Charkhi Dadri is a city and the administrative headquarters of Charkhi Dadri district in the southern part of the Indian state of Haryana. Located in the Ahirwal–Bagar belt, it is known for its agrarian economy, marble and stone trade, and a strong tradition of wrestling. The town gives its name to the district that was carved out as Haryana's twenty-second district in 2016.
Key facts
| Name | Charkhi Dadri |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| State | Haryana |
| District | Charkhi Dadri |
| Region | Bagar / Ahirwal |
| Languages | Hindi, Haryanvi |
| Status | District headquarters; municipal council |
Etymology and name
The compound name combines two adjacent settlements, Charkhi and Dadri, that grew together. The town is sometimes referred to simply as Dadri, although it is distinct from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and from other places of similar name elsewhere in India.
Geography
Charkhi Dadri lies in the semi-arid plains of southern Haryana, between Bhiwani to the north and Rewari to the south-east. The terrain is largely flat with sandy soils and seasonal watercourses, and the climate is characterised by hot summers, a short monsoon, and cool winters typical of the Indo-Gangetic Plain's western fringe.
History
The area around Dadri historically formed part of the territory ruled by the Nawabs of Dadri in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. After the events of 1857, jurisdiction passed under British paramountcy and the tract was attached to neighbouring princely arrangements before becoming part of the Punjab Province of British India. With the reorganisation of states, it became part of the new state of Haryana in 1966 and was administered as part of Bhiwani district.
On 18 September 2016, the Government of Haryana announced the creation of a separate Charkhi Dadri district by bifurcating Bhiwani district, with Charkhi Dadri town as its headquarters. The district was formally inaugurated later that year.
1996 mid-air collision
The town's name became known internationally because of the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision of 12 November 1996, in which a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 collided in the airspace near the town. The accident, one of the deadliest mid-air collisions in aviation history, led to significant changes in Indian airspace management, including wider adoption of secondary surveillance radar and the use of separate altitude corridors for inbound and outbound traffic at Delhi.
Civic administration
Civic affairs in the town are managed by a municipal council under the Haryana Municipal Act, while the district administration is headed by a Deputy Commissioner. The district is divided into tehsils and sub-tehsils, and the area is part of the Bhiwani–Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency.
Economy
The local economy is based on agriculture, with bajra (pearl millet), wheat, mustard and gram as principal crops, supplemented by dairying. Charkhi Dadri is also a notable centre for the trade in stone and cement-related products, and the surrounding area hosts quarrying and small-scale industry. Cement manufacturing units operate in the wider region around Dadri owing to nearby limestone reserves.
Transport
The town is served by Charkhi Dadri railway station on the Rewari–Bhatinda line of the Northern Railway zone, providing connections towards Delhi via Rewari and towards Hisar and Bhatinda. State and national highways link it by road to Bhiwani, Rewari, Jhajjar and Mahendragarh. The nearest major airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
Sports and culture
Charkhi Dadri and its surrounding villages are known across Haryana for traditional pehlwani wrestling, with akharas producing wrestlers who have represented India at national and international lev