page_title: Meerut
section_title: Tourist destinations
hierarchical_section_title: Meerut / Tourist destinations
caption_attribution_description: English: This is the statue of Mangal Pandey at the Shaheed Smarak (Martyr's Memorial) in Meerut, India. हिन्दी: यह मेरठ स्थित शहीद स्मारक परिसर में स्थित मंगल पांडे की मूर्ति का चित्र है।
context_page_description: Meerut is a city in the NCR. It is the capital of Harit Pradesh. It is an ancient city, with settlements dating back to the Indus Valley civilisation having been found in and around the area. The city lies 70 km northeast of the national capital New Delhi, and 430 km west of the state capital Lucknow.
  As of 2011, Meerut is the 33rd most populous urban agglomeration and the 26th most populous city in India. It ranked 292 in 2006 and is projected to rank 242 in 2020 in the list of largest cities and urban areas in the world. The municipal area is 141.89 km² with the cantonment covering 35.68 km². The city is one of the largest producers of sports goods, and the largest producer of musical instruments in India. The city is also an education hub in western Uttar Pradesh, and also known as the "Sports City Of India". The city is famous for being the starting point of the 1857 rebellion against British colonial rule.
context_section_description: Tourist destinations in and around Meerut include:
  Digamber Jain Mandir Hastinapur (Hindi: दिगम्बर जैन मंदिर हस्तिनापुर) – Located on the banks of the old ravine of Ganges, Hastinapur NCR is considered one of the holiest places on earth by Jains. It is believed to be the birthplace of three Jain Tirthankaras. There are many ancient Jain temples in Hastinapur NCR. Shri Digamber Jain Mandir, Jambudweep, Kailash Parvat Rachna, Shwetambar Jain Temple are the main and famous temples in Hastinapur NCR. Apart from Jain temples, Pandeshwar temple, Historical Gurdwara and Hastinapur Sanctuary are worth being seen.
  Shahi Jama Masjid – The Jama Masjid was built by Hasan Mahdi, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi's Wazir (=Chief Minister) in 1019 AD (older than the Qutb Minar). It is considered the first Masjid in North India. Although it was restored by Humayun, it is one of the oldest mosques in India. Some believe that the first North Indian Mosque is Quwwat/Qubbat ul Islam in Delhi and then Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra in Ajmer.
  St. John's Church – This church was established by Chaplain the Reverend Henry Fisher on behalf of the East India Company in 1819 in the cantonment area and was completed in 1822. It is considered one of the oldest churches in North India. The Church was dedicated to the people by Bishop Wilson. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 people. During the war of 1857, this church was the scene of heavy fighting between Indians and the British forces.
  Augarnath Temple (Hindi: औघड़नाथ मंदिर) – This temple (also known as Kalipaltan Mandir locally) is located at the site where the soldiers of the war of 1857 planned their operations. The temple also houses a memorial built to honour the martyrs of the revolt of 1857, Indian Rebellion of 1857. The old temple has been replaced by a modern version.
  Martyr's Memorial (Hindi: शहीद स्मारक Shaheed Smarak): The memorial is a 30 metres (98 feet) high pillar of marble situated at Bhainsali. Functions are organised at the memorial around the national holidays of India. The memorial complex also houses the Government Freedom Struggle Museum which is dedicated to the first war of Indian independence.
  Gandhi Bagh (Hindi: गाँधी बाग) - This centrally located garden has a very beautiful and serene environment. Locally known as "Company Garden", it has been present since before independence, when it got renamed to its current name. It runs a musical fountain show every evening. The park also houses a small water storage chamber and motor which is noted to have been removed from the Red Fort in Delhi and erected here. Earlier, the garden used to have multiple entrances, similar to the one shown in the image, which were always kept open, and there was no entry fee. But now, only one entrance is kept open and a ticketing system with nominal charges has been put in place.
  Shahpeer's Mausoleum (Hindi: शाहपीर की दरगाह Shahpeer ki dargah) – This is a Mughal mausoleum erected by the empress Nur Jahan in 1628 in honour of a local Muslim Hazrat Shahpeer. It is a red stone structure that was partly built and is incomplete till date. The tomb is adorned by intricate Nakkashi (stone painting). There is no roof on the main tomb. It is said that Shahpeer was the teacher of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The tomb is listed by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national heritage monument.
  Shahi Eid Gaah (Hindi: शाही ईदगाह) – It was built by Nasiruddin Mahmud, the youngest son of Iltutmish, and the eighth Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. It is about six hundred years old and has a capacity of about one lac people to offer prayers (Namaz) on Eid. There is Nakkashi on the walls of Eidgah which reflects the Sulatani Gulam era.
  Parikshitgarh Fort (Hindi: परीक्षितगढ़ कोट) – The place is associated with and derives its name from King Parikshit of Hastinapur NCR (the grandson of Arjuna). The fort was built by Parikshit and restored by Gurjar Raja Nain Singh in the eighteenth century.
  Dargah of Baley Miyan (Hindi: बले मियाँ की दरगाह Bale Miyan ki Dargah) – This dargah was built by Qutb-ud-din Aybak in 1194 in the memory of Ghazi S
caption: Statue of Mangal Pandey at Martyr's Memorial
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