Since the ancient times of the epic Mahabharata, the region of Karnal has been associated with legendary figures. The ancient scriptures suggest that this regon was named after King Karna, the son of Kunti, who received this area as a gift from the Kauravas. Since then, the region has come under the control of many rulers but continued to incorporate all of their cultural, architectural and religious influences peacefully. So travelers can cover the shrines and tombs of Muslim rulers, the architectural leftovers of the British, and the temples made by the ancient Hindu kings, all in just a day. Today’s Karnal is leading the nation with several cutting-edge industries, research centers and units for manufacturing agricultural implements. It is the birthplace of late NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, and Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan.
The local picnic spot of Karna Lake bears the name of King Karna who is also considered the city’s founder. The green surroundings of this lake create a cool, quiet and fresh ambience. A number of facilities are available near the lake, including paddle boating, rowing, gift shops, parks, restaurants and banquet halls. Construction of a small island at the center of Karna Lake is being proposed currently.
Cantonment Church Tower is now the only surviving portion of the former St James church. Built from public contribution, this British monument has four levels with a Roman semi-circular arch on the top floor. The tower catches attention with its intricate paneling work.
Not far from the town’s outskirts is the tomb of Kalander Shah. Created in the honor of the famous Muslim Saint Ali Kalander Shah, the grave inside has been built using finely sculpted marble. The tomb also contains a fountain reservoir and a mosque.
All important Hindu temples in Karnal celebrate the festival of Teej, attended mainly by the local women, with great splendor.
Traveling within Karnal is quite comfortable. There are many modes of transportation available here, including Government and private buses, trains, taxis and auto-rickshaws. Travelers from Chandigarh and Delhi will find it quite easy to reach Karnal from National Highway Number 1.
On a daily basis there are approximately 31 flights that operate at Chandigarh Airport.SpiceJet, IndiGo and Air India are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
Besides flying you can also reach Karnal through train.Karnalis one of the most popular train stations in Karnal.On an average about 48 trains pass through Karnal on a daily basis.Ambala to Karnal, Panipat to Karnal, Kurukshetra to Karnalare some of the most popular routes to Karnal with 158, 140, 135 trains weekly respectively.
By road Karnal is surrounded by Gangoh, Panipat, Thanesar which are 18.35 km, 20.55 km, 20.72 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.
Karnal has a total of 10 hotels.There are 10 hotels in Karnal with the popular ones being Hotel Noor Mahal, Hotel Savoy Greens, Leela Grande Hotel, Deventure Hotel, Karna Lake Tourist Resort, Hotel Gian Residency etc.