Gurgaon Past and Present

We finally moved to Gurgaon the new destination on way to progress. I imagined myself hanging out in malls, even if on the wrong side of 50, sampling varied cuisine from Subway, Pizza Hut or assorted Chinese and Indian eateries, watching latest Hollywood/Bollywood (Indian) movies at multiplexes, listening to rock bands or simply lounging around at popcorn or coffee kiosks. Shopping was way down on my list as I do not like the heavily embroidered stuff and cannot wear the American and European brands of clothing strutted out by Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Marks & Spenser or Indian specialty brands Madame, SF jeans, Lifestyle, Bizarre, or Meena Bazaar. The gold souk, a miniscule version of Dubai gold souk is not tempting enough to splurge.

Now a year the dream is intact even if we are still in rented place, land prices having tripled with no signs of reducing, and I have begun to question the sanity of making a beeline for Gurgaon. The answer is there in the frenetically watering of patches of greenery or name-dropping of VIP neighbors in fancy European sounding high rise condos such as Laburnum, Silver Oaks, Beverley Park, the Windsor etc.

The original Gurgaon residents continue to shop at sector markets, look at the three M’s i.e. malls, multiplexes and multi-cuisine as encroachers re-defining this millennium city of non-existent health services, passable education system and soaring crime rate. For investors and businesses the situation is turning into a robotic noose. But ask a wannabe Gurgaonite to return to the old nomenclature and the answer would still be ‘Guru –gram. No way.”

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The genesis of modern Gur-gaon or land of gur (jaggery) is a tank and a village dating to Lord Krishna’s Mahabharata. The five brothers, the Pandavas had presented this village to their guru or teacher, the great Dhronacharya as token of respect or guru dakshina. With time the old village or Guru Gram, 1.5 kilometers from the new city on west side of Railway road, metamorphosed into present day Gurgaon pronounced ‘Gurgawn’ with a nasal twang by non-resident Indians, the ever increasing Multinational corporations and BPO employees.

The rustic touch still lingers behind glass and chrome structures as stray cattle squat on roads and in parks reminding citizens of their pastoral heritage and turning this ‘Singapore by night’ into any Indian cow city in daylight.

The history of Gurgaon reads like that of any Indian city undergoing a natural progression from a village to a subha of Akbar, the Mughal Emperor comprising of sikars of Delhi, Rewari, Suhar Pahari and Tijara. Tribal infighting gave the British excuse to step in acquiring the region in 1803 AD through Treaty of Surji Arjungaon with Sindia ruler. From then on the region was used for consolidating their pre-mutiny status as a spying post to watch movements of Begum Samru of Sirdhana whose main cantonment was in village Jharsa, 1.5 kilometers south east of Gurgaon town.

The rest follows predictable lines with British playing favorites, dividing the region and handing them down to petty chiefs for services rendered. In time these jagirs came under direct management of British and continued with status quo till the first Indian uprising in 1857. Post mutiny, Gurgaon and its districts were transferred from North Western Provinces to Punjab in 1858 and in 1861 were rearranged into five tehsils of Gurgaon, F.P. Jhirka, Nuh, Palwal and Rewari. The status quo continues with few changes. Each place has its own claim to fame including Dhankot on Gurgaon Farruknagar road famous for the milk supply to Guru Dhronacharya and Pandava pupils at Gurugram. To a Buddhist this place is associated with Gautum Buddha’s visit as it is identified as Thullkottiha in Buddhist literature. Continuing with Mahabharata folklore another place associated with Dhronacharya and his famous five is Saiyad, 3 kms west of Gurgaon on Gurgaon Dharmapur road.

BREAK FROM PAST:

Moving away from the bow and arrow era of the Mahabrharta we have the arts and crafts of the early medieval period. Ata, situated 5 kilometers east of Sohna is an important center of arts and crafts belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara period. 2 striking icons of the early medieval period - representing Uma Maheshvara seated on Nandi and Adinath were found here. Other cities of historical consequence joining hands with Ata are Malab, Sanghel and Ujina.

The present Gurgaon district comprises of nine blocks including Tauru, Nuh, Pataudi, Nagina, Punhana, F.P.Jhirka, Sohna, Gurgaon & Farrukhnagar. The area has many historical buildings including the Aliwardi Masjid situated about 2 km. north of the old tehsil office of Gurgaon city and built about 200 years ago by Nawab Aliwardi Khan, the founder of village Aliwardi. One can visit Qutub Khan’s tomb about 2 kms from the Old Thana; the Sheesh Mahal, built by local Nawab Faujdar Khan in 1793, is a double storied building of local stone, slate and lime with mirror work inspired by Mughal palaces of Delhi. Listed a protected monument, efforts are on to restore the Mahal to its original grandeur.

If one wants to take a break from history or the steel and glitz of malls then hop over to Sultanpur bird sanctuary ten kilometers from Gurgaon. This sanctuary discovered in 1972 by Peter Jackson the world famous bird watcher was at one time a treat for bird watchers. I am emphasizing on ‘was’ as birds are giving Sultanpur the pass for better regions. It continues to be a picnic spot with families having a day out.

Another picnic or re-juvenating spot is Sohna with its healing hot springs. The Hindus have another reason to worship this place as the main kund or Shiv Kund was an abode of hermits. The surrounding area has been beautified with landscaped lawns, colorful flowers and strutting peacocks.

The newer modern additions are the golf courses and five star hotels taking Gurgaon on the express highway. One can have a weekend off at one of the tourist retreats or farms of Haryana Tourism in idyllic settings of green fields, flowers, flying kites, tractor or bullock cart rides, milking cows or burping on sarson ka saag and makki di roti.

As a footnote we can say Gurgaon has it all for a new-kid-on-the-block.