The Sports city of India

Jalandhar is known for its sportmen as well as its sports industry, its steel and iron re-rolling mills, rubber goods, electric goods, automobile parts, and sewing machines factories and handloom products.

If there exists an ancient city with a modern face, then Jalandhar fits the description. A town of great antiquity, Jalandhar today is a highly industrialized center of commercial activity. It also claims the privilege of being the sports city of India as not only has it produced some of our finest sports people but also world class sports equipment which is produced here. In fact, 12 of India's greatest hockey players have come from a single village, Sansarpur, in Jalandhar district.

Historical evidence suggests that in 185 B.C., Jalandhar defined the northwestern boundry of Pushyamitra Sunga's kingdom. Jalandhar also finds mention in accounts of King Harsha's reign which began in 606 A.D. Udita, the King of Jalandhar, appears to have been his vassal. During the 9th century, Jalandhar was a small but independent kingdom known as Trigarta.

Jalandhar continued to flourish under the Mughals and played a prominent role in the freedom struggle as many patriots were born here.

Jalandhar boasts of many historic monuments. Prominent among them are the mausoleum of Iman Nasir, the fort at Phillaur which once served as Maharaja Ranjit Singh's line of defence against the British, a Shiv Mandir which dates back to the Lodhi era and the Gurudwara at Kartarpur. The Gurudwara at Kartarpur (16 km from Jalandhar town) was built by the Fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjun Devji in 1656 A.D. Every year, a fair is held on the birth anniversary of the Guru when a large number of devotees gather to pay homage.

Another popular annual event is the Har ballabh Sangeet Sammelan held in the last week of December at the Devi Talab. Baba Harballabh, born in a Brahmin family at Bajwara, Hoshiarpur, shifted to Jalandhar and became Swami Tulja Girl's discip;e. In 1875, he began the Sangeet Mela in the memory of his Guru and the tradition continues strong even today. Prominent exponents of classical music, both vocal and instrumental gather to provide a feast of music.

Shiv Mandir : Situated Gur Mandi, Shiv Mandir is reputed to have been built by a Nawab of Sultanpur Lodhi near Masjid Imam Nasar.

Harballabh Fair : The most notable event in Jalandhar is the annual national Harballabh Fair which is held every year from 26th to 29th of December. Harballabh is THE oldest festival of Indian Classical Music in the world. Prominent exponents of classical music, both vocal and instrumental, from all over the country gather to provide a rare feast of music for the connoisseur. The Sangeet Sammelan is held in the premises of Devi Talab one and a half kms. from the Railway Station. Even Mahatma Gandhi was attracted to the festival in 1929.

Jalandhar has been in the thick of the fight for freedom from the British Raj and has produced many patriots. A Desh-Bhagat Memorial Hall has been constructed here to perpetuate the memory of such martyrs.

Catholic Cathedral (Jalandhar Cantt.) : The rare cathedral initiated by representatives of His Holiness, the Pope is the only one of its kind in the East. Its cosmo-cultural design is a tribute to the Punjabi tradition.

Nurmahal : Nurmahal is a small town 13 kms. from nakodar. A Mughal Serai got constructed by Nurjehan, the famous queen of Jehangir and known as Serai Nurmahal, here, is worthseeing.

Khatkar Kalan : The 50th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam S. Bhagat Singh was observed by setting up a commemorative 'memorial Museum' on March 23, 1981. This museum is situated at Khatkar kalan, on Nawanshehar-Banga road in Jalandhar district which is 100 kms. from Chandigarh, 30 kms. from Phagwara and 55 kms. from Jalandhar.

Kartarpur : About 16 kms. from Jalandhar towards Amritsar, Kartarpur, is known for its grand furniture industry. It was founded by the 5th Guru Arjun Dev Ji in 1656 A.D. The Gurudwara here is worth-seeing where every year on the birth anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji a great fair is held.

Kartarpur is also known as the birth place of Swami Virjanand who was the teacher of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the illustrious founder of the Arya Samaj. A memorial (Guru Virjanand Smarak) has been constructed here in his memory.

Nakodar : Nakodar is known for 2 beautiful 17th century Tombs. One of these protected monuments, known as the tomb of 'Ustad', the teacher, is the Mohd. Momin Hussain, a musician in the service of Khan-e-Khana during, his pupil, the Shagird.

Jalandhar people

Jalandhar people comprises of many famous luminaries from the world of sports, media, entertainment and politics. The city of Jalandhar has been the nurturing ground of several brilliant achievers from different arenas of social life who have contributed immensely to the cultural integrity of the country.

Important Personalities:

The city of Jalanadhar has become synonymous with important personalities in their respective fields.

The famous singer and actor of the yester years, K.L. Saigal had undergone his musical training in Jalandhar from where the musical maestro had adopted the Punjabi style of singing.

Bhagat Singh was born in a village of Jalandhar. The great revolutionary, who played an important role in the Indian independence struggle, drew inspiration from the events that affected Punjab. Later on Bhagat Singh rose to be a national leader with a mass appeal.

Jagjit Singh is another noted personality from the world of music. The musical genius completed his education from D.A.V. College of Jalandhar. Jagjit Singh, along with his wife Chitra Singh, popularized ghazals among the common masses.

The famous producer and director from the field of Hindi film industry, Yash Chopra was born in Jalandhar. Yash Chopra is credited with directing and producing many famous movies in Hindi.

The famous film personality, social service worker and politician, Mr Sunil Dutt had his roots in Jalandhar. He started his career in the field of Hindi movies. During the later phase of his career, Sunil Dutt joined active politics and selflessly served the country till the last day of his life.

Harbhajan Singh, the well known cricketing star, was born in Jalandhar. Harbhajan Singh has represented India in several international games and made Indians proud of his glorious achievements.

Jalandhar boasts of many celebrities who have made the city famous for their achievements.


Below is the list of important Jalandhar People:

* K.L. Saigal
* Bhagat Singh
* Jagjit Singh
* Yash Chopra
* Sunil Dutt
* Harbhajan Singh

History of Jalandhar

History of Jalandhar throws light on the chronological events of the important historical happenings of the ancient, medieval and modern periods. Reflecting the ancestral heritage and traditional grandeur, the history of Jalandhar portrays the cultural, social, political and commercial significance of the place during the bygone years.

Jalandhar was an important part of the Indus Valley Civilization in the ancient times. During the reign of Kanishka, Jalandhar had played host to the grand conference of theologians of Buddhists where all the holy writings of the religion were compiled for the convenience of the followers. The Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang wrote at length about the city of Jalandhar. In the second half of the 10th century, Jalandhar was ruled by the great rulers of the Shahi dynasty.

The medieval history of Jalandhar started with the advent of Ala-ud-din Khilji. However, the war over Jalandhar did not stop and after the advent of Babur, he took over the reigns of Jalandhar and offered it to Daulat Khan Lodhi. Thus began the Mughal rule over the region which was however interrupted by the able ruler, Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah Suri's rule was very short lived and Jalandhar was finally restored in the strong hands of Akbar and his successors. After the death of Aurangazeb, the Mughal domination had come to an end and the tussle over the conquest of Jalandhar had again began with several foreign invaders trying to capture the city. During 1759, Jalandhar was ruled by 12 confederacies of Sikh religion.

The later years of medieval history of Jalandhar witnessed a fierce struggle between the Sikh battalion and foreign invaders. The medieval age had ultimately come to an end with the death of Ranjit Singh and the final outcome of Anglo-Sikh War.

The modern era of Jalandhar began from AD 1846. Jalandhar played a prominent role during the Revolt of 1857. Thereafter, Jalandhar took part in the various agitations to free India from the clutches of British rulers. The assassination of Bhagat Singh in AD 1929 had an important impact on Jalandhar. The Civil Disobedience Movement was strictly followed in the city. On 15th August, Jalandhar rejoiced over the independence of the country.

The historical facts about Jalandhar reflect the glorious past of the place.

About Jalandhar

Origin of the Name of the District

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.

Location

Jalandhar is located on the intensively irrigated plain between the Beas and Sutlej rivers. The city, which has major road and rail connections, is a market for agricultural products. Manufactures include textiles, leather goods, wood products, and sporting goods. Jalandhar was the capital of Punjab from India's independence (1947) until Chandigarh was built in 1953.Jalandhar is situated at 710 31’ East and 300 33’ North at a distance of 146 kms from state capital Chandigarh. It is at a distance of 350 Kms from Delhi on Delhi-Amritsar Highway. It is surrounded by Ludhiana district in East, Kapurthala in West, Hosiharpur in North and Ferozepur in South. It is well connected by road and train. Nearest Airport is RajaSansi Airport, Amritsar at a distance of 90 kms.