Haryana: Society, Culture and Language · HCS (Haryana)

What the official syllabus says

HCS Preliminary Examination, Paper I: General Studies:

Haryana-Economy and people. Social, economic and culture institutions and language of Haryana.

This page covers the "people", the "social, economic and culture institutions" and the "language" of the Haryana line.

Rural, agrarian society; the village, the chaupal and the joint family
Communities and their regions, such as the Meos of Mewat, the Ahirs of Ahirwal, the Bishnois of the Sirsa-Hisar-Fatehabad tract; Punjabi settlers after Partition
Traditional clan councils (khaps) and their place in society
Akharas and the sporting culture of the state: wrestling, boxing, kabaddi, athletics
Religious and reform institutions: the Arya Samaj, gurukuls (Kurukshetra, Jhajjar), deras and maths
Social issues: the sex ratio, female education, purdah (ghunghat), dowry, drug abuse; reform campaigns

Cooperatives: HAFED, the dairy cooperative federation (Vita), cooperative sugar mills, cooperative banks
The Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank and other rural credit institutions
State corporations: Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Haryana Financial Corporation, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran
The mandi system and the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board

Universities: Kurukshetra University (1956), Maharshi Dayanand University (Rohtak), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (Hisar), Guru Jambheshwar University (Hisar), Central University of Haryana (Mahendragarh)
National institutions in the state: NIT Kurukshetra, IIM Rohtak, PGIMS Rohtak
State academies for literature, language and the arts
Museums: Dharohar (Kurukshetra University), the Gurukul Jhajjar museum

Hindi as the official language; Punjabi as the second language
Haryanvi and its dialects and their regions: Bangru (central), Ahirwati (south), Mewati (Nuh), Bagri (west), Brajbhasha (Palwal and Faridabad), Kauravi (along the Yamuna)
Folk literature: proverbs, riddles, folk songs of seasons, festivals and weddings
Saint poets such as Garib Das of Chhudani (Jhajjar)
Saang poets: Pandit Lakhmi Chand (called the Surya Kavi of Haryana), Pandit Mange Ram, Baje Bhagat, Pandit Deep Chand
Modern Hindi, Haryanvi, Punjabi, Urdu and Sanskrit writing in the state

Saang (Swang): the folk theatre of Haryana; Ragini singing
Folk dances: Phag, Loor, Khoria, Ghoomar, Dhamal, Gugga, Chhathi, Jhumar, Teej dances
Folk instruments: been, dhol, nagara, dholak, damru, ektara, sarangi, chimta, khartal, shehnai, bansuri

Teej, Gugga Naumi, Sanjhi (wall art made by girls during Navratri), Holi and Dulhendi
Fairs at Kurukshetra (solar eclipse fair, the International Gita Mahotsav), Kapal Mochan (Yamunanagar), Pehowa, Pharal (Kaithal), Mansa Devi (Panchkula), Sheetla Mata (Gurugram), Asthal Bohar (Rohtak)
The Surajkund International Crafts Mela (Faridabad), held every year

Crafts: Phulkari and Bagh embroidery, durries (including the panja durrie of Panipat), pottery, brassware, munj and sarkanda basketry, juttis
Traditional dress: daaman, kurti and odhni; dhoti, kurta and pagri
Food: bajra and makki roti, kadhi, churma, lassi, ghee and milk products

Thanesar: Sheikh Chilli's tomb, the Sthaneshwar Mahadev temple; Kurukshetra's tirthas
Pinjore: the Yadavindra (Pinjore) Gardens, the Bhima Devi temple ruins
Narnaul: Jal Mahal, Birbal ka Chhatta, the tomb of Ibrahim Khan Sur, Chor Gumbad
Hisar: the palace of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Gujari Mahal; the Hansi fort
Panipat: Kabuli Bagh mosque, the dargah of Bu Ali Shah Qalandar; kos minars along the old road
Agroha; the Madhogarh fort (Mahendragarh); Raja Nahar Singh's palace at Ballabgarh

Indian society and "related issues of Haryana" are lines of Mains General Studies I.
The all-India side is on Indian Culture.