Aura of India: Haryana District by District: Gurugram to Kurukshetra and Pinjore

Photo: Rahul rages, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

A highway dhaba in Haryana, late at night, with parathas coming off the tawa.

Haryana wraps around Delhi on three sides, and most travellers cross it without knowing how much history they are passing.

Around the capital

Haryana has just over twenty districts, grouped around Delhi and stretching west to Rajasthan and north to the Shivalik hills. Gurugram and Faridabad are part of the capital region, cities of offices, malls and new towers. Just outside Gurugram, Sultanpur National Park fills with migratory birds in winter. At Surajkund, near Faridabad, a large crafts fair each February brings weavers, potters and folk performers from across India.

Battlefields and legends

North of Delhi, the Grand Trunk Road runs through the old heart of the state. At Panipat, three great battles, in 1526, 1556 and 1761, changed the course of Indian history; today the town is also known for its textiles. Kurukshetra is linked to the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita. Pilgrims bathe in its Brahma Sarovar, a huge temple tank, especially during the Gita Jayanti festival in November or December; regional calendars can shift the date.

Hills, gardens and old sites

In the north, Panchkula district holds the Pinjore Gardens, a terraced Mughal-style garden, and the quiet Morni Hills. In Hansi district, carved out of Hisar in December 2025, Rakhigarhi is one of the largest known sites of the Harappan civilisation, older than four thousand years. And along the highway at Murthal, in Sonipat district, dhabas serve stuffed parathas with white butter at any hour.

Getting around

Delhi's airport serves southern Haryana, and Chandigarh, the capital shared with Punjab, serves the north. Highways and trains connect most towns within a few hours. October to March is the best season; summers are very hot, and winter mornings can be foggy on the plains.

A new district, and the oldest site

Haryana now has 23 districts. The newest, Hansi, was carved out of Hisar on 22 December 2025 and takes in the Hansi and Narnaund sub-divisions. Hansi town is old in its own right: the district describes it as dating to the Tomar dynasty in the tenth century, once called Asigarh, the city of swords, with a fort later linked to Prithviraj Chauhan.

Rakhigarhi falls inside the new district. Haryana Tourism dates the site to about 2600 to 1800 BC and describes five linked mounds, two of them densely settled, with a planned township of mud-brick and burnt-brick houses and proper drains. It is one of five iconic archaeological sites the central government announced for development in 2020. There is not much to see above ground yet beyond the mounds and a small site area, so go with a guide or after reading up.

A three-day route north from Delhi

Leave Delhi early on the highway north and stop at Murthal for parathas. Continue to Panipat, where a small museum and memorial mark the three battles. Spend the night at Kurukshetra and see the evening aarti at Brahma Sarovar; the next morning, go out to Jyotisar, then on to Pehowa. On the third day, drive to Pinjore for the terraced Mughal garden and the Bhima Devi temple ruins, and finish in Chandigarh.

For a western loop instead, go from Delhi to Hisar and Hansi, then out to Rakhigarhi, about two and a half hours from the capital. The temples of the state are covered in Kurukshetra’s temples; for more, see our guide to Haryana.

Districts to know

Gurugram: the modern city and Sultanpur National Park.
Faridabad: the Surajkund crafts fair.
Panipat: battlefields and textiles.
Kurukshetra: Brahma Sarovar and Gita Jayanti.
Panchkula: Pinjore Gardens and the Morni Hills.
Hansi: the Harappan site at Rakhigarhi.
Sonipat: the dhabas of Murthal.

In Haryana, the best meal of the trip is often the one at a roadside table at midnight.

Plan your visit

Best season	October to March. The Surajkund crafts fair is held each February; in 2026 it ran from 31 January to 15 February. The International Gita Mahotsav at Kurukshetra runs from 5 to 25 December 2026. Winter mornings can be foggy.
How to reach	Delhi’s airport serves the south of the state; Chandigarh’s airport serves the north. Trains on the main line north from Delhi stop at Panipat, Kurukshetra and Ambala; the line west serves Rohtak and Hisar.
Getting around	By car on the national highways, which are fast and well served by dhabas. Gurugram and Faridabad are on the Delhi Metro. State buses link most towns.
Where to stay	Kurukshetra, near Brahma Sarovar or along the highway at Pipli; Panchkula or Chandigarh for Pinjore and Morni; Hisar for Rakhigarhi; Gurugram for Sultanpur.
How long to spend	One to three days, usually as stops on the way to Chandigarh, Himachal or Rajasthan.
Permits	None needed for Indian or foreign visitors.

Open Kurukshetra, Haryana in Google Maps

Questions people ask

How many districts are there in Haryana?

Twenty-three. Hansi became the 23rd on 22 December 2025, formed from the Hansi and Narnaund sub-divisions of Hisar district.

Which district is Rakhigarhi in?

Since December 2025, Rakhigarhi is in the new Hansi district. Older sources, including some tourism pages, still list it under Hisar.

When is the Surajkund Mela?

Every February, at Surajkund near Faridabad. The 2026 edition ran from 31 January to 15 February; the 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing.

What is Haryana famous for with travellers?

Kurukshetra and the Gita, the Panipat battlefields, the Pinjore garden, the Surajkund crafts fair, Rakhigarhi’s Harappan mounds, and the highway dhabas at Murthal.

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Haryana District by District: Gurugram to Kurukshetra and Pinjore