Carterpuri, formerly Chuma Kheragaon, is a village in Haryana, India, very close to Delhi and off the main Gurgaon road. This is a Yadav-dominated village. In 1978, then US President Jimmy Carter visited the village with then Chief Minister Of HaryanaDevi Lal. The head of the village at the time was Rao Munshi Singh. The village was originally known as Chuma Kheragaon. It was renamed Carterpuri in honour of United States PresidentJimmy Carter. Carter's mother had previously visited the village in the late 1960s as a member of the Peace Corps. President Carter visited the village in 1978 and donated money as well as a television set. While Carter was President, there was a regular exchange of correspondence between the White House and the Village Council. The U.S. Ambassador came with gifts on 3 January and women would prepare `halwa-puri' on that day. The haveli became a part of any American tourist's itinerary between 1978 and 1981.
Since Gurgaon's uncontrolled urbanization and increasing population, Carterpuri has been literally swallowed by the city's growth. The issues are illegal constructions, bad sanitary living conditions, and illiteracy of the migrant workers. Several NGOs, like Vishnu Charitable Trust, have taken the initiative in 2008 to bring positive changes in the area. The first seed of its social involvement was sown in October 2008 when Rajesh Khullar, the then Commissioner of Gurgaon Municipal Corporation asked the Vishnu Charitable Trust, headed by Dr. Lokesh Abrol, to develop a shelter for stray cows with support from the civic body. The Kamdhenudham and Nandidham Gaushalas came up. An illegal toxic waste dump was transformed to a green and beautiful environment. Aravindam Foundation, Haryali and Vishnu Caritable Trust joined hands under the Campaign: 'Let us learn to grow with our environment' to create greenery on that dump. The place is now the most beautiful place in Gurgaon because of its green environment. 1000 trees has been planted and cared for. After completion of construction of the Gaushalas in 2012, the site office and temporary sheds have been set up to create Gurukul Kalpataru to serve as a place for non-formal education for the underprivileged children of Carterpuri. Part of the 8 acres land has been converted to a lawn and playground serving as the only escape from the polluted and busy roads. In 2014, Haatmake unit has been created in the Gaushala. Its purpose is skills development and training for the women of Carterpuri community aiming at developing their financial sustainability.
