An industrial city of Haryana, it has been named after its founder, Shaikh Farid, the treasurer of Emperor Jahangir, in 1607 A.D. It was built in order to protect the highway passing through the town. As a town it housed a fort, a tank and a mosque, which unfortunately are ruins today. As of 15th August 1979, Faridabad became the official 12th district of the State of Haryana. It accounts for Haryana's largest percentage of revenue generated through the 15,000 small, medium and large industries it houses, and ranks 9th in the category of Asia's largest Industrial estate.
Popular places to visit are the Badhkal Lake, 32 km from Delhi. It is a great retreat to relax amidst birds, the lake and hills, and enjoy some adventure sports like canoeing, trekking, rock climbing and kayaking.
You could also visit the Raja Nahar Singh Palace in Ballabgarh, now converted partly into a heritage resort. An 18th century palace, it is said to resemble the palaces of Bharatpur in craftsmanship and beauty. History goes that the ruler of this palace played a key role during the 1857 War of Independence, and was eventually hanged by the British. The palace has been built in parts starting from the period 1739 continuing through 1850. While the heritage and the look of the palace has been maintained by way of its courtyards and pavilions, the antiques and the architecture, it has been given a modern touch in the form of a lounge and bar as well.
Finally, a great place to visit if you are visiting in the month of February is the Surajkund Crafts Mela, which is held for a period of 15 days from Feb 1 to 15, every year. You will find an interesting display of handlooms and handicrafts covering different parts of the country, food, music and folk dancers. You could immerse yourself in shopping for ethnic mirrors, embroidery and lace work, metal and cane products, bangles, toys, etc. | .
