Ludhiana

Ludhiana gets its name from the Lodhi Dynasty, which is believed to have founded the city in the year 1480. Ludhiana, the site of a great battle in the First Sikh War (1845) is now Punjab's most populated metropolitan city. This city situated on the banks of the Sutlej River, was founded in 1480 by Lodhi princess from Delhi. The prosperity of the place can be attributed to spirit of enterprise and business sense displayed by the people here. It is a major textile and light engineering centre. Its hosiery goods are in great demand in all the markets of the east and the west. It exports woolen garments, machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts to all over the world. The famous Punjab Agricultural University is situated on the outskirts of Ludhiana. It has a large grain market and is famous for rural Olympics. It also happens to be an important pilgrimage center with a number of Gurudwaras located within and around the place. Another important historical monument is the Fort of Lodhi which is about 500 years old and was built by the Muslim ruler Sikander Lodhi along the banks of River Sutlej.

Geography of Ludhiana

One of the centrally located cities of Punjab, Ludhiana stands on the banks of river Sutlej. It borders Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib and in the west, areas of Faridkot touch its boundaries. Towards the south lie the district of Sangrur and Patiala. Its topography is representative of an alluvial plain and divides the district into the flood plain of Sutlej and the Upland plain. (Interactive map of Ludhiana)

History of Ludhiana

Ludhiana's history goes a back a long way to 1481 when it was just a small village called Meer Hota. Initially ruled by yodhas from the 1st to the 4th century, it subsequently came under King Samudragupta and the Rajputs .The original Ludhianavis actually settled here much later in the 9th century. And then came the Punjabi races of Sidhus, Gills, Sandhus and Grewals from the jungle of Jagraon. In the early 19th century, it has been under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1806) for a short period. During that time, it became an important British cantonment before the British took it over in 1809. They confined the Maharaja's control to the right bank of the River Sutlej and the British troops were permanently stationed in Ludhiana.

Places of Interest in Ludhiana

Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir

Situated 10 Km from Ludhiana, the gurudwara commemorates the place where the Muslim devotees Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan had carried Guru Gobind Singh to safety during the battle. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the last of the Sikh Gurus, transformed the pacifist Sikh sect into a martial community. He introduced rites of initiation into well-organised Sikh army known as the 'Khalsa'.  There is a tank where it is believed that the Guruji had shot an arrow into the parched earth to pierce a sub-terrain stream of water. A fair is held there in every December.

Pir-I-Dastgir shrine 

The fort to the north-west of Ludhiana includes the shrine of Pir-I-Dastgir, also known as Abdul Kadir Galani which draws both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims.

Phillaur Fort

The fort was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, the brave general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is police training center now.     

Punjab Agricultural University Museum

The world famous  Punjab Agriculture University founded in 1962 is situated on the outskirts of the city. It is patterned after the Land Grant College of America. The Museum of Rural history of Punjab is on the University campus. The museum building resemble the traditional houses of rural Punjab. A 100 yard long path, flanked on both sides by water channels, leads to the finely carved doors of the museum. There are exhibits of old bronze utensils, farming equipment etc.

Bilwanwali Masjid  

Mosque of Kamal-ud-din Khan/Sarai Doraha on the main highway, dates back to Emperor Jahangir's time. Rectangular in shape it has rooms and varandahs on all sides. Two great double storied gates are profusely decorated with coloured tiles and intricate brick carvings.

Famous Tombs 

Mausoleum of Alawal Khan built during Shah Jehan's reign is octagonal in shape, surmounted by double pear shaped dome. The tomb of Bahadur Khan has sloping walls.Tomb of Husain Khan is 2 storied tomb.

Gurudwara Charan Kamal

This Gurudwara situated in village Machhiwara, 35 km from Ludhiana, commemorates the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh had rested while fighting a guerrilla war against a massive Mughal force.

Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon

It is located 38 km from Ludhiana, a remarkable memorial of the Sikh Saint, Baba Nand Singh Kaleranwale. A five days fair is held here in his memory in August every year.