Metropolis
Nickname(s): Millennium city
Gurgaon
Location of Gurgaon in Haryana
Coordinates:
Country India
State Haryana
District Gurgaon district
Government
• Body Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon
• Mayor Vimal Yadav
• Lok Sabha constituency Gurgaon Lok Sabha Constituency
• Vidhan Sabha constituency Gurgaon City
• Planning agency Haryana Urban Development Authority
Area
• Total 282.7 sq m
i (732 km2)
Elevation 711.9 ft (217 m)
Population 876,824[1]
Languages
• Main spoken Hindi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 122 # # #
Area code(s) 0124
Vehicle registration HR-26 (North)
HR-55 (Commercial)
HR-72 (South)
HR 76 Pataudi (Gurgaon)
Website gurgaon.nic.in
Gurgaon (/ˈgʊrgaʊŋ/) is a city in the Indian state of Haryana located immediately south of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, 32 kilometres (20 mi) southwest of New Delhi and 268 kilometres (167 mi) southwest of Chandigarh, the state capital. As of 2011 Gurgaon had a population of 876,824.[1] Witnessing rapid urbanization, Gurgaon has become a leading financial and industrial hub with the third highest per capita income in India.[2] Historically known as Gurugram, the city's economic growth story started when the leading Indian automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited established a manufacturing plant in Gurgaon in the 1970s.[3] Today, Gurgaon has local offices for more than 250 Fortune 500 companies.[4]
Etymology
The origin of the city's name can be traced back to the Sanskrit epic Mahabharat; it is believed that the land was owned by the legendary rulers Pandavas and Kauravas, who presented it to Guru Dronacharaya, their royal guru for warfare, as an appreciation of his training. The land came to be known as Gurugram (Sanskrit: गुरुग्राम, lit. village of the Guru) which over time became distorted to Gurgaon. The village still exists within the modern day city.[5]
History
Gurgaon was part of an extensive kingdom ruled over by Rajputs of Yaduvansi or Jadaun tribe in ancient times. When the Mughals conquered many parts of India it was then annexed by Babur.[7] During Akbar's reign, Gurgaon fell within the governing regions of Delhi and Agra. Following the decline of the Mughal Empire, by 1803 most of it came under the British rule through the treaty of Surji Arjungaon with Sindhia. The town was first occupied by the cavalry unit posted to watch the army of Begum Samru of Sirdhana. It became a part of the district, which was divided into units called parganas. These units were given to petty chiefs for the military service rendered by them. The units were governed by the rules that British kept on changing and eventually these units came under direct control of the British, with the last major change in 1836. Nothing much changed in Gurgaon until the Revolt of 1857. In 1858, it was Pintu Singh Yadav from the North-Western Provinces to Punjab Province. In 1861, the district, of which Gurgaon was a part of, was rearranged into five tehsils Gurgaon, Ferozepur Jhirka, Nuh, Palwal and Rewari[8] and the modern day city came under the control of Gurgaon teshil. In 1947, Gurgaon became a part of independent India and fell under the Indian state of Punjab. In 1966, the city came under the administration of Haryana with the creation of the new state. Geography
Gurgaon is located in Gurgaon district in the Indian state of Haryana and is situated in the south eastern part of the state, and northern part of the country. The city is located on the border with Delhi with New Delhi to its north east. The city has a total area of 738.8 square kilometres (285.3 sq mi)[9]
Topography
The average land elevation is 217 metres (712 ft) above sea level.[10]
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, Gurgaon experiences a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa).[11] The city experiences four distinct seasons - spring (February - March), summer (April - August), fall/autumn (September - October) and winter (November - January), along with the monsoon season setting in towards the later half of the summer. Summers, from early April to mid October, are typically hot and humid, with an average daily June high temperature of 40 °C (104 °F). The season experiences heat indices easily breaking 43 °C (109 °F). Winters are cold and foggy with few sunny days, and with a December daytime average of 3 °C (37 °F). The Western Disturbance brings some rain in winters that further adds to the chill. Spring and autumn are mild and pleasant seasons with low humidity. The monsoon season usually starts in the first week of July and continues till August. Thunderstorms are not uncommon during the Monsoon. The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 millimetres (28.1 in).[11]
Climate data for Gurgaon
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 21.1
(70) 24.2
(75.6) 30.0
(86) 36.2
(97.2) 39.6
(103.3) 39.3
(102.7) 35.1
(95.2) 33.3
(91.9) 33.9
(93) 32.9
(91.2) 28.3
(82.9) 23.0
(73.4) 31.4
(88.5)
Average low °C (°F) 7.3
(45.1) 10.1
(50.2) 15.4
(59.7) 21.5
(70.7) 25.9
(78.6) 28.3
(82.9) 26.6
(79.9) 25.9
(78.6) 24.4
(75.9) 19.5
(67.1) 12.8
(55) 8.2
(46.8) 18.8
(65.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 20.3
(0.799) 15.0
(0.591) 15.8
(0.622) 6.7
(0.264) 17.5
(0.689) 54.9
(2.161) 231.5
(9.114) 258.7
(10.185) 127.8
(5.031) 36.3
(1.429) 5.0
(0.197) 7.8
(0.307) 797.3
(31.389)
Average rainy days 1.7 1.3 1.2 0.9 1.4 3.6 10.0 11.3 5.4 1.6 0.1 0.6 39.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 213.9 217.5 238.7 261.0 263.5 198.0 167.4 176.7 219.0 269.7 246.0 217.0 2,688.4
Demographics
Gurgaon municipal corporation area has an estimated population of 876,824 as per 2011 India census.[1]
Cityscape
Architecture
Cyber Green Building
Gurgaon has architecturally noteworthy buildings in a wide range of styles and from distinct time period. Gurgaon's skyline with its many skyscrapers is nationally recognized, and the city has been home to several tall buildings with modern planning. Gurgaon has an estimated 1,100 residential highrises.[12] The average cost of a 93-square-metre (1,000 sq ft) two-bedroom apartment at a decent condominium in Gurgaon is at least $160,130 (₹10,000,000).[12]
Neighborhoods
Essel Towers, Gurgaon
Gurgaon is divided into 36 wards, with each ward further divided into blocks. The housing type in the city consists largely of attached housing, though a large number of attached multi-dwelling units, including apartments, condominiums and high rise residential towers are getting popular. The top five condominiums in the city, as rated by The Times of India, are: Aralias, Hamilton Court, The World Spa, Gurgaon One and Raheja Atlantis.[13]
Parks
Gurgaon has a complex park system, with various lands operated by the Haryana Urban Development Authority. The key parks are Leisure Valley Park in Sector 29, which is spread over 15 hectares (36 acres); Tau Devi Lal Biodiversity Botanical Garden in Sector 52; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Park in Sector 14, popularly known as HUDA Garden; and Tau Devi Lal park in Sector 23. However, most of the parks in Gurgaon are small and ill-maintained.[14]
Culture
Entertainment and performing arts
Kingdom of Dreams
Languages and dialect
The main language spoken in Gurgaon is Hindi, though a segment of the population understands English. The dialect used in Hindi is similar to that of Delhi, and is considered neutral, though the regional influences from the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab adds an accent to the language. English is spoken with an Indian accent, with a primarily North Indian influence. Since Gurgaon has a large number of international call centres, the employees are usually given formal training in neutral pronunciation in order to be understandable to native English speakers. Haryanvi and Punjabi are other popular languages spoken in the city. The other regional languages include Mewati and Braj Bhasha.[15][16]
Religion
Sheetla Mata Mandir is a famous temple located in district Gurgaon of Haryana state of India. It is a temple dedicated to the wife of Guru Dronacharya.[17] The temple hosts fairs regularly and huge number of people come to seek blessings of Sheetla Mata every year. Sports
Economy
Once a small dusty agricultural village, Gurgaon has now emerged to become the city with the third highest per capita income in India.[2] Popularly known as Millennium City,[19] Gurgaon has the presence of about 250 or 50% of the Fortune 500 companies. Gurgaon's proximity to Delhi means easy access to political decision makers. Maruti Suzuki Private Limited was the first company that set up a manufacturing unit in the city in 1970s making cars.[3] Eventually, DLF Limited, a real estate company acquired vast stretches of land in the city. The first major American brand to set up a unit in Gurgaon was General Electric in 1997. GE's setup in Gurgaon prompted other companies, both international as well as domestic, to follow suit. Today, Gurgaon has emerged as one of the most important offshoring centers in the world,[20] providing outsourcing solutions in software, IT, service and sales through delivery facilities and call centers. However, due to the lack of proper public transport and the inability of most of the employees to afford a personal vehicle, most of the call centers provide pooled-in cars to and from their offices.[20] Apart from Business process outsourcing and IT sectors, the city is home to several other companies that specialize in domain expertise. Siemens Industry Software, in Gurgaon Business Park, made a portfolio of design software that was used by NASA to digitally design, simulate and assemble the vehicle before any physical prototypes were built.[20] Various international companies, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi,BMW, Agilent Technologies, have chosen Gurgaon to be their Indian corporate headquarters.[20]
