This most populous district in Punjab is situated at the centre of the state. It occupies an area of 3767 square kilometres and as per the Census 2001, the district has a population of 3,030,352 and the population density is 805 persons per square kilometre.
For the purposes of administration, the district is divided into seven tehesils (subdivisions): Ludhiana (E), Ludhiana (W), Jagraon, Khanna, Payal, Raikot and Samrala. Further, there are six Sub-tehesils, Nagar Councils each and there are 13 ‘Market Committees’ to take care of the commerce in the district.
Etymology:
The district gets its name from the name of the dynasty founded by Bahalul Lodi, who belonged to the Afghan tribe of Ghilzi. Although the Lodhi Dynasty lasted for less than a century, it left behind it imprints and the name of the city is only one of them.
History:
The area where today stands the largest city in the state was once as a mere village named ‘Meer Hoti’ and the Yodhas (warriors) were the first rulers of Ludhiana, who ruled the area from the first century AD till fourth century. Later, it became a part of the Gupta Empire. During the ninth century, many Afghans, Rajputs and Turks settled in the city.
During the Mughal rule, the area was a part of the Sirhind district. But the invasions of the Afghans under Shah Durrani weakened the Mughal influence in the area to a considerable extent and it became a semi-autonomous area under the rule of the Rais. Ludhiana was faced with the consequences of the rivalry between the Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh and the British East India Company. Ranjit Singh invaded and occupied Ludhiana in 1805. The Company deployed its own troops and forced the advancing maharaja to halt his progress and limited his activities to the right bank of the river Sutlej. Ludhiana became a district when India achieved independence in 1947.
Geography and Climate:
Ludhiana is located at the centre of the state with its district boundaries touching seven other districts. It bounded on the north by the river Satluj and Patiala forms its southern boundary and falls in the Malwa region. The district is a part of the vast and fertile Indo-Gangetic plain and its surface is a typical ‘alluvial plain’ (an alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform), created by the process of the accumulation of sediments over a period of millions of years. The land mass of the district is divided into two parts:
(1) The flood plain of the Sutlej
(2) The upland plain
The climate of the district, like others in Punjab, is hot and dry. There are four seasons in the district:
Summers: March to the end of the June
Monsoons: July to mid-September
Post monsoon: mid-September to November
Winters: November to early March
June is generally the hottest month of the year and December, the coldest. Besides that, 70% of the annual rainfall is during the monsoon season.
Demographics and Language:
As per the 2001 census, the population of the city was close to three million. Males account for 57% of the population of and 70% of them are literate. The female literacy in the district is 68% and females constitute 43% of the population. Migrant workers, mainly from the Hindi speaking states of India, are also a large minority; these people account for approximately one-third of Ludhiana’s population.
Punjabi is the mother tongue of the majority of the population. Hindi is also widely spoken, especially amongst the migrant communities from the Hindi heartland. Both Punjabi and Hindi well understood throughout the district. English is commonly used by the educated upper class and it is the language of commerce and the education system.
Economy:
Often referred to as the Manchester of the state, the industry is the back bone of the district’s economy. The district is famous for its textile industry but there are cycle and automobile industries are also not far behind. Industries such as Oswal Group and Nahar Group are known for their quality and both are big names in the textile industry whereas the Hero Group, Avon Cycles and Ralson are the names to be reckoned with in the national cycle industry and all of them are run from within the district.
Thanks to the Punjab Agricultural University, which is located in the district, and the research done by its scientists, Ludhiana was one of those few districts in the country where the Green Revolution began in the late 1960s. In spite of a well-developed industrial base, the district hasn’t forgotten the importance of farming and agriculture still plays an important role in the district’s economy.
Tourism:
Nehru Rose Garden: With around 17,000 plants belonging to approximately 1,600 plant varieties, Nehru Rose Garden is one of the largest rose gardens in Asia. The garden is spread over 27 acres and it was established in 1967. The garden also features boat rides and has a small zoo. It is one of the favourite spots for morning walkers.
Hardy’s World: Located around 7 kilometres from the city, Hardy’s World is the largest entertainment water park in Punjab. The park is famous for its theme parties, joy rides, cafes and a shopping mall of its own. The amusement park also boasts of the third largest indoor snow city in the nation.
Guru Nanak Bhawan: It is older one of just two theatres in Ludhiana. The complex used to be called ‘Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan Complex’ and it was the only theatre in Ludhiana when it was established. The Bhawan (complex) has a huge air-conditioned auditorium.
Rural Museum PAU: The museum is the only place in Ludhiana, and perhaps Punjab, where a person can witness what is feels like to live in the villages of Punjab. The museum elegantly depicts the simplicity of Punjabi rural life and the culture of the state. The museum is located on the premises of the Punjab Agricultural University and is spread over an area of 4000 square yard.
Tiger Safari: Located about 6 kilometres from the Ludhiana city on the GT Road, Tiger Safari can be compared to a sized down African Safari. Tiger Safari covers an area of 25 acres and it is the only place in the district where one can see tigers roaming around in the open.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum: The War museum is built on the Ludhiana-Amritsar Highway (NH-1) approximately 5 kilometres from the Ludhiana City Railway Station. The huge gallery has on show the uniforms of the Royal Indian Armed Forces (British era forces), the portraits of soldiers who fought bravely during the wars of 1948, 1965 and 1971 with Pakistan. It also acts as a cenotaph to the soldiers who were killed during these battles.
Gurudwara Charan Kanwal Sahib: Located near the bus stand in the city of Machiwara on Charan Kanwal Road, the gurudwara (Sikh temple) is situated where the tenth Sikh guru, Gobind Singh, spent a night.
Guru Nanak Sports Stadium: It is one of those few stadiums in the state which meet the international standards of conducting sports events; the stadium also hosts the Annual National Football League matches. The flood-lit stadium has a sitting capacity of 1,500 spectators and it has an eight-lane athletic track, a basketball indoor hall, a cycling velodrome, a hockey ground and a multipurpose hall.
Gurudwara Manji Sahib: Situated in the Alamgir village in the district, this Sikh temple is a landmark built in the memory of to the tenth guru Gobind Singh. It is said that the guru took refuge here while escaping pursuit from the Mughal army.
Education:
Punjab Agricultural University: It is the second oldest agricultural university in the country and it is widely believed that the research done by its scientists was a major contributor to bringing about the Green Revolution. The university was established in 1962, and it has a faculty of around 1250.
Ludhiana College of Engineering and Technology: The college has been set up by the Vikas Education Society in the Katani village of Ludhiana and it is one of the colleges in the district with the state of the art teaching methods.
Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College: The college was established in 1956 to uplift the backward sections of the society; the college admits over 70% students from the rural areas. The college is spread over 88 acres and it is situated 8 kilometres from the Ludhiana Railway Station.
