Kapurthala is fairly small district with an area of just 1633 square kilometers. It makes Kapurthala one of the smallest districts in Punjab but the same can’t be said for its rich history and culture. Kapurthala was a princely state and it never came under direct British control. The old architecture of the districts depicts secular traditions and is influenced by the French architecture. For the purposes of administration the district is divided into four tehesils (divisions) and fifteen blocks and it borders five districts.
The city of Kapurthala is the administrative headquarters of the district and that’s where the district gets its name from. Kapurthala city was founded in the eleventh century by Rana Kapur, a Rajput from Jaisalmer, and he named the city after him. The district was ruled by the descendants of Balban between 1266 – 1526 AD, when Babur, the founder of Mughal Empire, invaded India. The Mughals controlled the area from 1526 to 1707 AD. The Mughal Empire started declining after that and for decades the armies of Sikhs and the Mughals fought bitterly for the control of the area. This rivalry kept the situation tense until a Sikh confederacy under the leadership of Jassa Singh took control of the area in 1783. The successors of Jassa Singh ruled the territory of Kapurthala till 1949 when the princely state was merged into the newly formed the Indian Republic.
The district is located in the Satluj-Ganges plain and is virtually flat. It doesn’t show as much of a topographic variety as its neighboring district of Hoshiarpur but still the geologists divide the terrain into two parts: the Beas Lowlands and the Upland Plain. Beas and Satluj are the main rivers of the district.
As per the Census 2001, the district has a population of 754521 and almost two-thirds of which, lives in the rural areas. Punjabi is spoken throughout the district although Hindi is also widely understood. English is mainly spoken in the cities by the educated class because it is the language of the academia.
The district may be small but there is no dearth of places worth seeing when visiting the district and here are some of these are:
The Jagatjit Palace: Built in 1906 by M. Marcel, the palace used to be the home of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh and it is perhaps the most well-known building in Kapurthala today. The architecture of the palace displays the influence of famous French palaces – Versailles and Fontainebleau. The palace is currently used as a museum and houses a military school.
The Mazar (tomb) of Mir Nasir Ahmed: Mir Nasir Ahmed was a descendant of the legendary musician Tansen who settled in Kapurthala on a request by the ruler Kanwar Bikrama Singh in 1858 and founded a music school, the Kapurthala Gharana. His tomb is regularly visited by the students of classical music.
The Royal Cenotaphs: Located in the Shalimar Gardens, the Royal Cenotaphs are built on a plinth which was built in 1880. The Shalimar Gardens serve as the offices of the Municipal Council of Kapurthala.
The Moorish Mosque: Built in the 1930, the mosque is the only one of its kind in Asia. It was conceived by the French architect, M. Manteaux and it was decorated by the students of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. The mosque takes inspiration from the Qutbia Mosque in Marakesh, Morocco.
Panch Mandir: The temple has five small temples in it and it was during the rule of Sardar Fateh Singh. The temple has a special attraction, an idol of the creator of universe (according to the Hindus): Brahma which is a rarity.
The Jubilee Hall: The complex was built in 1916 to celebrate the completion of 25 years of rule of the King Jagatjit of Kapurthala. It is today houses a college.
The Villa Buona Vista: Built in 1899 and designed by J O S Elmore, the building served as the hunting lodge of the rulers of Kapurthala. It is today a private property owned by the grandson of the former ruler, Jagatjit Singh.
Kanjli Wetland: Located on the outskirts of Kapurthala city on the west bank of rivulet Bein, it is a popular site for boating and bird watching.
