Sonipat also spelled as Sonepat, is an ancient town and a municipal council

Municipal council

A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...

 in Sonipat district

Sonipat district

Sonipat district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. Sonipat town is the district headquarters. It is a part of National Capital Region along with Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat, Palwal, Rewari, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Panipat, Alwar, Bhiwadi Industrial Town, Noida,...

 in the state

States and territories of India

India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...

 of Haryana

Haryana

Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It comes under National Capital Region and is 45 km north of Delhi. The Yamuna River runs along the eastern boundary of the district. Sonipat comprises 3 sub-divisions namely Sonipat, Ganaur and Gohana and seven blocks (Sonipat, Ganaur

Ganaur

Ganaur is a city and a municipal committee in Sonipat district in the state of Haryana, India.- Demographics : India census, Ganaur had a population of 29,005. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Ganaur has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of...

, Rai

Rai

Rai may refer to:Acronyms*RAI, radioactive iodine, in the medical context of the treatment of thyroid problems*RAI, Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italian public broadcasting*Praia International Airport in Cape Verde, IATA airport code...

, Kharkhoda

Kharkhoda (Haryana)

Kharkhoda is a city, the administrative headquarters of Kharkhoda Tehsil and a municipal committee in Sonipat district in the Indian state of Haryana.In kharkhoda there is a temple of lord shiva which is very popular within the connected villages at the time of shivratri a huge number of tourists...

, Gohana

Gohana

Gohana is a town and a municipal committee in Sonipat district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Gohana is located at . It has an average elevation of 225 metres .-Demographics:...

, Kathura and Mundlana). Its been carved out of Rohtak

Rohtak

Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...

 and made a full fledged district on 22 December 1972.

Its believed that Sonipat was founded as Swarnaprastha by the five Pandava

Pandava

In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...

 brothers during the times of Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

. Another legend ascribed it to Raja Soni, the thirteenth descendent of Arjuna, one of the Pandava

Pandava

In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...

 brothers.

Sonipat is famous for its monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

 time sweet dish Ghevar

Ghevar

Ghevar is a famous Rajasthani sweet traditionally associated with the Teej Festival. It is disc-shaped, and made from oil, flour and sugar syrup...

 and for its Dhaba

Dhaba

In India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas In India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas In India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas (singular: dhaba; In India...

s (local restaurants) at Murthal on Grand Trunk Road

Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...

.

Geography

Sonipat is located at 28.98°N 77.02°E.

Sonipat borders Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 (National Capital) in south, Panipat

Panipat

Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...

 district in the north, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

 state in the east and Rohtak

Rohtak

Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...

 district in the west. It has an average elevation of 224.15 meter above the sea level (735.4 feet). The total area of Sonipat district is 2,260 km².

Demographics

India census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Population of Sonipat is 1,279,175 with a sex ratio of 839 women per 1000 men. The growth rate(1991–2001) of population is 22.36%.

Sonipat has an average literacy rate of 72.79%(male literacy: 83.06%, female literacy: 60.68%). Males constitute 54.38% of the population and females 45.62%.

Ancient History

According to legend, Sonipat was earlier known as Sonprastha, which later on became Swarnprastha, meaning the "Golden City": derived from two Sanskrit words, Swarn (Gold) and Prastha (Place). Over a period of time, the classical name Swarnprasth's pronunciation degraded into Swarnpath, and then to its current form, Sonipat.

The another reference of this city comes in the epic Mahabharata, and at that time, it was one of the five villages demanded by the Pandavas in lieu of the kingdom of Hastinapur. The other four villages were Panprastha (Panipat

Panipat

Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...

), Baghprastha (Baghpat), Tilprastha (Tilpat

Tilpat

Tilpat is a census town in Faridabad district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Demographics: India census, Tilpat had a population of 6377. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Tilpat has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...

) and Indraprastha.

Places of Interest

Khwaja Khizar Tomb
Tomb of Khwaja Khizar houses the remains of the saint who lived during the rule of Ibrahim Lodhi

Ibrahim Lodhi

Ibrahim Lodi was one of the ruler of the Lodi dynasty who became the last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate in India. He was an Afghan who ruled over much of northern India from 1517 to 1526, when he was defeated by Babur's army.Lodi attained the throne upon the death of his father, Sikandar Lodi,...

. The structure was built in the periods between 1522 and 1525 AD. Khwaja Khizr was Darya Khan's son. Tomb stands on an elevated platform. It is one of the few monuments where red sandstone along with ‘kankar’ blocks have been used.

The ceiling is decorative and comprises floral designs that come in multicolors. The hues of yellow, red, and green make the ceiling quite colorful. The cenotaph chamber is surrounded by a dome-shaped structure which rests on a small drum of octagonal shape. Now its under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India

Archaeological Survey of India

The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...

 (ASI) and surrounded by 4 acre of lush green gardens.

Yamuna River

Main water system in the district comprises River Yamuna and the irrigation canals flowing out of it. The river flows besides the rural belt in the eastern side of district. It also acts as a natural boundary between state of Haryana and the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Temples

Atlas Shri Ram Temple is the one of the oldest temple in Sonipat. During the Janmashtami(birth anniversary of Lord Krishna) it is beautifully decorated and illuminated. Shiv Temple having a big statue of Lord Shiva. It is situated on Sonipat-Murthal road. Baba Dham is one of the attractive religious place in city. Shankar Kui is one of the oldest temple in Sonepat and his age need to be discovered. Its having many small temples in it (Radha Krishana Temple, Shiv Temple, Shani Temple, Sai Temple and many more) and also two big statue of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman. Mata Chintpurni Mandir situated in Sector 14. Sai Dham is situated on Sonipat By-Pass road.

Churches

• Methodist Mission Church at Mission School Campus near Mission Chowk.

• Holy Child Church at Holy Child School Campus, Patel Nagar.

Mughal Buildings

At the outskirts of the city one can enjoy the site of Mughal Buildings which lie unprotected. Among them is the Mosque of Abdullah Nasir-ud-din, who was a descendant from Mushid of Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

.

Industries

Atlas Cycle Industry
When the car company Maruti was less well known, more than 95% of India's vehicle-owning population owned a bicycle. That time Sonipat was the home of one of the biggest cycle manufacturer - Atlas cycle.

Atlas Cycles started its odyssey way back in 1951 and today it is one of the largest manufacturer of bicycles in the world. Now, Atlas Cycles (Sonepat) has also bagged ISO 9001: 2000 certificate by implementing the latest International Quality Management System.

Electric Construction & Equipment Co. Ltd.
A Company of B. K. Birla Group which is well known as E.C.E. or Birla Company. Which manufactures Transformer

Transformer

A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...

 and Switchgear

Switchgear

The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...

. It is situated near Sector 12.

OSRAM INDIA
Former it was the part of E.C.E. On October 1998 it was acquired by OSRAM. The OSRAM plant in Sonipat is the fourth in India and the seventh in the world to be awarded the Best4 (Business Excellence Sustainability Task) Integrated Management certification by RINA. The Sonepat Plant has also been honored with the Siemens Environmental Award 2006. It manufactures Electric Bulb, Compact Fluorescent Lamp

Compact fluorescent lamp

A compact fluorescent lamp , also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light, and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp; some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps...

 (CFL) and Tubelight.

LT Overseas
LT Overseas is a global rice food company.Daawat Rice is their product. It is one of the major organization in Haryana involved in milling, processing and marketing of branded basmati rice. LT Overseas Sonipat rice processing plant is Asia's only plant with SQF Certification. It is situated on NH 1.

In Sonipat there are many Industrial Areas which are having numerous number of micro, small and medium scale industries.

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University Of Science and Technology is situated at the Sonepat-Murthal road is the University in the field of Science & Technology in Haryana. Earlier, it was known as Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering. It is spread over 274 acres (1.1 km²) of land and is in very congenial rural environmental setting providing for an ideal place for attaining excellence in Education and Research.It offers Undergraduate programmes in Applied Sciences, Architecture, Bio-Medical Engineering, Bio-technology, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Management, English Communication, M.SC. in all Subject etc. The university proposes to set up Centre of Excellence in the fields of Highway Safety, Estate Management, Energy Studies, Community Development and Business Incubation. Besides the Undergraduate Programmes Post Graduate Programmes are available in most of the Subjects.

O.P. Jindal Global University

O.P. Jindal Global University is a non-profit global university established by the Haryana Private Universities (Second Amendment) Act, 2009. JGU is established in memory of the Mr. O.P. Jindal as a philanthropic initiative of Mr. Naveen Jindal, the Founding Chancellor. The University Grants Commission has accorded its recognition to O.P. Jindal Global University. The vision of JGU is to promote global courses, global programmes, global curriculum, global research, global collaborations, and global interaction through a global faculty. JGU is situated on a 60-acre state of the art residential campus. JGU’s global vision is also recognised by many institutions worldwide and has enabled JGU to develop international collaborations with the United Nations University, Harvard University, Yale University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, New York University, King’s College London, University of Cambridge, and many other reputed universities and educational institutions worldwide. JGU has established four schools: Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) and Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP).

Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya

This is the First university for Woman in North India situated at Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat. The University has 185 acre (0.7486691 km²) existing campus and there is a proposal to acquire 450 acres (1.8 km²) of more land. It promises a world class infrastructure in the University. The proposed direct road connectivity with the National Highway no.1 (Sher Shah Suri Marg / GT Road) will substantially reduce its distance from Delhi. The University has various Institutions running, a Central Library, hostels for the students and Faculty houses for the Lecturers. New Institutions and Teaching blocks for the existing and proposed new courses with the latest infrastructure, hostels, modern Faculty Houses and Staff Houses are coming up fast. Apart from this, a new Central Library with all the modern facilities, Auditoriums for co-curricular and extracurricular activities and indoor and outdoor stadiums for sports activities are proposed in the next phase of construction which will cater to the demands of about 10000 students.

Many thousand students, already enrolled, with the various colleges of the university are getting education and training in professional courses like BAMS, B.Ed, D.Ed, Diploma in Electronics and Communication, Computer Engineering, Pharmacy, Library and Information Science, MLT, IT and Modern Office Practice. Five year and three year LLB courses are imparted at PSD Girls Law College. To crown all these efforts are the Learning Resource Centres in the University which train all the students, irrespective of their professional field, in English.

Colleges

The Sonipat Hindu Educational & Charitable society has been active since 1914 and has established 14 institutions offering programmes at secondary, senior secondary, graduate and post graduate levels in the fields of Science, Arts, Commerce, Pharmacy, Education, Engineering and Technology. The number of students in all these institutions is over 20,000. Hindu Boys College, Hindu Girls College, Hindu College of Education, Hindu College of Pharmacy, Hindu Institute of Management, Hindu Institute of Technology, Hindu College OF Engineering are the colleges which is being run by this Society.

Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Gita bhawan (Regd.) Sonipat is a another charitable trust which is very active in the field of education in city. Society is running Gita Vidya Mandir College of Pharmacy and Gita Vidya Mandir Girls College in Sonipat.

There are many colleges in the field of Arts, Commerce, Hospitality, Pharmacy, Education, Engineering, Technology and Management. Some of them are Bhagwan Mahaveer Institute of Engineering & Technology, Bhagwan Parshuram College of Engineering, Bharat Institute of Technology, CRA College, Delhi Institute of Technology & Management, Gateway College of Architecture & Design, Gateway Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gateway Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Govt. Polytechnic, Royal Institute of Management and Technology, Shri Balwant Institute of Technology, South Point Women Institute of Engineering, Tek Chand Mann College of Engineering, Tika Ram P.G. Girls College and many another.

Schools

• Motilal Nehru School Of Sports

• Apollo International School

• C.R.Z. Sr. Sec. School

• D.A.V. Multi Purpose Public School

• Gateway International School

• Gita Vidya Mandir

• Golden Era

• Haryana School

• Hindu Kanya Sr. Sec. School

• Hindu Sr. Sec. School

• Hindu Vidyapeeth

• Holy Child School Sonipat

• Jankidas Kapoor Public School

• Little Angels Sr. Sec. School

• Malviya Shiksha Sadan

• Rishikul Vidyapeeth

• Shambhu Dayal Modern School

• Shiva Shiksha Sadan

• S.M.Hindu Sr. Sec. School

• Springbird Auxillium School

• Swarnprastha Public School

• The Vedic Era
• Rishiku Vidyapeeth