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Gurgaon pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: गà¥à¤¡à¤¼à¤—ांव) is the sixth largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. According to 2001 India census, Gurgaon has a population of 173,542.[1] Gurgaon has grown extensively during the last decade due to its proximity to Delhi and emergence as a major outsourcing destination and real estate market in northern India. An important town in ancient Hindu mythology, Gurgaon is one of Delhi's four major satellite cities and is therefore considered to be a part of the National Capital Region of India.
History
The origins of the city's name are steeped in Hindu mythology. Legend has it that Gurgaon is the ancestral village of Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Indian epic, Mahabharata. In the ancient times, the name Gurgaon was originally said to be "Guru-Gram". This name is used by many institutions who try to show the roots of the city.. In the original Sanskrit language, Guru means "teacher", which in this case refers to (Guru Dronacharya) and Gram means a (village). The village was gifted by the Pandavas and Kauravas to their Guru (Dronacharya), and was therefore known as Guru - Gram, (Village of the Guru). The sanskriticised "gram" was over a period of time rounded off to a colloquial "gaon" and hence the name to Gurgaon.
Gurgaon in Punjab Province in 1903.
Gurgaon in Punjab Province in 1903.
Gurgaon is dominated by the Jats race. Jats, like the citizens of ancient Roman alternated between farming and fighting for their lands in this part of the world for centuries. This fierce race had been the buffer by default shielding Hindus from foreign Islamic invasions from the west since the past ten centuries. Jats have cultivated and protected the lands in and between 'Punjab region' and 'doab' (two rivers Yamuna and Ganga - this region today includes New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Pakistani Punjab, Pakistani Sindh). Research conducted during the British rule identified Jats as an integral and vital part of the history of India. In the Punjab region and present day Haryana Jats had long cultivated the lands and ardently protected the inhabitants ('Chattis Kaum' - thirty six communities) against the Islamic invasions from time to time. In addition, to the Jats today Gurgaon is inhabited by Aahirs, Gujjars, Punjabis and a growing expatriot population from overseas..
[edit] Economy
Further information: List of companies in Gurgaon
Initially a small farming village located south of Delhi, Gurgaon saw a massive increase in its population and economy after real estate major, DLF Group, bought farms owned by local people and started developing housing societies for upper-middle class residents of Delhi. One such housing society, DLF City, became a real estate phenomenon in northern India with many Delhites preferring the greener and newly planned Gurgaon over the congested and heavily polluted metropolis.
Galaxy Mall in Gurgaon
Galaxy Mall in Gurgaon
Favorable tax policy by the Haryana government, improvement in city's infrastructure by Haryana Urban Development Authority and the need of a business center close to Indira Gandhi International Airport saw the emergence of Gurgaon as one of the most prominent outsourcing and offshoring hubs in South Asia. Real estate, automobiles, retail and banking are other major industries. Gurgaon contributes over 50% of Haryana's income tax revenues along with Faridabad. [2]
An aerial view of the Gurgaon Facility in India
An aerial view of the Gurgaon Facility in India
The distribution of outsourcing companies is skewed towards non-IT services. India's outsourcing industry was born in Gurgaon in 1997 when GE Capital International Services (GECIS) was set up as the India-based business process services operations of GE Capital. Later in 2005, GECIS became an independent company - Genpact, which is now headquartered in Gurgaon. A plethora of BPO and KPO firms such as Genpact, Evalueserve, Dell, Accenture, Hewitt Associates,Copal Partners and Convergys dot the cityscape. A few IT and pharmaceutical firms also exist in the city. Several auto-manufacturing facilities also exist, though they do not dominate the city's economy in the manner they did a decade ago.
Plaza Tower.
Plaza Tower.
The outsourcing boom has led to a rapid growth in employment prospects and local wages, leading to a mushrooming of shopping malls, swank restaurants and entertainment facilities. Demand for such lifestyle options is driven by the demographic shift to a younger, more cosmopolitan, more affluent and better educated population. The native population of Gurgaon however have gained very little economically and continue to remain poor, given the overall success of Gurgaon. This has been observed to have led to a considerably high crime rate compared to other parts of India where such towns have come up.
In the real estate market residential units at DLF Royalton also managed an appreciation of 4-5 per cent in 2007 over the preceding year. According to industry sources, the units at this project launched in 2004 were selling at Rs 3,250 during the launch year and moved up to Rs 4,700 per sq. ft in 2006, marking an appreciation of about 45 per cent in two years.
Creative and media companies have also moved into Gurgaon attracted by the increasing spending power, demographic sophestication and boom in construction. Multinational firms like Indigo Design & Engineering Associates PLC., UTV, Adidas have studios based in Gurgaon to service clients around the country.
Today, Gurgaon is the regional head-office of Alcatel-Lucent, Niksun,Nagarro IBM, Opera Solutions and Bain & Company. Most of them are IT companies. Gurgaon is also the headquarters of two biggest automobile manufacturers in India: Hero Honda and Maruti Udyog.
[edit] Geography
Gurgaon is located at [show location on an interactive map] 28.47° N 77.03° E[3]. It has an average elevation of 220 metres (721 feet).
Various Offices.
Various Offices.
The present Gurgaon district comprising nine blocks Tauru, Nuh, Pataudi, Nagina, Punhana, F.P.Jhirka, Sohna, Gurgaon & Farrukhnagar was created on 15 August,1979. It is the southern-most district of Haryana. On its north, it is bounded by the district of Rohtak and the Union Territory of Delhi. Faridabad district lies to its east. On its south, the district shares boundaries with the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. To its west lies the district of Rewari and the State of Rajasthan.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India census[4], Gurgaon had a population of 173,542. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Gurgaon has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 73%. In Gurgaon, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Transportation
Gurgaon Night Skyline
Gurgaon Night Skyline
Gateway Tower entrance to DLF Skyscraper City
Gateway Tower entrance to DLF Skyscraper City
The city requires an effective traffic planner to help develop economic growth.
Gurgaon's roads are its Achilles' heel. While the road layout in the city is well-planned, Drives to improve the condition of non-arterial roads continue.
Besides roads, the main problem of the city is its virtually non-existent intra-city public transport. There are a handful of local buses plying a few routes. The only other form of public transport is shared auto rickshaws, which are generally overcrowded.
The Main Bus Depot of the city is the oldest and most used. It connects not just to nearby Delhi but all neighbouring towns. The buses to Delhi are the most frequent and have a choice of routes between AIIMS (via Mehrauli) and Dhaula Kuan. It also connects to Rohtak (2h15"), Jammu (12h), Faridabad (45min") to name a few. The bus service has remarkably improved after the construction of Golden Quadrilateral — a 8 lane freeway passing through the city.
Gurgaon has its railway station located at the extreme corner of the city. The rails connect to both Rewari on one side and Delhi Cantt on other. Daily commuters using the trains either come using two wheelers and buy a monthly parking ticket or use the shared auto rickshaws that do trips between the station and the main bus depot. Car parking space is extremely limited at the station. Gurgaon residents mostly depend on railway stations in Delhi or Faridabad (on Delhi-Mumbai/Chennai track) for long-distance travel.
Plans to extend the Delhi Metro to Gurgaon have now been formally approved by both Delhi and Haryana governments, both having reached a cost sharing arrangement. The work is moving at a fast pace in full- swing. Hence, Delhi Metro to Gurgaon can now be expected fully functional by he year 2010.
An eight lane toll expressway between Gurgaon and New Delhi, and provides non-stop connectivity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Domestic Airport and to Dhaula Kuan in Delhi over a distance of 28 kilometers (18 miles), and includes 7 flyovers and 5 underpasses along the stretch.
Gurgaon is a city that is rapidly embracing modernity and a globalized economy,but needs basic infrastructure to keep up to its promise of being a "world-class" city - which it currently isn't.
Gurgaon at Night
Gurgaon at Night
City Center Mall
City Center Mall
[edit] Culture
DT Mega Mall.
DT Mega Mall.
Thousands of professionals have recently made their home in Gurgaon, living in apartments in newly constructed colonies and condominiums with world-class facilities. The mushrooming shopping malls of Gurgaon, like the DLF City Centre, DLF Grand Mall, DLF Mega Mall, Sahara Mall, MGF Metropolitan Mall, MGF Mega City, DLF Star Mall, are also indicative of the |
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