Karnal, a city in the state of Haryana, India is the administrative headquarters of Karnal District. The city is part of the National Capital Region and is 120 lms from Delhi. The city got its name from Karna, the great donor, and warrior from the Mahabharata. A tank in the city also bears the name Karna Tal and a town gate is called Karna gate. Recently a large statue was also set up. The historic city has been a scene of many historic battles through centuries. At the end of the 6th century AD, the area was under the rule of the Vardhanas of Thanesar.
In the 7th century, it was under Kanauj’s rule under the Pala Emperor of Bengal (770-810 A.D.). The Tomaras descending from Raja Jaula established themselves as rulers of this region in the middle of the 9th century. One of the Tomara rulers, Anangpal Tomar, found the city of Delhi and made it his capital, with the area of Karnal and modern-day Haryana being under his realm. In 1526 at the First Battle of Panipat, Mughal emperor Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, went through Karnal. In A.D. 1739, Nader Shah of Persia invaded Mughal empire and in the famed Battle of Karnal defeated Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. The city is known as a walled town.
The citadel of old-time can still be seen in form of Kot Mohalla (Kot means fort). The fort was built by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind. The importance of Karnal grew in the time of Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind State who after its capture in A.D. 1763 built the boundary wall and a fort and under whose rule the town increased considerably in size. It was used by the East India Company army as a refuge during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Delhi. The city is well connected by rail, road, and air to all major cities of India. There are several well-known educational institutes in the city.
Karnal, also known as the rice bowl of India, is an important trade center for grain, salt, metal, and cotton. It has numerous industries involved in vegetable oil and saltpeter refining, liquor and perfume distilling, and light manufacturing. A horse fair is held annually. Karnal is famous for the manufacture of agricultural implements and its spares. More than 40% of India’s agricultural implements and spares are manufactured here. Besides markets, there are a few shopping malls that sell everything from local to international brands.
There are several places worth visiting in and around the city including Victoria Memorial Hall, Cantonment Church Tower, Karnal fort, Karnal Railway station, Karna Lake, and Noor Mahal hotel. Also, worth visiting is the marble tomb built by the emperor Ghiyās al-Dīn of Ghūr in the 12th century as well as Miran Sahib’s tomb and Kalander Shah’s tomb.
Karnal is the hometown and birthplace of Mool Chand Jain, noted freedom fighter; Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime Minister of Pakistan; and Kalpana Chawla, first Indian-American woman astronaut of NASA who perished In 2003 disaster when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry. Karnal has numerous hotels, lodges that offer luxurious, mid-range, and budget accommodation. The restaurants offer a wide range of veg and non-veg food. The street food scene of Karnal is good with roadside stalls selling a variety of snacks and food items. Tourists can also enjoy themselves at the Karnal waterpark. Karnal is a good weekend holiday destination.
