Ghaziabad is an ancient town situated on the legendary
Grand Trunk Road in
Uttar Pradesh, 19 km to the east of
Delhi. It is a major industrial town and a prominent agricultural market. The earlier name was Ghaziuddinnagar, named after its founder Ghaz-ud-din, the vazir of the South Indian king, Salawat Jung.
Ghaziabad is a fast developing town, whose economy is dominated by agricultural produce. Cereals, pulse (legumes), sugarcane, and oilseeds are cultivated in the outskirts in large scale, watered by numerous perennial streams and canals. Textiles, paper, agricultural implements, fans, radiators and electrical goods form the major chunk of the industries. Ghaziabad is also famous for its handloom and silk sarees.
Places of tourist interest include Garhmukteshwar, Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Masuri.
Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi (30 km) is the nearest airport. Ghaziabad has a prominent railway station with frequent trains to New Delhi, Aligarh, Yamunanagar and Chandigarh. By road, Ghaziabad is linked to Meerut, Karnal, Hissar, Gurgaon (49 km), Chandigarh, Delhi, Lucknow and Mathura.
