Amritsar
Amritsar was a traditional junction of trade
routes and the Yarkandis, Turkomens, Kashmiris, Tibetans and Iranians that were
found here indicate its connections with the Old Silk Road and the trade routes
of Central Asia. The original site for the city of Amritsar was granted by the
Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556 –1605) but the Sikh Guru, Ram Das insisted on paying
its value to the local Jats who owned it, thereby eliminating the possibility
of future disputes on ownership. Ram Das then invited local merchants to live
and trade in the immediate vicinity and the town became Amritsar. In 1761, the
Afghan Ahmad Shah Durrani sacked the town and destroyed the temple. The temple
was rebuilt in 1764 and during the reign of Ranjit Singh was roofed over with
gilded copper plates, thereby giving rise to the name 'The Golden Temple'.
Chandigarh
Chandigarh city came into existence in 1952
when its foundation stone was laid. Also known as “The City Beautiful”,
Chandigarh is one of the modern cities of India designed by the French
architect Le Carbusier. The city got its name from a temple “Chandi Mandir” located
near the city. “Chandi” is the deity – the goddess of power; “garh” means
dwelling place, which translates into “dwelling place of the goddess Chandi.”
In the ancient past, a wide lake existed
where now Chandigarh is with its sloping plains. Eight thousand years ago,
Harappan civilization developed in the area. Visit Chandigarh museum to
discover more about the historic past of the city.
While previously belonging to the state of
Punjab before the city came into existence, the idea to develop a new city was
conceived in 1948 by Government of Punjab, which was to become the capital of
the state. In 1966, the city became the capital of two states, Punjab and
Haryana and was declared as a Union Territory.
Chandigarh is home to thousands of migrants from
Punjab and other states. Prestigious educational institutions attract students
from all over the world who live and study in Chandigarh. The city has the
highest per capita income in India, making it one of the most affluent cities.
The real estate industry has been constantly booming since the year 2000 with
property rates now more expensive than New York. The city restaurants are
always filled with people, markets buzzing with consumers, pleasant weather for
many months throughout the year, beautiful parks, well maintained roads and
almost 24 power supply are some of the reasons why Chandigarh city is thronged
by tourists from other parts of India and the rest of the world.
Jalandhar
The city is named after Jalandhar, a demon
king, who finds a mention in the Puranas and Mahabharta. According to another
legend, Jalandhar was the capital of the kingdom of lav, son of Rama. According
to yet another version Jalandhar is said to have derived its name from the
vernacular term `Jalandhar’ means area inside the water, i.e. tract laying between
the two rivers Satluj and Beas, still another name of Jalandhar had been
Trigartta, as it was waters by three rivers, Satluj, Beas and Ravi.
The district is named after Jalandhar, a
demon king, who finds a mention in the Puranas and Mahabharta. According to
another legend, Jalandhar was the capital of the kingdom of lav, son of Rama.
According to yet another version Jalandhar is said to have derived its name
from the vernacular term `Jalandhar’ means area inside the water, i.e. tract
laying between the two rivers Satluj and Beas, still another name of Jalandhar
had been Trigartta, as it was waters by three rivers, Satluj, Beas and Ravi.
Ludhiana
Ludhiana is a city and a municipal
corporation in Ludhiana district in the Indian state of Punjab, and is the
largest city north of New Delhi. Ludhiana is located 98 kilometers (61 mi) west
of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 95 and is centrally located on National
Highway 1, which runs from the Indian capital New Delhi to Amritsar. The city
is also connected to New Delhi by rail service and by air. Ludhiana is now
Punjab’s most populated and very rapidly growing metropolitan city. It is on
the south bank of the Sutlej River.
The city was the sight of a great battle
during the first Sikh wars. It was also an important center during the struggle
for freedom, and is associated with names like Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Kartar
Singh, Baba Santa Singh and Maulana Habibur Rehman. An important industrial town,
Ludhiana in Punjab, is Textile and light engineering centre of India. Woolen
garment machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor
parts produced here are exported all over the world. Ludhiana accounts for 90%
of the country’s woolen hosiery industry.
Punjab’s most populous metropolis, its
hosiery goods are in demand in all the markets of the east and the west, which
include America and Russia. For its production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also
known as the Manchester of India. The world’s largest bicycle manufacturer,
Hero Cycles, which produces nearly three million bicycles annually, is based
here. The rich agricultural area around it supports a large grain market.
Christian Medical College Hospital, established in 1895, was the first school
of medicine in Asia.
The world famous Punjab Agricultural
University is on the edge of the town organizes the Kisan Mela every Year. It
has an excellent museum. Ludhiana holds world records in food production.
However, Ludhiana’s claim to fame is not its commercial enterprises alone. It
is an important pilgrimage center as there are many historic Gurdwaras. There
are a number of gurudwaras associated with the life and visits of Guru Gobind
Singh Ji. Among them the gurudwaras of Charan Kanwal and Manji Sahib are
important.
Patiala
Patiala a Royal city, the land of Maharajas
is famous for its ‘peg’, ‘pagri’, ‘dresses’, ‘jutti’, ‘Patiala sahi salwar’,
Reshmi naale , Food like ‘Makki de roti’ and ‘Saraason da saag’, folk songs ,
dances like Gidha and Bhangra , its traditions and culture.
In 1714 A.D Baba Ala Singh assumed its
leadership. Patiala formerly known as ‘Ala De Patti’ because Baba Ala Singh was
the founder of this place. In 1763 Baba Ala Singh laid the foundation of “QuilaMubarak”. The city is built around the Qila Mubarak . The area of district
Patiala is known as “Malwa”.
“Maharaja Bhupindra” Singh (1900-1930) had
given Patiala a prominent place in politics and in the field of sports. Big
architectural designs were constructed during his time. “Yadwindra Singh” son
of Maharaja Bhupindra Singh, came towards the front to sign the instrument of
accession Hindus of Sirhind settle first at Patiala. They opened their business
outside the”Darshni Gate”. The lower cast got place in Patiala city known as
“Chur Majris”. The other localities were of Dancing Girls. Dharampura Bazar
abundant by ruling Elite. Under the rule of Maharaja Narender Singh (1845-1862)
has given embarkation round a fortified place and ten gates around Patiala were
constructed.
Now a days some of the gates have been
destroyed to make easy flow of traffic. Inside these walls there are mandis and
markets of the cost suitable for purchasing of luxury and traditional goods.
Patiala is in forefront from the education. In the country, it was the first
town who have degree college that is the ”Mohindra college” (1870). Patialagharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani Classical
Music . It has the number of musicians, they came to Patiala after after the break
up into pieces of Mughal court at delhi in 18th century. “Ustad Ali Baksh”, his
son “Ustad Akhtar Hussain” Khan and “Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan” got worldwide
fame and glory. It continues through the north zone culture center, settle on
permanent basis at Patiala.
Pathankot
Pathankot is at the meeting point of the
three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Due to
its ideal location, Pathankot serves as a travel hub for the three northerly
states. Pathankot is the ninth most populous city in the state of Punjab. It is
the last city in Punjab on the national highway towards Jammu and Kashmir.
Situated in the foothills of Kangra and Dalhousie, with the river Chakki
flowing close by, the city is often used as a rest-stop before heading into the
mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, Dalhousie, Chamba, and Kangra, deep into the
Himalayas.
Pathankot is a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab, and became
part of Gurdaspur district and recently in 2011 it has become the headquarters
of Pathankot district in Punjab, India serves as the capital of the Pathankotdistrict. Pathankot includes the two sub-divisions of Pathankot and Dhar Kalan
and the two sub-tehsils of Narot Jaimal Singh and Bamial. The district today
comprises 421 revenue villages, and the headquarters is in Pathankot.
Bathinda
Bathinda or Bhatinda (Punjabi), named after
the Bhati Rajput kings, is one of the oldest cities in Punjab, India and the
current administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is situated in
north-western India in the Malwa (Punjab) Region, 225 km west of the capital
city of Chandigarh. Bathinda is nicknamed the city of Lakes and was once known
as Tabar-e-Hind(or Tabarhindh), meaning the Gateway to India. The first empress
of India, Razia Sultan was imprisoned in the Qila Mubarak fort in Bathinda.
Bathinda is home to two modern thermal power plants, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal
Plant in the city and the other one, Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra
Mohabbat. It is also home to a fertilizer plant, a large oil refinery, a Zoo,
and the historic Qila Mubarak fort. Bathinda is one of the biggest food grain
and cotton markets in northern India, and the area around Bathinda has become a
large grape growing area. The railway station of Bathinda is one of the biggest
railway junctions in the country. It is one of the leading cities in Punjab for
education.
Mohali
Located to the west of Chandigarh, Mohali is
a shopper’s paradise and is known for its cricket ground. Renamed SAS Nagar in
memory of Sahibzada Ajit Singh, the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, the city
along with Panchkula and Chandigarh form the Chandigarh Tricity. Mohali houses
many historical places including Gurdwara Angeetha Sahib, Gurdwara Amb Sahib,
the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial, Gurdwara Nabha Sahib and Gurdwara
Puddha Sahib.
A mere extension of the roads and design
pattern of Chandigarh, the success of Chandigarh’s sector design planning led
to Mohali being planned identically. Mohali is one of the most preferred
locations among IT outsourcing industries and many multi-national organisations
have built their headquarters here. The Rose Garden and the Pinjore garden are
some of the other attractions here but with cricket being more than just a
sport in India, the main attraction in Mohali is still Mohali Cricket Stadium,
one of the largest in India.
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