Do you know India has volcanoes and not one, a total of seven volcanoes? Well, there are volcanoes in India, and two are in Haryana. The irony is that the tourism department of Haryana is poor. Such sites are often neglected in Haryana. Be it the hilltop fort of Madhogarh or the fort of Mahendergarh, all the historic places are just dying a slow death. No restoration work is done for them. And one such place is situated near my hometown. Dhosi Hill, that’s the name of the place I am talking about. A place which is an extinct volcano and is million years old. And I didn’t even know about it. I got to know this just when I did some homework the day before I planned to visit there. Now, this is an irony on my part as well and also on the government too that it doesn’t do anything in respect of such places. Dhosi Hill is a great historic and tourism place in Haryana. I have heard this name several times but never got to know such a rich history of this place. Dhosi Hill is an ecosystem in itself and is neglected. I had a word with a caretaker at the temple at the hill, who told me that the money is allotted but never reaches here. Well, what is the story behind it, I tried to uncover it and searched for the facts this time when I made my first visit to Dhosi Hill Narnaul.
(Note – Mahendergarh Fort and Madhogarh Fort are now under restoration)
Where is Dhosi Hill located & how to reach there?
Though this place is not among the famous tourist destinations of India, still adds a lot to the state’s heritage. The hill is actually under the administration of three separate village panchayats. One is Dhosi which is a village of Jhunjhunu District of Rajasthan and the other two villages are Kultajpur and Thana which are villages of Mahendergarh District of Haryana. There are three waterfalls on which these villages are located. These waterfalls become active during monsoon from July to August due to the reservoir overflow at the summit. So, the hill is located at the border of Rajasthan and Haryana.
Dhosi village is 12 KM away from Narnaul. Narnaul is a location of all municipal corporation head offices of Mahendergarh district (Haryana). In order to reach here, first of all, you need to reach Narnaul. If you are coming from Delhi, then you can take a train to Narnaul direct or you can reach Rewari and from Rewari, you can take a bus to Narnaul. After reaching Narnaul, you need to take autos to Dhosi. You will get autorickshaws from Hero Honda chauk. It will take hardly twenty minutes to reach here. There are serpentine stairs made on the hill. As a part of my solo journey, I went to explore this place. I had a bag which had my camera, a power bank, facewash, chargers, etc.
Some Interesting Facts about Dhosi Hill
- There are 7 volcanoes in India. Dhosi Hill is one of them.
- It is an extinct volcano.
- Dhosi Hill Narnaul belongs to the Aravali Range and is a part of Precambrian Malani Ingenious Rock.
- It is located at an elevation of 1170m.
- It is located at 900 ft above the sea level.
- It dates back to 732 Ma BP (million years before present).
- The lava and crater are still there.
- There is a fort that was built by Hemu.
- This place has several medicinal plants.
- There are temples, wild animals, caves, and forests.
- It is said that Chyavan Rishi used to live here.
- Pandavas are said to have come here during their time of exile.
An Extinct Volcano – Dhosi Hill is now a pilgrimage
Though this place has great historic significance but also a great religious significance. There are temples that are very old and every year there is fairly organized by the temples. People from far off places come here to worship. The place also organizes mass feast (Bhandara) for the devotees. These temples date back to several hundred years.
Dhosi Hill is the Origin place of Chyavanprash
Do you what is chyavanprash? I am sure every Indian must have tasted it. It is usually consumed during winters is said to be a great source of immunity and keeps us strong. Well, it is said that Dhosi Hill is the origin place of Chyavanprash. There used to be a saint by the name Chyavan Rishi who used to live and meditate here. The story says once he meditated for several hundred years and his body turned into the wood-like structure and only his eyes were visible while the rest of the body was covered by plants, leaves, and termites. So, once the daughter of King came here with her friends and she saw something strange there. She struck a tree branches in those eyes and Chyavan rishi’s eyes started bleeding. On this, the rishi got angry and he cursed the king. Therefore, the king came running to him and pleading for mercy. Chyavan Rishi asked him to marry his daughter to him. He did the same. Sukanya, the king’s daughter got married to Chyavan rishi and started serving him. There was a pond which is said to be still present there. So, one day, Ashvini Kumar brothers (who were Raj vaids) appeared in the pond and said that they were happy with her services and they had come to heal Chyavan rishi. They along with Chyavan rishi took a dip in the water and he got his eyes and youth back. They prepared an ayurvedic formulation for Chyavan Rishi and named it Chyawanprash.
It is believed that Pandavas came Dhosi Hill
Pandavas during their exile came Dhosi Hill. There are some strange impressions on rocks that are said to be their footprints. There is a rock which has an impression which looks like a foot. It is said that Draupadi wanted to drink water, thus Bheem kicked the rock. Also, there are several other such impressions. Well, what the truth is, no one knows. Considering that it was once an active volcano, it is not that easy to digest these stories.
Dhosi Hill is a complete ecosystem
Dhosi Hill is located at an elevation of around 1130m. The hill is an ecosystem in itself. There is a forest on the hill. I had a word a person who told me that there are several wild animals, reptiles in the forest. Snakes, wolves, jarakh, scorpions, centipedes, hedgehogs, and several other dangerous and poisonous reptiles are found there. There are medicinal plants. I was told that Baba Ramdev used to wander here with goats and he learned about medicinal plants from here only.
There are natural caves at Dhosi Hill
This place is an extinct volcano and was once active. There are volcanic impressions and it is clearly visible that the lava and other volcanic eruption material came out here. There are slopes which came into existence due to the volcanic eruption of Dhosi Hill. There are natural caves. There are big stones which are placed in such a manner that one will find it really hard to imagine. Adjusted in a very astonishing manner, these rocks have been in their positions for long.
A Fort which is more than 500 years old
There was a fort at Dhosi Hill. Now, only ruins are left. This fort is around 500 years old and was built by Hemu. The fort has 25 feet high and 40 feet thick walls. It is said that the Hemu built this fort so that the hill and its heritage could be kept safe from outside invaders. The Bhargava community built a fort that was modeled on the Chyavana temple, at the crater in the 1890s which replaced the old temple.
Water Reservoir at Dhosi Hill
There is a water reservoir or Sarovar. Rainwater is collected and stored in it. It is centuries old and existed at the summit since the beginning. The water is said to be herbal and medicinal and treats skin problems. Due to the presence of copper, the water becomes cupric. Birla Brother from Pilani constructed a concrete dam in order to increase the storage capacity in 1944. A Haryana and Delhi based NGO Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage desilted the reservoir in 2003.
Things to know before trekking Dhosi Hill
Dhosi Hill, an extinct volcano, close to Rajasthan is a place with hot temperatures. So, not a good option to visit during the summers. Also, carry enough water with you as you won’t find water on the way from the starting point till the top. There are no shops. So better to carry or buy from the shops. Also, if you are planning to explore everything, better put on clothes and boots which aren’t too loose or too tight. There are places where you may have to jump or climb, so keep it in mind. Carry food as I already told you there is nothing on the way. It takes around one hour to reach the top. Your phone may not get a network at the top. (Airtel didn’t get). Make sure that you come down by 4 PM if you don’t have your own vehicle.
I spent almost five hours there. I had two water bottles and both got emptied. My phone ran out of battery. I started stepping down at 5:30 PM and I was at the bottom at 6 PM. But I had to face problems as I couldn’t get any vehicle back to Narnaul. I had to wait for a while. Then I asked a shopkeeper. He told me that there was no service after 5. So I had to walk. And then I saw an uncle on a bike. I took a lift from him. He dropped me on the way to his home. Then I took a lift from another guy on a bike. There was an autowala and he asked him to stop. Thus, the autowala dropped me to the bus stand. I reached the bus stand at 6:40 PM.
I have done trekking. I have climbed hills. I have trekked Triund. I have trekked in Tosh but this place is really challenging.
What is the reality behind this place? A Conspiracy!
So, I took a lift from an uncle who was on the bike, going the same way. However, his destination was on the way. So, he started asking me questions about my profession. He then told me something really interested questions which I haven’t heard and nobody told me. He told me that this place is a big pilgrimage for Jaat communities. The guy whom I interviewed at the temple at the hill told me that there was a priest who died in an accident. However this person told me that he was killed, the accident was a planned one. There was one more man at the time of the accident with the priest who is still alive. He also told me that this place is now acquired by the Baniya people and they are exploiting it. And this everything was done just to acquire this entire land. Well, I am not sure if the information is right or wrong. But he told me with confidence and asked me to mention everything because no one knows it and people should know the dark truth behind this place.
