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| Dhosi Hill | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Dhosi Hill showing ancient 'Parikrama' | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 740 m (2,430 ft) |
| Coordinates | 28°03′40″N76°01′55″E / 28.06111°N 76.03194°E /28.06111; 76.03194 |
| Geography | |
  Dhosi Hill Dhosi Hill (India) Show map of India | |
| Location | Mahendragarh district,Haryana, India |
| Parent range | Aravali Range |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike / scramble |
Dhosi Hill is anextinct volcano that stands alone at the north-west end of theAravalli mountain range in southernHaryana,India. It was an important site during theVedic period. Its rises 345 to 470 meters from the surrounding land and 740 meters above sea level. Currently, the hill has temples, a pakka pond, ruins of a fort, caves and forest around it. In the ancient times, as per various scriptures likeMahabharata -Vanparv,Puranas, Shathpath Brahmana etc., the hill had Ashrams of various Rishis who made contributions to Vedic scriptures. The hill has all the physical features of a perfectvolcanic hill,[citation needed] with a distinctlavacrater still lying on it, giving it a perfect conical view from top.[citation needed]
It is among the most ancient Vedic religious sites[citation needed] in Haryana located on the route of oldest flow ofSarasvati River.
It is also known for the formulation ofChyvanprash forChayvan Rishi by Rajya VaidsAshvini Kumar twins for the first time. Chyavana Rishi and his fatherBhrugu Rishi had their Ashrams on this hill.[1]
Dhosi Hill is located on the border of the Indian states ofHaryana andRajasthan. It has 3 villages in its foothills; Dhosi village in the west inJhunjhunu district of Rajasthan; Kultajpur in the south with ropeway & Thana village in the east - both inMahendragarh district of Haryana. The Kultajpur village is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the nearest major townNarnaul on Narnaul-Badopur Road. Narnaul has many highways converging there includingNH-11,NH-148B,NH-152DTrans-Haryana Expressway, etc.[citation needed]
Kultajput lies on the foothill of Dhosi Hill and is 150 km west of Delhi, 100 km northwest fromAlwar (which has theDelhi–Mumbai Expressway), and 160 km north ofJaipur.
While the ground level is about 900 feet (270 m) above sea level, the hilltop is another 900 feet (270 m) above the ground level.
Dhosi Hill Ropeway is a 900m long, INR45 cr, international standard ropeway built from the Haryana side to the top of the hill. It is constructed on a 50% each cost split share between the government of Haryana and the government of India. It was approved in June 2023, and construction will take 18 months after further approvals.[2]
The Dhosi Hill Glass Bridge Skywalk is also planned.
According to theManusmriti, this hill is part of the Vedic state of 'Brahmavarta' the land between ancientSarasvati River andDrishadvati River[3] which was also called 'Devbhumi'. This being a volcanic hill had erupted on the banks of the Drishadvati, which had its origin inAravalli mountains, from LordBrahma's abode atPushkar Lake nearAjmer. Even at present times, water from Jaipur district in Rajasthan flows in the ancient river Drishadwati river. According to research by 'Brahmavarta Research foundation',[4]Rewari, the main Vedic scriptures likeManusmriti,Vedas andUpanishads were evolved and composed in this area called the Manu's state ofBrahmavarta, whereRishis andMunis had their Ashrams. LordManu,Rishis likeBhrigu,Chyavana,Durvasa,Pippalada etc., who have contributed to various Sanskriti scriptures, had their Ashrams in the vicinity, 50 km radius of this hill.
The hill presently falls under the administration of three villagepanchayats, being those of Dhosi inJhunjhunu district ofRajasthan state and of Thana and Kultajpur inMahendragarh district ofHaryana state.[citation needed] These villages are situated on the three waterfalls that become active during the monsoons that occur in July–August, being created from the overflow of a reservoir at the summit. The waterfalls are mentioned in the epicMahabharata. Each village also has an ancient water reservoir to augment the supply for villagers and animals.[citation needed]
During the earlyVedic period ofRigveda, this area was called theNandigram whererishiChyavana lived in hisashram. During the later vedic period ofMahabharata, this area was called theNara Rashtra which later became corrupted to Narnaul. During the Mahabharata period, the Nara Rashtra, on theHastinapur toChambal route, was conquered by theyoungestPandava brotherSahdev. Duringmedieval period, the nativeRathoreRajputs ruled the area. In 1137 CE, foreign-origin Muslim invader Hazrat Turkman, also known as Shah Wilayat, was killed by native the Rathor Rajputs. Later, a fort built at Dhosi Hill by the King Nun Karan of Luni (now called Nasibpur, on northern outskirt of Narnaul), was completely destroyed in an attack. Subsequently,Yadavas King Rao Ganga Singh Nuniwal built another fort on that site, the remnants of which still survive on the Dhosi hill.[5]
The fort has thick walls, up to 25 feet (7.6 m) high and 40 feet (12 m) wide on even the steepest slopes and the top of the volcano. The fort was constructed to safeguard the heritage and ashrams on the hill from frequent attacks by Muslim invaders during themedieval period. To replace the old temple, a fort modeled on the temple ofChyavana was built at the crater of the hill in the 1890s by theBhargava community.
All-weather stairs in stone and lime plaster were constructed on the Kultajpur and Thana sides.
Asarovar (reservoir) that stores rainwater for bathing of pilgrims has existed at the summit of the hill for centuries. The stored water is claimed to contain a few rejuvenating properties and treatment for skin ailments. The water in the reservoir becomes herbal and also cupric because of the quantity of copper in the hill and growth of rare herbs in large quantities.
The reservoir becomes silted over time and is desilted at regular intervals. In 1944, the industrialists Birla brothers, led byG. D. Birla, who hailed from the nearbyPilani village, arranged for the reservoir to be desilted and constructed a proper concrete dam on the site to increase the storage capacity. This was done in the memory of their father, Raja Baldev Rai Birla. A plaque is put on the Dam to this effect which states that reservoir could be used for bathing by all shades ofHindu pilgrims, includingSanatani,Harijan,Arya Samaji,Buddhists,Jains andSikhs. This plaque shows that there was no caste barrier to use of the facilities.[citation needed]
In 2003, the reservoir was desilted byIndian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, an NGO based in Delhi and Haryana.[citation needed]
A well for the supply of water for drinking and other purposes exists on the top of hill which is recharged by seepage and percolation of water from adjoining reservoirs which are charged by the rainwater on the hill. The Government of Haryana now provides drinking water at the hill through mechanical uplifting from the base of the hill.[citation needed]
Those visiting the hill onpilgrimage perform aparikrama (circumambulation) of it since the time of Mahabharata and GuruShaunaka of Pandavas. The 8–9 km parikrama track includes some portions which are damaged because of landslides.
Apart from temples at Shiv Kund, halfway to top of hill from Kultajpur side, there are several temples on the crater portion of the hill. Among these is the Chyavana temple, theShiva temple on the crater, aDevi temple on the hilltop, and aRama temple next to the Royal Guest House. The Chyavana temple hasShekhawati paintings in the Garbhagrah of the temple and a basement which can be used as a Dharmshala (resting place) for pilgrims. Among other structures on the hill is the renovated Chandrakoop.
Melas are organised at various festivals and other special days. On the day of Somvati Amavasya many people assemble for a holy bath in thesarovars. A map from the 1890s indicates there were then separateGhats for women, known as Janana Ghats, but now they are abandoned.
Protected areas ofHaryana | ||
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| National Parks |  | |
| Wildlife Sanctuaries |
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| Conservation Reserves |
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| Deer Parks | ||
| Zoo |
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| Breeding Centres | ||
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