The Jalandhar District is situated in the North of Punjab bordering five districts. It is one of the most prosperous districts in the state and the city of Jalandhar is its administrative headquarters. The district is forms the land between the rivers Beas and Sutlej. The city of Jalandhar was the capital of Punjab before Chandigarh was built and declared the new capital in 1953. The area of the district is 3401 square kilometers and as per the Census 2001, the population of the state is close to two million citizens.
Etymology and History
There are three theories about how the district got its name; according to the one of them it is named after a Hindu demon named Jalandhar while the second speculation is that the area was once the capital of the kingdom of King Lav, the son of king Ram of Ayodhya and as per the third theory Jalandhar is a native name which meant ‘an area between the two rivers’ to the ancients.
Legend has it that the ancient Kingdom of Jalandhar was ruled by a demon and the kingdom comprised the whole of Upper Doaba from the river Ravi to the river Satluj. Jalandhar was also the abode of the ancient civilization of Harappa and Mohenjodaro which inhabited the region from 2300 – 1700 BC. The history of the region remains mired in obscurity and the next reference to the region comes in the theological writings which mention of a king named Kushan about 100 AD. The famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang visited the region during the 7th century and also wrote about the state of Buddhism in Jalandhar. The area remained under the control of Indian rulers until about the 11th century.
The invasions from the northwest began sometime during the 11th century and the Hindu kingdoms who had ruled the Jalandhar region fell one by one. The invaders established their own dynasties; one of those dynasties was the Mughal Dynasty and Jalandhar remained under the Mughals until the 18th century when the Sikh Confederacies established their rule. The region fell into the British hands after the Anglo-Sikh wars and remained under them till India gained her independence in 1947 and Jalandhar became a district.
Climate
The district remains hot and dry throughout the year except for the brief spell of monsoons between the months of July to September; more than 70% of the rain that the district receives falls in this period. Overall the district has four seasons:
Winters: November – March
Summers: March – June
Monsoons: July – mid-September
Post Monsoons: mid-September – November
Administrative Divisions
The district consists of five tehesils (divisions) namely Nakodar, Jalandhar I, Phillaur, Shahkot and Jalandhar II. These tehesils are further divided into five sub-tehesils Adampur, Goryan, Kartarpur, Bhogpur and Nurmahal. Besides that there are ten development blocks and 956 villages.
Economy
The district was one of those chosen for bringing about the Green Revolution in the 1960s. Since then, the district has almost always been one of the first to employ the latest agricultural techniques. The city is colloquially called A City of Sports and it is famous around the world for its sports equipment manufacturing industry. Jalandhar is the biggest manufacturer of leather tool pouches and aprons; most of these products are manufactured for exports.
Tourism
Devi Talab Mandir: It can be roughly translated into English as the ‘Reservoir Temple of the (female) Deity’ and the temple is located at the centre of the administrative headquarter i.e. the city of Jalandhar. The temple complex houses a model of the Amarnath Yatra and an old temple of Kali, the goddess of destruction.
Tulsi Mandir: This temple is built in the memory of the wife, Vrinda, of demon Jalandhara. The temple has a tank which is believed to be the bathing place of the demon. There are a number of small temples nearby devoted to various gods and goddess.
Shiv Mandir: This temple is located near the mosque of Imam Nasar and it is said that the temple of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, was built by a Nawab (ruler) of Sultanpur Lodhi. It is located in the Gur Mandi area of Jalandhar City.
Gurudwara Chhevin Padshahi: The gurudwara has been built to celebrate the meeting of the sixth guru Hargobind Sahib with a famous Muslim saint named Sheikh Darvesh during his visit to the Doaba region.
St. Mary’s Cathedral Church: This old church is dedicated to St. Patrick and it was built by Father John MacDonnell of the Vicariate Apostolic (the name of a society in Agra) in 1947. It is also located in the Jalandhar City.
Pushpa Gujral Science City: Covering an area of almost 71 acres, it is situated on the road connecting Jalandhar to Kapurthala and also has a small power station of its own. The Science City is still being upgraded.
