Aura of India: Cities in Haryana: Gurugram, Faridabad, Kurukshetra and More

Brahma Sarovar, the great temple tank at Kurukshetra, with temples along its far bank

Photo: आशीष_भटनागर, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

The towers of Gurugram at dusk, seen across the flat country south-west of Delhi.

Haryana's cities line the roads out of Delhi, and the ones worth stopping at are rarely the biggest.

Faridabad and Gurugram, on Delhi's edge

The two largest cities are suburbs of the capital in all but name. At the 2011 Census, Faridabad was the bigger of them, with 1,414,050 people in its municipal area, against 876,969 in Gurugram. Gurugram has grown fast since, but there is no newer count. It is a city of offices, malls and new towers, and for a visitor it is mostly a base: for the Sultanpur wetland in winter, and for a meal after a day in Delhi.

Faridabad is an older industrial town on the Mathura road. Its draw is Surajkund, an old reservoir on its edge that holds a large crafts fair every February. Both cities are on the Delhi Metro: the Yellow Line ends at Millennium City Centre in Gurugram, with the Rapid Metro running on into the office districts, and the Violet Line runs through Faridabad to Ballabhgarh.

Up the Grand Trunk Road

North of Delhi, the old highway to Punjab passes the towns with the deepest history. Panipat, about 90 km out, gave its name to three battles, in 1526, 1556 and 1761, that changed who ruled northern India. The Panipat Museum explains them, and at Kala Amb, 8 km from the town, a red obelisk marks where the Maratha commander Sadashiv Rao Bhau fell in 1761. Panipat is also a weaving town, known for rugs and home textiles.

Karnal, halfway between Delhi and Chandigarh, has the Karna Lake stop and the national dairy research institute. Kurukshetra, off the highway near Pipli, is the one to stay in. Its great tank, Brahma Sarovar, and Jyotisar, where Krishna is believed to have taught the Gita, are best at dawn. More in Haryana's temples and the field of the Gita.

Ambala and Panchkula, towards the hills

Ambala is a cantonment town and a great railway junction, where the lines to Punjab, Chandigarh and Kalka divide. Its own industry is scientific instruments, made in hundreds of small workshops; the air force station there is a base, not a business. Panchkula sits at the far north of the state, not the south-east, as a planned twin of Chandigarh on the Shivalik foothills. It is the way to the Mansa Devi temple, the Pinjore gardens, Kalka for the Shimla train, and the Morni Hills. Yamunanagar, to the east, makes plywood and paper; the Kalesar forest beyond it is a national park, not a monument.

Hisar and the west

Hisar was founded in 1354 by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi, and the ruins of his palace and the Gujari Mahal still stand. It is the farm capital of the west, home to the state agricultural university. Agroha, 22 km away, has an excavated ancient mound. Hansi, carved out as Haryana's 23rd district in December 2025, now holds the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi. Rohtak is a university town and Bhiwani is known for its boxers; neither has much for a traveller to see.

Delhi to Chandigarh, town by town

The road north from Delhi, National Highway 44, is the old Grand Trunk Road, and it strings most of Haryana's historic towns together. Panipat comes first, about 90 km from Delhi. Karnal is the halfway mark, about 125 km from both Delhi and Chandigarh. Kurukshetra lies a few kilometres off the highway near Pipli, three to four hours from Delhi by road depending on traffic. Ambala follows, and from there the road and the railway turn for Chandigarh, Panchkula and Kalka.

The railway runs the same way, with stations at Panipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra Junction. A good two-day plan: Panipat's museum and Kala Amb on the way up, a night in Kurukshetra for Brahma Sarovar at dawn and Jyotisar, then on to Panchkula and Pinjore. Winter fog can delay trains and cars.

Cities to know

Faridabad (Faridabad): the largest city at the 2011 Census, with 1,414,050 people; Surajkund on its edge.
Gurugram (Gurugram): 876,969 people in 2011 (Census of India); offices, metro and Sultanpur's birds.
Panipat (Panipat): three battlefields, a museum and the Kala Amb obelisk.
Karnal (Karnal): the halfway stop at Karna Lake.
Kurukshetra (Kurukshetra): Brahma Sarovar, Jyotisar and the December Gita festival.
Ambala (Ambala): a junction town of instrument makers.
Panchkula (Panchkula): Chandigarh's neighbour, for Pinjore, Mansa Devi and Morni.
Hisar (Hisar): Tughlaq ruins and the farm university.
Hansi (Hansi): an old fort town, and the district of Rakhigarhi.

In Haryana the past is rarely behind a gate; it is a field, a tank or a mound beside the highway.

Plan your visit

Best season	October to March. May and June are very hot. December and January bring dense morning fog on the plains.
How to reach	Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, for Gurugram, Faridabad and the Grand Trunk Road towns; Chandigarh airport for Panchkula and Ambala. Hisar airport has a few regional flights. Main stations: Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra Junction, Ambala Cantonment and Kalka.
Getting around	The Delhi Metro reaches Gurugram (Yellow Line and Rapid Metro) and Faridabad (Violet Line, to Ballabhgarh). Haryana Roadways buses run on every highway. Hire a car for Kala Amb, Agroha and Rakhigarhi.
Where to stay	Gurugram near the metro for the south; Kurukshetra town near Brahma Sarovar; Panchkula or Chandigarh for the north; Hisar town for the west.
How long to spend	Gurugram and Faridabad are day trips from Delhi. Allow two days for Panipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra, a day for Panchkula and Pinjore, and a day for Hisar and Agroha. More on the state in our Haryana guide.

Open Kurukshetra, Haryana in Google Maps

Questions people ask

Which is the largest city in Haryana?

At the 2011 Census, Faridabad, with 1,414,050 people in its municipal area; Gurugram had 876,969. Gurugram has grown fast since, but the 2027 Census, now under way, will give the first new count.

Is there an official ranking of developed cities in Haryana?

No. No government body ranks Haryana's cities as 'developed', and old lists that do are opinion. This guide picks cities for what a visitor can see and do.

Can I reach Gurugram and Faridabad by metro from Delhi?

Yes. The Yellow Line runs to Millennium City Centre in Gurugram, where the Rapid Metro continues into the office districts. The Violet Line runs through Faridabad to Raja Nahar Singh station at Ballabhgarh.

Which district is Rakhigarhi in now?

Hansi. The Haryana government made Hansi the state's 23rd district in December 2025, from the Hansi and Narnaund sub-divisions of Hisar, and Rakhigarhi falls in it. Hisar town is still the nearest base.

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Cities in Haryana: Gurugram, Faridabad, Kurukshetra and More