Saharanpur

Saharanpur is located in Saharanpur District, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The town is famous for its cottage industries, wood carving and historical heritage. It is also a big transit hub between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and houses the famous university Dar-ul-uloom. Its distance from the Indian capital city, New Delhi, is only 120 km.

Saharanpur has a long and rich history. Excavation has revealed settlements as old as 2000 BC here. The region also features prominently during the Aryan civilisation. The Delhi Sultanate claimed the city in the medieval period. It was during this period that a Sufi saint by the name Shah Huron made the city his home. The city was named after this saint initially. It was called Shah Huron Pur.  

Later, the city figured in the 1857 rebellion as well. Some of the nationalist Muslim leaders who went on to establish Dar-ul-Uloom University undertook the mutiny in the city. The Dar-ul-Uloom University of Deoband has the reputation of producing hundreds of Muslim theologians and jurists. Maulana Nanautvi and Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi were the founders of this University, established in the year 1867.

The founders wanted to raise religious and social consciousness through peace and brotherhood. The Deoband Madarsa made efforts to enlighten Muslims and bring about a feeling of national unity. The school went on to play an important role in the revolutionary activities aimed at driving the British out of India.

Some of the sightseeing options include the Botanical Gardens, especially the Company Garden, established by the British East India Company. This garden has been particularly used by environmentalists for botanical research. The Lord Shiva Temple in the nearby area of Barsi is more than 5000 years old.

There are many other temples in the region, like Pataleshwar Temple, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Bhuteshwar Temple and Sai Baba Dham, all of which are considered very sacred. The Ambedkar Park and all the colonial buildings in Saharanpur also form a big part of the tourist attraction in the area.

Saharanpur is also famous for its high quality wooden furniture which is exported to different parts of India as well as abroad. It is also known for its Basmati rice.

The best season to visit Saharanpur is October to March. Winter temperatures range from 25° Celsius to 5° Celsius and in the summer the temperature range is 43° Celsius to 30° Celsius. The languages spoken here are Hindi and Urdu. The closest airport is the New Delhi Airport and the closest railhead is Saharanpur junction.