INTRODUCTION
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I was born in Calcutta but moved to Gurgaon (South of Delhi) with my parents at the age of 12 and have lived there till 1999 until I moved to London 5 years back. This review is a tribute to a place where I spent all my teenage years. Unfortunately even ... Read review
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Advantages: Scenary, Lakes, Modern and Ancient architecture, Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping and great food. Disadvantages: Poor local authorities and everything run by Public sector.
...in Calcutta but moved to Gurgaon (South of Delhi) with my parents at the age of 12 and have lived there till 1999 until I moved to London 5 years back. This review is a tribute to a place where I spent all my teenage years. Unfortunately even Lonely Planet has not covered this place in its India book, as Gurgaon has gained prominence in recent times.
Gurgaon used to be a small village north-west of India situated near the border of ... ...jurisdiction of state of Haryana. Gurgaon is now a city in itself booming to be the capital of corporate India.
HISTORY
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The city (earlier village) is named after Guru Dronacharya; who was offered the village as gurudakshina (the tradition of giving a gift to your teacher after completion of learning) by his students. The word Gaon means village in Hindi and there are hundreds and thousands of them ... more
INTRODUCTION ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I was born in Calcutta but moved to Gurgaon (South of Delhi) with my parents at the age of 12 and have lived there till 1999 until I moved to London 5 years back. This review is a tribute to a place where I spent all my teenage years. Unfortunately even Lonely Planet has not covered this place in its India book, as Gurgaon has gained prominence in recent times.
Gurgaon used to be a small village north-west of India situated near the border of Delhi and very near to the state of Rajasthan. Now physically it is shared by National Capital region of Delhi but falls under the jurisdiction of state of Haryana. Gurgaon is now a city in itself booming to be the capital of corporate India.
HISTORY ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The city (earlier village) is named after Guru Dronacharya; who was offered the village as gurudakshina (the tradition of giving a gift to your teacher after completion of learning) by his students. The word Gaon means village in Hindi and there are hundreds and thousands of them in India. This place is over 2500 years old and slowly becoming a new Monaco.
GURGAON as of Today ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gurgaon is the hub of MNC investment in India after Bangalore. It boasts to be the corporate headquarters of companies like GE capital, Maruti Suzuki, American Express, IBM, British Airways, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Gillette, Motorola, Mckinsey, Rolls Royce, Nestle and the list goes on. It also boasts over 70 shopping malls with state of the art facilities and retail showrooms. Gurgaon was a place which didn’t have even proper electricity 3 decades back now hosts Neon billboards of showrooms of brands like M&S, Tommy Hillfiger, Haagen Daz, Nike, Reebok, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Levi’s and Benetton.
Due to huge investment in the region, the employment opportunity is at its best and people have a very high purchasing power. It’s a haven for Property Investors as its boasts Asia’s Largest private township called DLF city with lots of sky scrapers and top infrastructure. Infact, those of you who have watched the film, Monsoon Wedding; many of the shots of the film were taken in Gurgaon.
Ways to reach Gurgaon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Air: Indira Gandhi International Airport, at New Delhi is the nearest Airport which is hardly 7 miles from Gurgaon, hence very convenient for travellers going to Delhi to come to Gugaon.
Road: It is connected by National Highway 8 (equivalent of Motorways in UK). There are several state transport buses connecting Gurgaon to neighbouring cities like Delhi.
Local Transport: Private buses, Taxis, Auto Rickshaws (it’s a motored 3 wheeler very popular in India) and Underground Metro currently being built and not completing till 2008.
MONEY ^^^^^^^^^^^^ The currency used is Indian National Rupees (INR) equivalent to £1 = Rs. 80. To explain you the relative value of Rs. 80; A BigMac Mcdonalds meal comes for Rs. 80 in Gurgaon. There are several banks and ATMs where you can withdraw INR using your any debit and credit card. For those of you carrying traveller cheques, Thomas Cook and Americal Express are based in Gurgaon to sort Foreign Exchange for you. Isn’t that amazing for a place which used be a run down village till 2 decades back.
SIGHTSEEING (Places of Interest) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sohna: Sohna is a beautiful hilly are completely covered with mustard fields which look like Gold, therefore the name Sohna which means Gold in Hindi. The town is very famous for its beautiful and comforting hot springs.
Nuh: Nuh has the Mosque and tomb of King Bahadur Khan Nahir. These buildings are made with intricate use of red sandstone and Grey quartzite. The buildings are over 800 years old.
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary & Lake: This is a haven for Bird watchers and lovers just 10 Km from Gurgaon. It was found by Peter Jackson. One can see several species of migrant birds from Europe and Siberia. There are watch tower facilities for bird observation and camping facilites for hire as well.
Damdama Lake: Damdama Lake is a beautiful lake with tourist facilities like Lake Restaurant, bar, motel wing, hovercraft, lawns and camping site, adventure activities and lake for boating. A very romantic place perfect for going on dates and stuff. Hint: Tonnes of hiding places.
Best time to Visit ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Autumn months of September to November and Spring months of February to April are best time to visit Gurgaon. Summers are extremely hot with temperatures ranging from 35 – 50 degrees and winters are extremely cold and dry.
Language ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Most commonly spoken language is Hindi but a sub-dialect accent exists. But many can speak in English. Festivals Festivals and fairs are an important aspect of Gurgaon life. The common festivals celebrated are Holi (colours), Janam Ashtami (birth of Lord Krishna), Dussehra and Diwali (lights and fireworks).
Places to Stay in and near Gurgaon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There are several hotels and Guesthouses but these are the few famous ones. The Bristol Hotel( 5 *): Adajacent to DLF Qutab Enclave Phase-I, Gurgaon The Radisson Hotel(5 *):Near IGI airport. The Plaza Solitaire: Delhi-Gurgaon Road, Sector-14, Gurgaon
Otherwise you are most welcome to stay with my family there and many of my friends from UK have in the past.
SHOPPING ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It has several shopping malls and boasts of all major global major brands apart from obvious Indian Brand products. It also has lots of local emporiums. silver is very cheap and its the best place to buy Asian women's fashion accessories.
ENTERTAINMENT ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Several Multiplex cinemas with all latest Bollywood and Hollywood / English films running, could be seen. Many clubs for great nightlife entertainment with great themes and huge range of restaurants from Bar Buddha Lounge to TGIF are the choices available. Also the most authentic Indian and the best in world cuisine is available if one is missing home food.
It also boasts world’s one of the best 18 hole Golf Courses artificially made on a barren land and PGA tour is coming here in 2 years. Night golf can also be played there. Membership costs are sky rocketing.
Go-karting and bowling venues are very popular as well.
Health ^^^^^^^^^ It’s a very neat and clean place compared to many places in India. There are several private hospitals and clinics in the vicinity. Medical treatment privately is recommended as its quite reasonable and medicines are low priced. No matter what, dont go to a Government Hospital.
Visa ^^^^^^ Europeans would need a Republic of India visa to enter. The Embassy in London is in Aldwych near India Place next to BBC office.
Women Traveller's ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Its very friendly city but not the safest of places for women traveller's at night.
Costs ^^^^^^^^ Taking India as an axis of comparison Gurgaon is very expensive, but still quite reasonable when it comes to UK standards and UK and EU travellers.
I’m hope you enjoyed the review. Don’t hesitate to contact me regarding any questions or visiting plans to that part of country.
