Rupnagar is one of the 20 districts of Punjab and falls in the Patiala division. It is located in the eastern part of the state and borders Himachal Pradesh to its north. The district gets its name from its administrative headquarters, the city of Rupnagar which is said to have been founded in the 11th century. Ropar, as it was formerly known, was set up when the States Reorganization Committee dissolved PEPSU and created Punjab in 1966. For administrative purposes, the district is divided into four tehesils (divisions) namely: Anandpur Sahib, Chamkor Sahib, Nangal and Rupnagar. The district is famous for the second highest dam in Asia, which is located in Nangal.
Etymology and History
Back in the 11th century, a king named Rokeshar ruled the area and founded a city which was to be named after his son Rup Sen; it was then that Rupnagar city came into being and the district got its name from this city.
The history of the district traces its roots back to the Indus-Valley Civilization of Harrapa and Mohinjodharo. Aryan invaders defeated the natives and brought Vedas and Sanskrit to India around 1500 BC. Some of the Aryans also settled where the current district of Rupnagar is situated.
Later, the district became a part of the Gupta and Maurya Empires and remained under the Hindu rulers until the Muslim invasions began in the 11th century. The dynasties that controlled the region after the 11th century include: the Slave Dynasty (AD 1206 – 1288), the Khilzi Dynasty (AD 1288 – 1331), the Tughluq Dynasty (AD 1321 – 1414), the Sayyids and Lodhis (AD 1414 – 1526) and the Mughals. Rupnagar was conquered by Hari Singh in 1763 and the area became a part of Sikh Confederation. It was during the rule of the Hari Singh that the most important event occurred in the recent history of the district: the establishment of a new religion namely Khalsa or Sikhism by the tenth guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Some parts of Rupnagar came under Ranjit Singh when he rose to power but after the Anglo-Sikh Wars in the 1840s the district was colonized by the British. The British rule continued until the country gained independence in August 1947 and Rupnagar became a part of PEPSU.
Geography and Climate
The district is located between the latitudes 30°-32′ and 31°-24′ North and 76°-18′ and 76°-55′ East. Although Rupnagar is one of the smallest districts in Punjab, the geographical variations shown are the greatest in the states. On the basis of its geographical features, the district can be divided into five units:
(a)The Anandpur Dun: This tract runs from the Nangal in the north to the Kakrala village in the south covering a distance of approximately 50 kilometers. The average width of this tract is approximately 10 kilometers. There are a number of seasonal streams which run through this part.
(b)The Hilly Tract: This part further has divisions (1) the Eastern Slopes of Katar Dhar, (2) the Western Slopes of Kolhai Range and (3) the Western Peripheral Fringe of Naina Devi Range. The elevation of the Hilly Tract ranges from 300 – 1000 meters above the sea level.
(c)The Foothill Dissected Plain: This part runs along the Shiwalik Hills over a tract measuring 30 kilometers in length and the breath varying from 7-10 kilometers. The elevation of the ‘Plain’ is between 300 – 380 meters.
(d)The Upland Plain: It is located in the south-west of the foothill plain and its relatively level surface makes its workable for agricultural purposes.
(e)Floodplain of the Satluj River: This 20 kilometer long narrow strip runs along the river Satluj from Rupnagar City to the western boundary of the district. It is only a kilometer or two wide but this narrow tract forms the fertile agricultural land in the district.
The climate of the district is typical of the state; it is hot and dry except for the brief spell of monsoons. The year can be divided into four seasons:
Winters: November – February
Summers: March – June
Monsoon: June – mid-September
Post Monsoon: mid-September – November
Tourism
Takhat Shri Keshgarh Sahib: Located in Anandpur Sahib, the complex is one of the most important shrines for Sikhs. It was here in 1699 that the tenth Guru Gobind Singh founded a new religion called Sikhism. Keshgarh Sahib holds one of the five takhats.
Gurudwara Pariwar Vichora Sahib: Situated approximately 14 kilometers from the city of Rupnagar near the village of Nangal Sirsa, it is the place where the tenth guru got separated from his family.
Gurudwara Bhatta Sahib: The gurudwara was built in 1914 in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh, who gifted some weapons to the Pathans who had sheltered him for a night when he was being pursued by the Mughal army. It is located in the village of Kotla Nihang on the outskirts of the city of Rupnagar.
Gurudwara Sadabarat: This gurudwara is associated with the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev. It is said that the place where the gurudwara stands today was used as lodging on his journey back from Kiratpur Sahib. The gurudwara was built in 1930.
Jateshwar Mahadev Temple: The temple is devoted to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and it is famous for a fair which is held each year in the month of July or August. The temple is located on the Rupnagar-Nurpur Bedi road in the village Jatwahr.
Bhakra Nangal Dam: The construction on the dam was completed in 1955 and today it’s one of the tallest straight gravity dams in the world. The dam, which is widely credited with having brought prosperity to Punjab, is only 10 kilometers from Nangal. The Gobind Sagar Lake formed because of the dam is a famous tourist attraction in the district.
The Meeting Place of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentinck: A meeting was held between a representative of the British East India Company and Ranjit Singh to build trust between the two powers on 26 October 1831 on the bank of the River Satluj. This place also attracts a number of visitors.
