Hansi

Hansi is an ancient fort town situated in the Hisar district of the State of Haryana near New Delhi. Hansi, once a prosperous city, is now a famous tourist destination owing to its ancient forts and historical monuments.

Hansi is located at a distance of about 28 km from Hisar on National Highway 10. Hansi has 5 entry points. The Delhi Gate is on the east, Hisar is on the west, the Gosain Gate is in the north-west and the Barsi and Umra Gate are on the south and south-west respectively. The most prominent among these is the Barsi Gate built by Alauddin Khilji in the year 1304, which is located towards the centre of Hansi Bazaar.

Hansi had been conquered by several rulers over the ages. The influences of varied cultures like Hinduism, Jainism, Islamic and British can be found in Hansi. The ancient city of Hansi was founded by Asa Ram Jat. Great rulers like Shahjahan, Prithvi Raj Chauhan, and Anangpal Tomar visited Hansi and left their cultural imprints in the form of forts, tombs, mosques and shrines.

Hansi was once the centre of sword manufacturing and trading company which was established by King Prithvi Raj Chauhan. These swords were famous for their excellent quality in the Middle East countries.

Hansi was acquired by Rajputs, Marathas and the British and was subjected to their overpowering cultural influences in the past. The names of saints like Baba Farid, the Sufi saint, Jagganath Puri, the Hindu saint and Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of the Sikhs are associated with Hansi.

The famous military adventurer of Ireland, George Thomas (1756 – 1802) built a kingdom of his own in Haryana and made Hansi his capital city. The East India Company took over his Kingdom in the year 1802 when it came under the British rule.

Today, Hansi is a well known destination among historians due to the famous relics that belong to the bygone era. Hansi is a favourite among archeologists as well since the Hisar district to which Hansi belongs to, was once the seat of the Harappa civilisation. Coins, painted grey wares, etc. of the Yaudheya dynasty (500 BC – 1200 AC) were excavated from the ancient fort city of Hansi.

Some of the prominent centres of tourist attraction at Hansi are the Barsi Gate, Hansi Fort, Fort of Prithviraj Chauhan, etc. Today, due to its vast and rich cultural and religious past, Hansi attracts a lot of tourists.