Culture

Haryana has always remained a rendezvous for diverse races, cultures and faiths. It is on this soil that they met, fused and crystallized into something truly Indian. Hindu Saints and Sikh Gurus have traversed the land of Haryana spreading their message of universal love and brotherhood. Sihi in Faridabad, the birth place of great Hindi poet Surdas, is another nucleus of culture in Haryana while the legend of Lord Krishna is very evident in the lives of the people. The love for cattle and the abundance of milk in the diet of Haryanavis persists to this day which gave to the region world-wide fame.

The state is rich in folklore with the oldest extant romance being that of Sorath and Dhaj, Ror Kumar. The people of Haryana have their own traditions. The age old customs of meditation, Yoga and chanting of Vedic Mantras, are still observed by the masses. Famous yoga guru Swami Ramdev is from Mahendragarh in Haryana. Seasonal and religious festivals glorify the culture of this region.

Languages
Punjabi is also spoken by a lot of people in Haryana especially by those Hindus and Sikhs who came over from Pakistan. Punjabi is second official language of Haryana. Sanskrit is also taught in most of the schools in Haryana.

Fairs and Festivals
Surajkund Crafts Mela, Teej and Holi Festival, Baisakhi Festival (Pinjore), Mango Mela (Pinjore), Haryana Tourism Day, World Tourism Day, Pinjore Heritage Festival (Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore), Haryana Day , Geeta Jayanti Samaroh (Kurukeshetra) are festivals of haryana.

Pilgrims journey through Haryana
The pilgrim’s progress in Haryana is deeply rooted in devotion, legend and mythology. Though a number of temples dot the State, the focus of pilgrim movement in Haryana is concentrated in the 48-kosas of land that was once called Kurukshetra. The area covered 360 places of pilgrimage. Today, this area primarily covers centres of pilgrimage in modern Kurukshetra, Jyotisar, Thanesar and Pehowa towns.