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. Karnal town is the administrative headquarters of the district. Other major towns in this district are Assandh, Gharaunda, Nilokheri, Indri and Uncha Siwana. This district is part of Rohtak Division.-History:Karnal...

, Haryana

Haryana

Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

. The 25th Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor did his schooling from Sainik School, Kunjpura, Karnal.

Late Dr.Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut with NASA. She was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.-Early life:...

 , an Indian-American scientist and NASA astronaut, was born in a Punjabi Hindu family at Model Town, Karnal. She completed her schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan, Karnal.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Karnal had a population of 12,74,183. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. In Karnal, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The primary language spoken here is Hindi, the national language. Other languages which may be heard here are Haryanvi, Punjabi.

The predominant religion here is Hinduism (87%) with a sizable Sikh (13%) minority.

Agricultural research

Karnal is a major centre of agricultural and dairy research with the National Dairy Research Institute

National Dairy Research Institute

The National Dairy Research Institute or the NDRI Karnal is India's premier institute for dairy research. The institute was accorded the status of a Deemed University in the year 1989...

 (NDRI), Indian Agricultural Research Institute

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute is India's premier national Institute for agricultural research, education and extension. It has served the cause of science and society with distinction through first rate research, generation of appropriate technologies and development of human resources...

 (IARI) Regional Station, Central Soil and Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR), National Bureau of Animal Genetics Research (NBAGR), Regional Research Station of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University popularly known as HAU, is one of Asia's biggest agricultural universities, located at Hisar in the Indian state of Haryana. It is named after India's seventh prime minister, Choudhary Charan Singh...

 and Regional Station of Sugarcane Breeding Institute having major research facilities and centers in and around the town. Karnal Bunt, a major disease of wheat was first discovered in 1931 in IARI, Regional Station Karnal and that is how it got that name. Now it is one of the premier center for producing and distribution of high quality seeds of various cereal crops (basmati rice and wheat) and vegetables.

Dr. Kalpana Chawla

It was at the Karnal Flying Club that Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut with NASA. She was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.-Early life:...

, a native of the city, first became interested in flying. She did her schooling from Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec. School, Karnal in 1976 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in 1982 from Punjab Engineering College

Punjab Engineering College

PEC University of Technology, formerly known as Punjab Engineering College , is an engineering institute located in the city of Chandigarh, India...

, Chandigarh and Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas in 1984. She completed her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from University of Colorado in 1988. She was the first Indian origin woman to go on a voyage in space

Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....

. She died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...

 on February 1, 2003.

I.D. Swami

I.D. Swami is a former Union Minister of the State for home in Third Vajpayee Ministry. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Karnal in Haryana.

'Shanti Devi one of the earliest educated among the women of karnal.Hailing from jatton mohalla and daughter of late Ch Singh ram.she completed her post graduation from Lahore.She was also elected as an MLA from karnal.She was known more for her modesty and simplicity and as founder of Manav Seva Sangh a famous center of philanthropy in the district of karnal.

Madhuban Police Training College

Madhuban has a Haryana

Haryana

Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

 police training complex and it is at a distance of 10 km (6 mi) from Karnal on the NH-1 in the direction of Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

. It recruits students not only from Haryana but also from other Indian states and partner countries. The Forensic Science Laboratory, Haryana is also located in Madhuban. Madhuban has excellent sports facilities and has been declared a sports district. The annual police sports meets draw police personnel not only from the state but also from across

Education

Karnal is an excellent center of school education and it boasts of a number of good schools. The Himalaya Public School was the first 10+2 school in Karnal. Nishan Public School, St. Theresa's Convent Sr. Sec. School, D P S Karnal, Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Sec. School, Kanhiya Public Shool, Prakash Public Sr. Sec.School. Guru Harkrishan Public School, Partap Public School and Dyal Singh Public School among others are well established institutes. Meanwhile, NDRI also offers degrees in Agricultural & Dairy Research. A medical college in the name of Kalpna Chawla is under construction. The first engineering college of the city is Doon Valley Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Schools

s.b.s sr. sec. school [railway road]

Pratap Public School (Sector 6)

Pratap Public School

S.D.Sr.Sec. School(bus stand)

S.D.Adarsh Public School (Kunjpura Road)

S.D.Model.Sr.Sec.School (railway road)

Kanhiya Public School (Barota)

Kendriya Vidyalaya Karnal (Mall Road)

Nishan Public School

Sainik School Kunjpura - Karnal

Delhi public School

Dyal Singh Pubilc School (Sector 7)

Dyal Singh Public School

Baba Ram Das Vidyapeeth

RISING SUN PUBLIC SCHOOL,Madhuban

PRKASH PUBLIC School

St. Theresa's Convent School

St. Kabir Public School

Himalaya Public School

Tagore Baal Niketan Sr. Secondary School

R S Senior Secondary Public School

Adarsh Public Sr. Sec. School (Kunjpura Road)

DAV Sr. Sec. School For Boys (Mall Road)

D.A.V. Girls Sr. Sec. School (Near Karan Tal), Sadar Bazar, Karnal (formerly known as Dayanand Arya Girls Sr. Sec. School (Jhelum), Karnal)

Maharishi Dayanand Public School

Doon Public School

OPS International Public School

OPS Vidya Mandir School (Sector 13)

Vidyotma Public School (Ramesh Nagar)

Vivekananda Vidya Niketan, Kaithal Road, Assandh

Guru Nanak Sr. Sec. Girl School (Link Road)

Guru Teg Bahadur Public School (Model Town)

Colleges

Doon Valley Institute Of Engineering & Technology

Green Wood Polytechnic (Ranwar)

RP Inderaprastha Institute of Technology (RPIIT) (Madhuban)

National Dairy Research Institute

Gandhi College Of Pharmacy

Arya Kanya Gurukul College of Education

Mangalmay Institute of Engineering and Technology (Indri Road)

Naraini Educational and Charitable Societys Group of Institutions (Chirao)

Dyal Singh college karnal

Govt. P.G. College, Sec. 14

Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Railway Road

D.A.V. P.G. College

D.A.V. College for Women

Govt. college, Gharunda (Gian Pura)

FM stations in Karnal

Currently, there are two main FM stations in Karnal, namely :

• Radio Mantra(91.9 FM)
• Radio Dhamaal(106.4 FM).

Cinema Halls cum multiplexes in Karnal

• Fun Cinemas - Sector 12, Karnal
• Movietime Cinemas - Sector 12, Karnal
• Inder Palace Cinema Hall - Near Railway Station, Karnal

Hotels in Karnal

• Hotel Noor Mahal (A Five Star Luxury Hotel)NoorMahal X-ing,NH-1,Sector 32, Karnal
• Hotel Jewels (A Four Star Hotel) - Jewel Chowk, Karnal
• Hotel Haveli, NH-1, Karnal
• Karna Lake Tourist Complex, NH-1, Karnal
• Savoy Greens ( Mcdonalds ) NH-1, Karnal
• New World, NH-1, Karnal
• Yellow Sapphire Hotel, Namaste Chowk, NH-1, Karnal