MILLENNIUM CITY___REVISITED

             

 

Gurugram, earlier known as Gurgaon, has been in existence since the times of  Mahabharata. It was historically inhabited by the Hindus and formed a part of kingdom ruled over by Ahir Clan. It is said that Yudhishter, the eldest brother among the Pandavas, gave the village to Guru Dronacharya (teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas) as dakshina. 

2. Gurugram, the second largest city in the state of Haryana, also referred as the Millennium City, is located in National Capital Region( NCR).  As per 2011 Census, it has population of 15.14 lacs with a density of 1241 inhabitants per sq. km.  Literacy rate is 84.4% and sex ratio is 853 females per 1000 males.  The city is easily accessible from all parts of India due to its close proximity to International Indira Gandhi Airport, Delhi. Apart from this, it has excellent network of rail and road connectivity. Gurugram is characterised by its hot semi-arid climate. The weather in Gurgaon is humid in summer and cold in winter.   Previously  known as a sleepy agriculture town,  is now comparable with Singapore. 

3. Industrialisation of Gurugram began with the establishment of a car manufacturing plant in early seventies. Subsequently, its collaboration with Suzuki Motor of Japan and Maruti Udyog in 1980 gave an impetus to the rapid and tremendous industrial growth. Today, in fact, over 250 of Fortune 500 companies find a place in the district either as their Corporate Office, Headquarters, Regional Centres, Operational Centres or R&D facilities etc. ( Fortune 500, as we know, is a list published by Fortune magazine annually ranking the top 500 companies in the USA by their gross revenue). 

4. Over a period of time, Gurugram has emerged as an industrial hub/magnet because of its robust infra structure and being in National Capital Region (NCR). Excellent connectivity be it Air, Rail or Road link, as discussed above, has played a vital role in its speedy Industrialisation .  Reputed companies from different sectors/spheres of economy such as Automobile, Manufacturing, Telecom, IT, Chemical and Banking  are  well established here. A few examples, under different sectors/spaces are as under:

                             (a) Telecom Sector:

                           Bharati Airtel Limited, Indus Towers Limited, Hayat Communications,                                   Motorola   Mobility India Pvt. Ltd., Oppo Mobiles India Pvt. Ltd.

                            (b) Manufacture Sector:

 Carrier Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Limited, Lumax Industries Ltd.,    Dhanuka  Agritech Limited, Denso Haryana Private Ltd., 

                            (c) Automobile Space:

 Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt. Ltd., QH Talbros,   Pricol Ltd. Hero MotoCorp Limited.

                            (d) Information Technology ( IT) companies:

 Gurugram is the second-biggest IT hub in the Asia-Pacific area. A few top   ranking IT companies in the city are Tata Consultancy, Infosys, Sapient,   Accenture ,Tech Mahindra, Genpact, Wipro and  NIIT Technology etc.   Many of these IT & Fortune 500  companies are, in fact, concentrated  in   DLF Cyber   City, a Corporate/ Business  park. It is considered one of the   largest hubs   of IT activity in Delhi NCR. In fact, it has over a period of   time emerged a sought-after destination for MNCs.

5. Not only remarkable achievement in industrial development, Gurugram has also emerged, with  establishment of 15 Unicorns, as the third largest city in India as far as number of Unicorns is concerned. For instance, Cars24, Delhivery, PolicyBazar, Urban Company  and Rivigo are a few well known Unicorns  established in  the Gurugram. This apart, there are approx. 3500 Start-ups in the city. Start-up is defined as young company founded by one or more entrepreneurs for developing  unique and  new products/services whereas Unicorn is a privately held up Start-up company valued at $ 1 billion.

6.  Gurugram has a mixed health-care system, inclusive of public and private health-care service provider.  However, there is a distinct dominance of private medical health-care hospitals. It is a home to India's largest medical tourism industry. The city is fast becoming a global medical tourism destination as it provides health care facilities not only to neighboring countries  but also other parts of world. It has certain top-end multi-super specialty hospitals  such as 

• Medanta , The Medicity
• Artemis Hospital
• Max Hospital
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute
• Narayana Super Specialty Hospital

and several others. Low cost and affordable treatment particularly for foreigners, experienced and highly qualified doctors of international standards, state-of-the-art medical facilities, cutting edge technology coupled with world class medical equipment and infra-structure are some of the critical factors that are contributing significantly in boosting of Health Tourism.

7. Places of interest in and around Gurugram:

                             (a) Sheetla Mata Temple: 

An ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Shitala , wife of Guru Dronacharya who was teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas.  The shrine is very famous

 

                   

and visited by a large number of people/devotees particularly during Navaratri and other festivals.  Without paying a visit to the shrine, the visit to Gurugram cannot be considered complete.

                             (b) Damdama Lake:

Damdama, a natural lake, is  another  attraction for the tourists around the city. One can  also go for nature walks in the nearby Aravalli hills.  The lake, a picnic spot, has a number of facilities such as para  sailing, kayaking, cycling, angling, rock climbing, valley            crossing. Relaxing and re-creation place for a day, at        least, for the entire family. 

               (c) Aravali Biodiversity Park:

                    Aravali Biodiversity Park created from an old stone 

                   

 

quarry that  is spread across 392 acres. A joint venture of Municipal Corporation, Gurgaon and Iamgurgaon , a citizen  initiative group. The park is becoming a small sanctuary of endangered and rare plants of the North Aravali. A place where one can enjoy the beauty of 

                                           

nature.  It has a very big walking track. Good place for morning walkers and relaxation. 

(d) Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary: is another beautiful place of interest at a distance of about 15 km from the city.  It covers approximately 142.62 hectares. A bird watchers' paradise, indeed. During winter, the sanctuary provides a picturesque panorama of migratory birds. December to February is the best period to visit the Park.  Incidentally,  recently on 12th        December,2022 (Monday), a white-tailed eagle made a rare appearance in the Park, its first sighting in Haryana in six years. This species spend winters in coastal areas but spotting at park is a rare phenomena.  

8.  A destination for investors and homebuyers :

Today, Gurugram is a real estate hotspot.  It has become a popular destination both for investors as well as  homebuyers. Its excellent connectivity , world class urban facilities , quality infrastructure, big malls and luxurious lifestyle, emerging employment opportunities and ample residential choices attract people from all over the country as well as abroad.  People from all sphere of life from different States are contributing towards overall progress and culture of the beautiful city.

                           Enjoying retirement life in this wonderful city.                                                                  

                                         @@@@@@@