Gurgaon In 2004: Throwback Video Of The City Without Traffic, Skyscrapers Sparks Nostalgia

A video shared on X showing Gurgaon in 2004 has gone viral, highlighting the city's dramatic transformation over the past two decades. The sepia-toned clip shared by Sidharth Shukla offers a nostalgic look at the area before its rapid urbanisation, highlighting a stark contrast to the modern cityscape of skyscrapers and heavy traffic known today.

The throwback video depicts a semi-rural, dusty landscape with open, dug-up roads. It shows a lack of the high-rise buildings and corporate offices that now define the area. In one scene, a barber sets up his chair under a tree, ready to give a haircut and shave, while nearby, people walk alongside cows and donkeys on the main road, a far cry from today's traffic jammed streets.

The user also noted that the prominent golf course did not exist at the time and was only being laid out later in 2006 when he visited. "I visited Gurgaon for the first time in 2006, and yep, it looked pretty much like this. Golf course did not even exist back then. It was being laid," the user wrote on X.

Watch the video here:

I visited Gurgaon for the first time in 2006 but yep, looked pretty much like this.

Golf course did not even exist back then. It was being laid.#gurgaon #History pic.twitter.com/eMG7geK2m3

— Sidharth Shukla (@sidhshuk) December 29, 2025

The video has prompted a wave of reactions online, with many X users expressing nostalgia for a "slower, simpler Gurugram." Many noted how quickly the area changed from a less developed region to a major corporate hub.

One user wrote, "Lived in DLF gurgaon 2001 onwards till 2021 , literally helped build the city brick by brick , wish I has done more tree by tree contribution to Gurgaon's growth ! U have captured Bristol chowk so beautifully , that was the epicentre of gurgaon back then."

Another commented, "I used to come here to give trainings in IIPM for IOCL in 2002 These were farm lands with signs of Sahara mall will be built here Iffco chowk was one end of Gurgaon; there was nothing beyond it."

A third user said, "You made so many memories live!!!! I came to Gurgaon first time in Apr 2004 and so well relate with the video. We were offered residence in Sec 43 then and no one was ready to move there then as it was hard to get even a rickshaw from there."

"Most of the development kicked in post 2010 , the metro, Westin hotel , rapid metro , construction around golf course road , gold course extn was like one of those hollywood style badlands with just a couple of petrol pumps on the stretch with Nirvana coming up with Sohna rd etc," added a fourth.