Karnal Tourism

Are you planning for an enjoyable holiday but having confusion of a perfect destination? Surely, your mind would be jingling around the natural attractions of North India or sun-kissed beaches of South India or any top tourist spots in the country. What about Karnal ? It is indeed a pristine place to spend crucial days of holidays. It is the place where the historical significance meets with natural magnificence. It is the place through which Haryana has recognition of a neat and clean state. Therefore enjoying holidays at the wonderful place of Karnal would nothing short of a good idea.


Karnal, the land of ‘Daanveer Karna’ of epic Mahabharata, is one of the oldest cities in Haryana. It has been famous for the large production of basmati rice & wheat, many research centers and the manufacturing of agriculture products and spares. The city draws the attention of worldwide visitors via its historical legacy, cultural beauty and natural splendor.

Best Time to Visit at Karnal

As a tourist, you can explore the beauty of Karnal at any time of a year. The weather here is dry and hot during the summer season. So, if you are not comfortable with such hot weather conditions then you can avoid the months of May and June. Alternatively, you can come here during the winter season because it will not exhaust you rather assists you to remain refresh while embarking on to its main tourist attractions. In general, majority of the travel vacationers would prefer to visit at Karnal during the months of October or November and February or March.

Helpline and Important Contact Numbers

Haryana Tourism Corporation Limited
SCO 17-B, Chandigarh - 160017
Tel: 0172 2702955-57, 0172 2720437
Fax: 0172 2703185, 2702783
Website: www.Haryanatourism.nic.In
Email: haryanatourism@gmail.com

Top Tourist Attractions in Karnal

These below mentioned top tourist attractions of Karnal are waiting to welcome you. So just pack your travel bags and arrive at this wonderful city to explore the majesty of these destinations:

Cantonment Church Tower

Cantonment Church Tower is an important tourist attraction of Karnal, Haryana. It was built in 1806 AD as a part of the St. James Church located at Karnal. Later in the year 1941, the cantonment was transferred to Ambala and the Church was demolished but the tower remained standing. The Church Tower is now under the Government of India and it has four storeys, which are plastered with lime at its exterior and decorated with wonderful paneling work at its interior. This tourist attraction is placed around one kilometer from Liberty Chowk towards Karnal.

Old Fort

One of the most visited tourist spots in Karnal is the Old Fort. It is also renowned as the Karnal Fort and it was established by Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind in the year 1764 AD. The Fort is an ideal example of the architectural beauty of that time. However, the Old Fort has now been converted into an accommodation for the official persons and for the residential purposes of the Tehsildar. But this fort will certainly amaze you with its magnificent creation and visiting here would give you an unforgettable experience.

Naraina

If you are preparing your list for sightseeing at Karnal, then don’t forget to include the Naraina village. It is one of those tourist spots in the city, which witness scores of visitors every day. Naraina is a historical village situated around 11 miles from the north of Karnal. Naraina came into existence when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb constructed a wall around the town, a mosque and a tank that still presents here.

Kalander Shah's Tomb

Kalander Shah’s Tomb is located at few kilometers from Karnal district. It was constructed by Ghias-ud-din, who was the emperor of Delhi, in the memory of a famous Muslim sage, Bo-Ali-Qualander Shah. The tourists enjoy here a marble made grave located inside the tomb, which is decorated with carved sculptures. There is also a mosque, built by Emperor Alamgir, with a fountain and reservoir at the outside premises of the tomb.

Miran Sahib’s Tomb

Situated at the farthest south of Karnal, Miran Sahib’s Tomb was established in the memory of a Saint, Syed Mohammad alias Miran Sahib. The tomb has a mosque and bordering graves of the Mandal family. It is believed that the saint Miran Sahib saved a Brahmin girl from the authority of a Raja in a leaning battle. This tourist attraction also attracts you with its marvelous architectural work.

Sitamai Temple

Sitamai Temple is probably the only temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Sita in the entire country. According to the literatures, it is the place where the mother earth swallowed Goddess Sita Mata during the time she had to prove her purity. This ancient temple is made of bricks with its complex ornamentation, which covers the whole shrine. You will definitely enjoy your time at this temple by worshipping the Goddess Sita.

Taraori Sarai

Among the most visited tourist places in Karnal, a small town of Taraori Sarai has its own significance. This town has a historical glory that goes back to the decisive battles fought between Prithvi Raj Chauhan of Hindu Chauhan dynasty and Mohammad Ghori of Afghanistan. Thus, visiting here will indeed a nice experience for you. However, there is also an old sarai, which was established during the Mughal era.

Karnal Lake

Your vacation at Karnal will be incomplete without visiting at the beautiful Karnal Lake. Also famous as Karna Tank or Karnal Tal, this lake is a major picnic spot that allures a large number of travel vacationers every year. It is now renovated as a complex which has an artificial lake with an Island at its center. A variety of birds such as swans, kingfishers, ducks and geese can be watched at this island. The visitors enjoy boating at Karnal Lake besides using its facilities like restaurant, bar, gift shop, fast food counter, conference and banquet hall.

European Soldiers Grave

European Soldiers Grave is under the protection of the Government of India. It was constructed during the period of 1811-40 AD and it has a boundary wall about 2.5 m high. This tourist attraction consists of 500 graves of European soldiers who died here in the British Cantonment at Karnal district. It is located on the old GT Road almost one kilometer away from the Liberty Chowk towards Karnal.

Kushan Stupa

Situated in Jhimaron Ka Mohalla at Asandh Town, Kushan Stupa is assumed to be the place where painted greyware and Kushana coins as well as bricks were found in the ancient times. This place is also renowned as the Jarassanndh ka Qila during the medieval period. The Stupa is an enormous structure as the mound still climbing up of more than 25 meters. This structure is also under the protection of Government of India.

Where to Stay at Karnal ?

For enjoying an excursion to these aforementioned historical and natural tourist attractions of Karnal, you would require a comfortable accommodation where you can relax yourself. The hotels in Karnal will fulfill all your requirements by providing state of the art amenities within their sprawling premises. If you want luxury hotels then Noor Mahal and Hotel Leela Grande are the perfect options of you. However, the city of Karnal also boasts of many budget hotels such as Hotel Rama, Karna Lake Resort, Hotel Fidalgo, Hotel Jewels, Hotel Yellow Sapphire and many more. These hotels have excellent room services and delectable dining options that will certainly charm your stay.

How to Reach Karnal ?

Arriving at Karnal should not be a problem for everybody. If you are a local tourist or coming from any part of India, then you can easily reach here via railway route. The city of Karnal has its own railway station, which is well connected through railway line to the capital city of India - New Delhi and the state capital - Chandigarh. The important trains running around Karnal Railway Station are Kalka Mail, Amritsar Express, Jammu Mail, Jhelum Express, Himalayan Queen and Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi. Those visitors, who love to drive, can arrive at Karnal through National Highway (NH) - 1, connected to both the national capital and the state capital. Apart from that, the international travelers can also enter at the city by taking flight from their destinations to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport New Delhi and take further drive towards Karnal by renting a car or a taxi.

Karnal Railway Station
Location: State Highway 9, Karnal, Haryana, India
Operated by: Northern Railway
Line(s): Delhi-Kalka line
Station code: KUN
Division(s): Ambala

Where to Shop in Karnal ?

During your sightseeing tour at Karnal, you would certainly like to have some shopping activities with the purpose of adding more joy into your vacations. The city has variety of shopping hubs where you can shop for any item as per your likings. The shopping malls in Karnal like Alpha International City and Super Mall have everything for everyone. Apart from them, there are plenty of local markets in Karnal that offer various shopping items like apparels, jewelries, accessories, footwear and much more. So, enjoy shopping at Karnal and cheer every moment of your holidays here.