Palwal district

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Wikipedia

Palwal district
District of Haryana
Dabchick Tourist Complex in Hodal
Dabchick Tourist Complex in Hodal
Location in Haryana
Location in Haryana
Country India
StateHaryana
DivisionFaridabad
HeadquartersPalwal
TehsilsPalwal, Hodal, Hathin
Area
 • Total
1,359 km2 (525 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
1,042,708
 • Density767.3/km2 (1,987/sq mi)
 • Urban
236,544
Demographics
 • Literacy70.32%
 • Sex ratio879
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationHR 30 (PALWAL)

HR 73 (RTA PALWAL)

HR 52 (HATHIN)

HR 50 (HODAL)
Major highways
  • 3 (NH-44)
  • KMP Expressway
  • KGP Expressway
Average annual precipitation60–100 mm
Lok Sabha constituenciesFaridabad (shared with Faridabad district)
Vidhan Sabha constituencies4
Websitepalwal.gov.in

Palwal district is the 21st district of Haryana state in Delhi NCR region of northern India. It was created on 15 August 2008. Palwal City is the headquarters of the district. It is part of the Braj region.

The city is situated 60 km (37 mi) from Delhi, 29 km (18 mi) from Faridabad and 50 km (31 mi) from Gurugram on the Delhi-Agra national highway. The area of the city is 40 km2 (15 sq mi).[1]

Etymology

According to legend, the city of Palwal is named for the demon Palwalasur who was said to have ruled during the reign of Pandavas.[citation needed]

History

Palwal was part of Punjab Province in 1903.

Vedic period

Palwal is supposed to figure in the earliest Aryan traditions under the name of Apelava, part of the Pandava kingdom of Indraprastha, which was later restored by Vikramaditya.[2]

Mound

Kaserua Khera mound in Manpur village, 20 km south of Palwal and 7 km west of Aurangabad on NH-44, is a 3 acres mound with an extensive layer of 3,000 years old mahabharta era Indo-Aryan vedic painted grey ware culture (PGW) of western Gangetic plain and the Ghaggar-Hakra-Saraswati River Valley, of which first ever ecavation commenced in 2023.[3] The excavations of 2-m deposit of PGW revealed 20 m x 1 m cremation section, PGW sherds, Red Ware sherds, charred and uncharred animal bones, two burnt human jaws and a portion on human skull suggesting these relate to death rituals and cremation of human body. Other finds include an motif of four-legged animal with a horn and tail on a PGW pot sherd (first ever such animal motif in PGW, which is also filled with dots suggesting it is a deer). The site has a rich variety of PGW in terms of painting, designs, fabric and colours.[4] In 2025, Haryana government announced a INR 95 crore restoration plan for upgrade of 20 monuments across the state including the Kaserua Khera mound.[5]

Mughal period

During the reign of Mughal empire, the freedom fighter Kanha Rawat carried forward the legacy of Jat leader Gokula to fight against Aurangzeb. After Kanha refused to convert his religion to Islam, Aurangzeb had him buried alive at Rawatpara.[6][a] A statue of Kanha was unveiled inside the park in February 2014 by Vishvendra Singh - the scion of Bharatpur State.[8][9] Kanha Rawat Memorial Park was constructed around his samadhi at his native Bahin village in Hathin tehsil.

British Raj

During the British Raj, Palwal was a part of the Punjab Province and Gurgaon district.[10]

Mahatma Gandhi was first arrested at Palwal railway station. The historical building "Gandhi Ashrama" was erected in memory of the incident.[11] Uttawar forced sterilisations, occurred when on November 6, 1976, when mass vasectomy of nearly 800 men of Uttawar village was done, in Palwal district, Haryana during India’s Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi.[12]

Independent India

On 15 August 1979, Gurgaon district was divided, with Palwal becoming part of the new Faridabad district.[13] Later, Palwal became the 21st district of Haryana on 15 August 2008.

Geography

Topography

Palwal is located at 28°09′N 77°20′E / 28.15°N 77.33°E / 28.15; 77.33,[14] between the eastern bank of Yamuna river and the western flank of Aravalli mountain range. It has an average elevation of 195 metres (639 ft).

Forests

The Forest Department aims to increase forestation for soil conservation in the district, in line with the National Forests Policy of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. According to the plan, about one-third of the geographical area should be under tree cover. In order to achieve this objective, large-scale plantings have been undertaken by the community, panchayat, government and private land over the last 20 years. Saplings of eucalyptus, shisham, neem, and other fruit plants were distributed free of costs to farmers to plant in their fields.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Palwal district had a population of 1,042,708.[15] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 25.49%.[15] Palwal had a sex ratio of 879 females for every 1,000 males,[15] and a literacy rate of 70.3%. Scheduled Castes make up 19.48% of the population.[15]

Religion

Religion in Palwal district (2011)[16]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 79.25%
Islam
 
 20.00%
Other or not stated
 
 0.75%

The region is located at the border of Mewat and Braj. Mewat is Muslim-dominated while Braj is Hindu-dominated.

Language

Languages of Palwal district (2011)[17]
  1. Hindi (88.3%)
  2. Mewati (3.81%)
  3. Urdu (3.59%)
  4. Haryanvi (3.22%)
  5. Others (1.11%)

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 88.27% of the population spoke Hindi, 3.81% Mewati, 3.59% Urdu and 3.22% Haryanvi as their first language. The local language is Braj.[17] Mewati is spoken in the Hathin tehsil.[18][19]

Culture

Palwal has an annual festival known as "Baldev Chhat Ka Mela" which celebrates the legend of Balarama killing the demon Palwasur during the reign of Pandavas. There is also a temple dedicated to Balaram near the chowk (marketplace) of the municipal office.

Administration

District setup

Palwal district comprises 282 villages, 237 gram panchayats, one municipal council, two municipal committees, three sub-divisions, four development blocks and three tehsils. The sub-divisions are under the control of sub-divisional magistrate while each development block is under the control of a block development and panchayat officer. All the blocks are covered under Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna and other developmental programmes. Developmental programmes are overseen by the additional deputy commissioner-cum chief executive officer, DRDA Palwal. The district is under the overall charge of the deputy commissioner who is also the chairman of the District Rural Development Agency.

Villages

Economy

Palwal consists of agricultural and commercial areas, and has many temples, schools, colleges and banks. It also contains developed areas like Housing board colony, Kalra colony, New colony, main market, shivapuri, Krishna colony, kailash nagar, shiv colony, camp colony and Huda sector 2. There is a main chowk (English: market) called the Heart of Palwal. The government plans to develop the economy of Palwal in line with nearby cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, Hodal, Aligarh, and Mathura.[citation needed]

Transport

NH-44 Delhi-Agra national highway and Howrah–New Delhi main line railway pass through Palwal.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In accordance with the "al atuba ayat no five" (Surah at-Taubah (Repentance) 9:5), which states "And when the sacred months have passed, then kill them wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful."[7]

References

  1. ↑ Palwal Geography Archived 16 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Yamuna Action Plan official website.
  2. ↑ Palwal Town The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 19, p. 375.
  3. ↑ Excavation begins at Hathin block in Palwal, The Tribune, 5 Feb 2023.
  4. ↑ Archaeologists discover ‘cremation patch’ of Painted Grey Ware era in Palwal area, The Tribune, 8 Jul 2023.
  5. ↑ 20 protected heritage sites to be restored, beautified in state, The Tribune, 19 Sept 2025.
  6. ↑ Vijay Kumar Pal, INVADERS & Hidden Facts, Rudra Publications, pp55-56.
  7. ↑ "Qur'an Wiki - Surah 9: at-Taubah Ayat 5". www.quran-wiki.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Hooda announced sub-tehsil status on Bahin village in Palwal district". Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Bahin village is sub-tehsil". Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman (2008). "1857 ki Jung-e Azadi main Khandan ka hissa". Ḥayāt-i Karam Ḥusain (2nd ed.). Aligarh, India: Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences. pp. 253–258. OCLC 852404214.
  11. ↑ "Years of Arrests & Imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi". gandhiworld.in. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Ghosh, Avijit (21 June 2015). "Nasbandi with handcuffs on..." The Times of India. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  13. ↑ History Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Official website Gurgaon.
  14. ↑ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Palwal, India". www.fallingrain.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Haryana". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  17. 1 2 "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Haryana". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India..
  18. ↑ "Culture in Palwal, Fairs and Festivals in Palwal, Dance in Palwal". www.palwalonline.in. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ↑ 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue
  20. ↑ "Palwal village rejoices at Lanba's selection as Navy Chief : The Tribune India". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "J C Chaudhry Biography | The Incredible Aakash Story". www.jcchaudhry.com. Retrieved 22 December 2022.