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Gurgaon pronunciation (Hindi: गुड़गांव) is the sixth largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. According to 2001 India census, Gurgaon has a population of 228,820. 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. Over the past few years the city has grown tremendously as an outsourcing destination within India and has also witnessed a big real estate boom. It has also become the poshest area of Delhi with numerous Villas and condominiums and many malls with multinational brands.

Etymology

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, the Mahabharata. In Sanskrit, Guru means teacher, which in this case refers to Dronacharya and Gram means village. According to Hindu mythology, the village was gifted by the Pandavas and Kauravas to Dronacharya, and was therefore known as guru-gram. The gram was over a period of time rounded off to a colloquial gaon (which also means village in Prakrit) and hence the name Gurgaon emerged. According to another theory, the word Gurgaon is an amalgamation of the words 'gur' (a kind of Jaggery) and 'gaon'(village).

History

Before the real estate boom, Gurgaon was dominated by Jat people. Jats, like the citizens of ancient Rome, 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 northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. However, after the rise of Mughals, Jats' influence gradually waned. During the British rule in India, Gurgaon was integrated into the Punjab Province. Following India's independence, Gurgaon remained a part of the state of Punjab but after the bloody Punjab insurgency, it became a part of the newly created state of Haryana.

Gurgaon remained a small farming village while neighboring Delhi emerged as India's political capital. Delhi's economic rise attracted a large influx of laborers from neighboring regions like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab rapidly increasing Delhi's population. By early 1990s, Delhi was one of the most populated and crowded cities in the world and the need for a satellite city became more apparent. Gurgaon seemed like an ideal choice given its vast undeveloped farming lands and proximity to Delhi. Real estate firms, like the DLF Group, bought large acres of land from farmers in Gurgaon and developed high-end residential apartments. Tax incentives by the state government of Haryana and improvement in infrastructure attracted Indian companies and foreign investment and Gurgaon emerged as a major manufacturing and services hub in northern India.

Geography and Climate

Gurgaon is located at 28°28′N 77°02′E / 28.47°N 77.03°E / 28.47; 77.03. It has an average elevation of 220 metres (721 ft).

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. Gurgaon is situated between the Himalayas and Aravalis mountain ranges. It is surrounded on 3 sides by Haryana and to the east, across the river Yamuna by Uttar Pradesh. Its greatest length is around 13 miles and the greatest breadth is 17 miles. Delhi's altitude ranges between 213 to 305 meters above sea level.|.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Gurgaon had a population of 228,820. 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.

Ethnicity

Most Gurgaonites are Jats and Punjabis . But now due to the real estate boom there also a large number of Biharis and Oriyas . There is also a fast growing expatriates community with foreign investment flowing into Gurgaon but there is also a growing African and Bangladeshi community. Most Gurgaonites are Hindu but there are also a small number of Muslims and Parsis.

Economy

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.

Favorable tax policy by the Haryana government, improvement in the 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.

Numerous tall structures were built around the city to accommodate a rapid growth in population. Surrounding villages were absorbed into Gurgaon as the city rapidly expanded outwards. The tallest highrise office and residential buildings are mostly located in the north western areas of the city, and especially in the business and shopping districts of MG Road, DLF City, and Ashok Marg. The headquarters of Gurgaon's largest companies and banks are also located in this area. As a result of Gurgaon's exponential growth during in the 21st century, a significant portion of the city's outskirts consists of small villages that have been absorbed into the city. Soon Gurgaon earned the title of a city rather than a suburb.

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. In 2005, GECIS became an independent company - Genpact, which is now headquartered in Gurgaon. A number of BPO and KPO firms such as Keane, Genpact, Evalueserve, Dell, British Telecom, Accenture, Hewitt Associates and Convergys have Gurgaon as their regional operations hub. This trend continued after several other firms like Alcatel-Lucent, Niksun, IBM, Opera Solutions and Bain & Company established themselves in the city. Gurgaon also has a major manufacturing industry. Several auto-manufacturing facilities exist including India's largest passenger car company, Maruti Suzuki, and largest motorcycle company, Hero Honda, are based in Gurgaon.

The outsourcing boom has led to a rapid growth in employment prospects and local wages, leading to a mushrooming of shopping malls, 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. This also led to boom in the city's retail industry. Gurgaon has also benefited from the aviation boom in India, though it lost the bid for the new international airport in the the Delhi area to Greater Noida. India currently has 16 airlines, out of which IndiGo Airlines and MDLR Airlines have their headquarters in Gurgaon. A major international airline British Airways has its office and ticket booking facilities in DLF Phase 4, Gurgaon.

Thousands of professionals have recently made their home in Gurgaon, living in apartments or in newly constructed colonies and condominiums. 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 recognition by retailers of the far-reaching aspirations, and deep pockets, of the residents of the city.

By 2010, the state government hopes to complete a world class Golden Triangle City Centre (GTCC) in Sector 29 with as many as four skyscrapers higher than Taipei 101.Some experts are worried about the project because Gurgaon lies in an earthquake prone area . The fast growing population, with increasing purchasing power, has created a huge demand for housing, resulting in escalating property prices in recent years.

Transportation

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The state governments of Delhi and Haryana have created an 8 lane expressway from Delhi to Gurgaon, which meets European standards . It is part of the is a part of Golden Quadrilateral project. Though only 28 km long, the expressway became one of the 35 motorways in the world and the fourth in India to have street lights . The 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.

The city has a limited intra-city public transport . There are a handful of local buses plying on a few routes. The only other form of public transport is shared auto rickshaws, which are generally overcrowded. Recently the Gurgaon administration has started city bus service .Some new Tata Starbus were bought by the administration to ply on the main roads linking to New Delhi. Most Gurgaonites own cars as the cream of the Delhi-ites have moved to Gurgaon. A metro line too is supposed to link the prosperous suburb of Delhi, Gurgaon with other parts of Delhi. A Monorail or suburban railway is also being discussed by the Haryana government to link Gurgaon with Delhi.

The main Bus Depot of the city connects to all neighboring towns including Delhi. 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, Jammu, Faridabad to name a few. 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.Car parking space is extremely limited at the station too. 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. Delhi Metro to Gurgaon is expected to be completed by the year 2010.

Education

The city is home to a number of reputed educational institutions - MDI, ITM (Institute Of Technology and Management), Indian Institute of Law, IILM Institute for Higher Education, The State Bank training Academy, The Fertiliser Development Institute, Potash Research Institute, Gurgaon Institute Of Dental Sciences, Saluja CAD Consultancy, Civil Lines, Pragati Polytechnic, Dronacharya College Of Engineering, Apeejay College Of Engineering, Institute for International Management and Technology (IIMT) which is in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, UK,ICFAI( Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India) Business School.

Gurgoanites normally do their higher studies in Delhi. Schools and higher educational institutions in Delhi are administered either by the Directorate of Education, the NCT government, or private organizations. In 2004–05, there were 2,515 primary, 635 middle, 504 secondary and 1,208 senior secondary schools in Delhi. The higher education institutions in the city included 165 colleges, among them five medical colleges and eight engineering colleges, six universities—DU, JNU, JMI, GGSIPU, IGNOU and Jamia Hamdard—and nine deemed universities. GGSIPU is the only state university; IGNOU is for open/distance learning; the rest are all central universities.

Shopping

Gurgaon is known for its large number of malls and shopping facilities, attributed to be one of the major factors in its recent growth. In March 2008, a new law went into effect in the state requiring all malls and shopping centers to be closed one day per week in order to conserve electricity and help traffic flow, with Gurgaon choosing Tuesday as their day. Businesses can obtain a permit to stay open on Tuesdays.

District Administration

• The Deputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, is the overall in-charge of the General Administration in the district. He is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Haryana Civil Service and other Haryana state services.

• Till recently, the Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service, used to be responsible for maintaining Law & Order and related issues in the district. He was assisted by the officers of the Haryana Police Service and other Haryana Police officials. Now, since June, 2007 the Police System has been converted into Commissionerate system of policing at par with other metropolitan cities in India e.g. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, etc. for better administration of law and order.

• The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is responsible for the management of the Forests, Environment and Wild-Life in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Haryana Forest Service and other Haryana Forest officials and Haryana Wild-Life officials.

• Sectoral development is looked after by the district head/officer of each development department such as , Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers are from various state services.

Media

Due to its close proximity to Delhi, Gurgaon shares media outlets with the capital city, such as radio stations, television stations, and newspapers. Television programming in the city includes two free terrestrial television channels offered by Doordarshan, and several Hindi, English and regional-languages cable channels offered by Multi system operators. Satellite television, in contrast, is yet to gain large-scale subscribership in the city.

Print journalism is also shared in Gurgaon and Delhi. During the year 2004–05, 1029 newspapers—in thirteen languages—were published in Delhi. Of these, 492 were Hindi language newspapers, and included Navbharat Times, Dainik Hindustan, Punjab Kesri, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar and fastest growing weekly The Stageman International. Among the English language newspapers, The Hindustan Times, with over a million copies in circulation, was the single largest daily. Other major English newspapers include Indian Express, Business Standard, Times of India, The Hindu, The Pioneer and Asian Age. Radio is a less popular mass medium in Delhi, although FM radio has been gaining ground since the inauguration of several new FM channels in 2006. A number of state-owned and private radio stations broadcast from Delhi, including All India Radio (AIR), one of the world's largest radio service providers, which offers six radio channels in ten languages. Other city-based radio stations include Big FM (92.7 FM)''Radio Mirchi (98.3 FM), Fever (104.0 FM), Radio One (94.3 FM), Red FM (93.5 FM) and Radio City (91.1 FM).

References

1. 2001 census figures - official website of Government of India
2. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Gurgaon
4. Template:GR
5. Over 50% IT in Haryana from Faridabad, Gurgaon - The Chandigarh Tribune
6. Gurgaon plans to build four 140 storey towers
7. Adiga, Aravind. "India's Mania for Malls". TIME.com. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
8. "Gurgaon malls told to take Tuesdays off". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
9. Rediff Business Desk (5 September 2006). "What is CAS? What is DTH?". rediff news: Business. Rediff.com. Retrieved 2007-01-08. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. ^ "General Review". Registrar of Newspapers for India. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
11. Naqvi, Farah (14 November 2006). "Chapter4: Towards a Mass Media Campaign: Analysing the relationship between target audiences and mass media" (PDF). Images and icons: Harnessing the Power of Mass Media to Promote Gender Equality and Reduce Practices of Sex Selection. BBC World Service Trust. pp. 26–36. Retrieved 2007-01-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. "Delhi: Radio Stations in Delhi, India". ASIAWAVES: Radio and TV Broadcasting in South and South-East Asia. Alan G. Davies. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Gurgaon web site
• Template:Wikitravel

• Misplaced Pages articles needing copy edit from June 2008
• Articles needing cleanup from May 2008
• Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from May 2008
• Misplaced Pages pages needing cleanup from May 2008
• Cities and towns in Haryana
• Haryana
• Neighbourhoods of Delhi
• Gurgaon