Panipat

Tehsi;l Panipat, District Panipat, Haryana.

Panipat(Hindi: पानीपत) is an ancient and historic city in Panipat District, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km from Delhi on NH-1 and comes under the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history
Panipat was one of the five cities (prasthas) founded by the Pandava brothers during the times of the Mahabharata; its historic name being Panduprastha. Panipat was the scene of three pivotal battles in Indian history.
The First Battle of Panipat was fought on 21 April 1526 between Ibrahim Lodhi, Sultan of Delhi, and the Timurid warlord Zaheeruddin Babur. Babur's force of twelve thousand soldiers defeated Ibrahim's much larger force of over one lakh (one hundred thousand) soldiers. Babur founded the Mughal Empire in India.

The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5 November 1556 between the Mughal general Bairam Khan Shaibani, regent for the young Emperor Akbar, and Hemu, courtier and general of Isa Khan Suri, Islam Shah Suri brother in law who murdered Islam Shah's young son and usurped the throne of Delhi won by Sher Shah Suri from the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Hemu was struck down by an arrow in the eye and his army fled. He was beheaded and the Mughal comeback in India was complete.

The Third Battle of Panipat was fought in 1761 between the Afghan king Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau of Pune. Ahmad Shah won decisively.

The famous Urdu shayar Maulana Hali was born in Panipat.
Panipat is a city of textiles and carpets. It is the biggest centre for cheap blankets and carpets in India and has a handloom weaving industry. The pickle "Pachranga International" is also well known. Panipat also has heavy industry, with a refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation, a National Thermal Power Corporation power plant and a National Fertilizers Limited plant.
The main places of attraction are the graves of Ibrahim Lodhi, Kabuli Bagh, Devi Mandir, Kala Amb, Salar Gunj Gate, and the tomb of the thirteenth century sufi saint Bu Ali Shah Qalandar.

'Kala Amb' is a memorial built in memory of the soldiers who died in the battlefield of Panipat. It is said that blood of the dead soldiers was mixed with the soil and the fruit of a mango tree became black in color and hence the name "Kala Amb," meaning "Black Mango."