Sohna is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...

in the Gurugram district of

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. A popular tourist weekend and conference retreat, it is on the highway from Gurugram to Alwar near a vertical rock. Sohna is known for its

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

and

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

temple. Major communities in Sohna are Gurjars, Meo, Ahir, Rajput and Jaat. Gurugram district is divided into 4 sub-divisions each headed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM): Gurugram, Sohna, Pataudi and Badshahpur.

History

Founding of the city

Sohna, which, according to historical records, traces its origin from 11th century onward, was occupied by three races in succession: namely the

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

Kambhos, the Khanzadas and the Rajputs. Gazetteers mention that Nawab Qutb Khan Khanzada defeated the Kambhos and took over the town in 1570. The Khanzadas were expelled in 1620 by the Sisodia Rajputs. The Rajputs migrated to Sohna, who according to

myths Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

, obeyed the orders their patron saint who appeared in their dream indicating Sohna as their place of settlement.

Monuments

Sohna hotspring

Sohna hotsprings, in the foothills of the Aravalis, also has an ancient

temple. The temple was built by the Baba lakhi shah Banjara Banjara. A Gangasnan ''mela'' (fair) is held each November at the temple, and a fair is held each July and August to celebrate Teej. The hot springs in the temple are strongly sulphurous, and their temperature varies from . According to legend, Arjun (one of the five Pandav brothers) dug the wells when he was thirsty. Sohna is believed to have been the abode of hermits and the main ''kund'' (tank), Shiva Kund, is said to have medicinal properties. Devotees consider it sacred, and during eclipses and Somavati Amavasya they gather here to bathe in the water. The hilltop Barbet Resort, operated by Haryana Tourism, has sauna and steam-bath facilities, a small swimming pool, a park, lodging and a restaurant overlooking the town.Haryana Tourism - Barbet Resort
/ref>

Lake

Damdama Lake, known for its boating and picturesque surroundings, was created by building a

weir A weir or low-head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

on the South Delhi Ridge between Gurugram and Sohna. It lies in the Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor.

Mosque

Gora Barak Mosque has a minaret (''khamba'' in Hindi). The Quto Khan ki Masjid, built from local red sandstone, is in ruins. The Shah Nazam al haq Tomb is claimed to be built over a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

temple. The tomb has an inscription dating it to 1461, during the reign of Bahlul Khan Lodi of the Lodi dynasty of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

. Material from the

temple was used to build the tomb. It stands on a high platform with stone steps on one side leading to the entrance, inside which is a pillared hall. Decorative features include inscriptions in Arabic, pointed Islamic arches and floral patterns.Times of India: decaying Shah Nazam al Haq tomb
/ref> Educator Syed Ahmad Khan's grandfather is buried here, and notable Muslims were buried in the tomb complex of their favorite Sufi ''pirs''.

Gumbaz

Lal Gumbaz of Sohna (Red Dome) and Kala Gumbaz of Sohna (Black dome) are west of the town. The 400-year-old tomb called Lal Gumbad is located in the vicinity of Ansal's Orchid Estate. It is made entirely of stone, the structure has a 12-pillared (barakhamba) hall in the entrance arcade that is made of red sandstone crowned with a dome. Attached behind this is the main tomb in stone masonry with a larger dome, exhibiting hybrid architectural styles from Tughlaq and Lodhi periods.

Dargah

Nazam-ul-Haq dargah was built in 1461 during Lodi dynasty rule of Bahlul Lodi,Gurugram heritage
fridaygurgaon.com. likely by Khanzada Rajputs.

Demographics

In the 2001 India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Sohna had a population of 27,571. Males were 53 percent of the population, and females 47 percent. Sohna has a literacy rate of 63 percent, higher than the national average of 59.5 percent. Male literacy is 70 percent, and female literacy 54 percent. Seventeen percent of the population is under age six. Kunwar Sanjay Singh of the (BJP) Bharatiya Janata Party is the MLA for Sohna.

Economy

Rojka Meo industrial estate

The Rojka Meo industrial area in Raisika village to the south of Sohna, is a industrial area with 379 plots.2000
National Capital Region Directory
Page 472. It falls on NH-248A in the influence zone of, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Western Peripheral Expressway and also lies in NCR region.

Infrastructure

The Haryana government has drawn up a South Gurgaon Master Plan 2031, which will regulate housing. Western Dedicated Freight Corridor Passes through Sohna in Nuh District.

Real estate development

A master plan for the town was introduced in 2012. Divided into 38 sectors, the plan covers residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, transport, communications, utilities, public and semi-public use, open spaces and agricultural and conservation zones.

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Gurgaon district Forts in Haryana Hindu temples in Haryana Tourism in Haryana Tehsils in Haryana