If you are visiting Delhi then you might as well visit Gurgoan (also known as Gurugram). In recent years Gurgoan has seen rapid urbanization and has become an industrial hub. You can do plenty of things in Gurgoan such as visiting local parks and cinemas to spending time at the shopping malls. You will be able to visit Gurgoan and come back to Delhi the same day.
Gurgaon is a city located in Haryana, India and lies just south of Delhi, which is the nation’s capital. Over the last four decades, Gurgaon has become more urbanized with all of the Fortune 500 companies building their offices there. This increase in commercial real estate development links back to a piece of legislation passed in 1957 called the “Delhi Development Act.” This legislation gave the local government in Delhi control over all the real estate development that occurs within the vicinity of their city. One of their biggest acts was to ban all private real estate developers from constructing residential buildings. This paved the way for commercial real estate developers to building structures where businesses and companies could place themselves in. India’s largest commercial real estate developer named DLF Limited, or Delhi Land & Finance Limited, is mainly responsible for this.
After the Delhi Development Act was passed, DLF Limited purchased commercial land in Gurgaon for very cheap prices. In the 1970s, DLF Limited started a city project where they developed hotels and buildings under special economic zones on the commercial property they owned. As a result, an Indian car manufacturer named Maruti Suzuki India Limited came to Gurgaon and built their manufacturing plant there. This created more job opportunities for local residents of Delhi and gave an incentive for more Indian people to move to Gurgaon for employment. As the population continued to increase in the city, big companies started establishing local offices in Gurgaon to capitalize on this trend. As of today, over 250 companies on the Fortune 500 list have established local offices in Gurgaon. The city has become one of India’s largest industrial and financial hubs and has the 3rd highest income per capita out of any other city in the nation.
Gurgaon is often referred to as the “cyber hub of India” because of all the companies that have moved there. Most of them reside in an industrial park within the city centre known as the DLF Cyber City. This is named after DLF Limited because it owns the buildings and property where the companies are located. The “cyber” part of the name is in reference to the futuristic look of the buildings that you won’t see anywhere else. Westerners who visit DLF Cyber City compare the hub to New York City in terms of their economic influences over their respective countries. The industrial park which houses these companies in Gurgaon is considered to be the “Time Squares” of India.
Some of the city’s most noticeable buildings include Gateway Tower, the Cyber Green building, and the Innov8 building. These buildings aren’t just typical skyscrapers that look like vertical blocks. They look like something that no one has ever seen before in the present. For example, the Cyber Green building has a series of solar panels that go from the top of the building down to the bottom. As for the Gateway Tower, it has a narrow oval shape that is recognizable to anyone who sees it. In fact, the majority of the buildings in the Cyber Hub area have glass windows everywhere. Between the glass, the solar panels and the oval-shaped buildings, you will certainly feel like you are in a futuristic setting. Some of the corporate tenants you will find in these buildings include Pepsi, Shell, Discovery Channel, Google, IBM, Phillips, Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, Samsung, LinkedIn, Expedia, Canon, Yahoo, and others.
Gurgaon is a city filled with skyscrapers, office blocks made of glass and steel, golf courses, and shopping malls. Due to the increasing population, they even have towering residential apartment buildings now. These apartment buildings come with an array of accommodations including swimming pools, gymnasiums, security, tennis courts, Wi-Fi, and more. The interiors contain laminated wooden flooring with marble and walls painted with acrylic emulsion. These high-end apartments are typically occupied by wealthier people who either have a second home in Gurgaon or work for one of the Fortune 500 companies located in the city. As for the lower-level workers, they can still live in Delhi and commute to Gurgaon for work just as easily. Gurgaon is a critical factor in India’s growing economy and is continuing to grow as we proceed further into the 21st century.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon governs the city. Gurgaon has a relatively low crime rate for a city because of the job opportunities there and the high level of police presence. The biggest problem in the city is the traffic congestion. With Indira Gandhi International Airport being so close to the city, tourists are adding more traffic congestion to the roads. Because of this, Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon was developed in the city so there would be a railway connection to Delhi Metro. There is a total of six railway stations for Rapid MetroRail within DLF Cyber City. This gives people more options to travel throughout the city at a faster rate. If you don’t want to travel by train then you can drive on the National Highway 8, or NH-8, from Delhi right into the Cyber City.
There are lots of places to visit in Gurgoan and I have listed my top ones below. If you are planning to visit Delhi then you can try flights deals from travelguru.com as they seem to have good deals. You can either take a day trip or you can spend a few days in Gurgoan if you like. If you do plan to stay then check out some of the deals here on OYO rooms coupons for Gurgaon City.
Gurgoan attractions
Cyber Hub: This place is perhaps the most happening place in the National Capital Region. It’s like a big shopping complex with a large number of good restaurants and bars.
Address: DLF Cyber City, Phase 3, NH 8, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002
Kingdom of Dreams: If you are into art, culture, heritage, craft, cuisine and performing art then this is the place you should be visiting. It’s a place where you can watch live theatre. It has two main sections “Nautanki Mahal” and the “Showshaa Theatre” and has an arts, crafts and food boulevard section called the “Culture Gully”.
Address: Auditorium Complex, Near IFCCO Metro Station, Sector 29, Gurgaon, Haryana 122001
Sultanpur National Park Bird Sanctuary: As the name suggests, it’s a sanctuary for migratory birds coming from Europe, Siberia and Central Asia.
Address: Gurgaon-Farrukh Nagar Road, Sultanpur, Gurgaon, Haryana 122506
NeverEnuf Garden Railway: If you like trains then you will like this. It’s a place where miniature trains are displayed. Children will love it and it makes a great day out with the family.
Address: Para, Haryana 122105
Image credits: Os Rupais and Harsh Mangal.
