In what seems like no time at all, Gurgaon has gone from being a sleepy village on the outskirts of Delhi to becoming perhaps the most important satellite city in the National Capital Region. It is a city where modern technology perfectly coexists with ancient folklore.
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CULTURE
Gurgaon is an evolution of "Guru Gram" or "The Guru's Village"; this is the site of the village of the great teacher Dronacharya from the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. In fact, his tomb can still be visited on the western side of the Railway Road. Gurgaon also has the famous temple of Sheetla Mata, which attracts droves of devotees every Monday and Tuesday.
Its proximity to New Delhi also ensures that the shopping hot spots of Delhi are a short drive away. These include the fabled Meena Bazaar and Chandni Chowk. Asia's largest wholesale market. Cultural landmarks such as the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and myriad Mughal masterpieces are just down the highway too.
LANGUAGE
Hindi is the main spoken and written language of the region while English is spoken at offices and commercial establishments. Due to New Delhi's Mughal past, Urdu is fairly common, as is Punjabi.
WEATHER
The Gurgaon, Delhi NCR region straddles the Gangetic Plain and sees extremes of heat and cold. Extremely hot summers run from April to October, with the monsoon in June and July alleviates the heat to a degree. Cold winds sweeping south from the Himalayas make for bracing winters.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Qutub Minar
Grand gesture of an Afgan King, Qutub-ud-din Aibak is a soaring stone tower, 72 meters high, built in 1193.
Humayun's Tomb
An elegant example of early Mughal architecture, the tomb of the second Mughal Empire also houses the graves of his wives.
India Gate
A war memorial arch, built in honour of 90,000 Indian soldiers, who lost their lives in World War I.
Jantar Mantar
The Observatory, built by Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Birla Temple)
The main shrine of the temple has images of Lord Vishnu and his consort Laxmi. Mahatma Gandhi used to visit this temple.
Raj Ghat
Memorial to the Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi and the site of his cremation. It is set amidst large, well kept, undulating gardens.
Shantivana
Memorial to National Leader, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and the site of his cremation.
Jama Masjid
Built in 1656, by Emperor Shah Jahan, who also built Taj Mahal, is the largest and most splendid mosque in India. With the three majestic black and white marble domes, covering the prayer hall, it can seat 20,000 people.