A municipal corporation and a major city of the Indian state of Punjab, Ludhiana is the largest city. Known as the "Manchester of India", Ludhiana is well-known all over the World for the hosiery products. It is one of the most important Industrial cities of Punjab and is also known as the Sports capital of India. Situated on the southern banks of River Sutlej, it is one of the most important cities of Punjab as well as a commercial and industrial hub of the state. Ludhiana is Textile and light engineering hub of India. Woolen garment machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds, sewing machines and motor parts produced here are exported all over the world. It accounts for 90% of the country's woolen hosiery industry.
Geography and Climate
udhiana is located at 30.9°N 75.85°E with an average elevation of 244 meters (798 ft). The city stands on the Grand Trunk Road from Delhi to Amritsar. The district is almost rectangular in shape with 96 Kms (east-west) length alongside the Sutlej River and 39 km breadth from North to South.
Ludhiana features a humid subtropical climate with three defined seasons; summer, monsoon and winter. Summers, which range from April through June in the city, tends to be very hot and very dry with average highs in May and June hovering around 40 °C (104 °F). The monsoon season which runs from July through September, witnesses minor decrease in average temperatures but an increase in humidity. The size of the city's annual precipitation is received during the monsoon season. October and November are dry, which is similar to a summer month than a monsoon month, though November is noticeably cooler than the summer month. Average temperatures though tend to decrease during the course of each of these months. December through February, which forms the winter months, is relatively mild with warm days and chilly nights. March is more of a sharp transitional month from winter to summer. Ludhiana on average witnesses approximately 730 millimeters (29 in) of precipitation, annually.
Demographics
As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Ludhiana in 2011 is 1,613,878; of which male and female are 874,773 and 739,105, respectively. Total number of literates in the city is 1,230,218 of which 691,161 are males while 539,057 are females with an average literacy rate of 85.38 % of which male and female literacy is 88.35% and 81.85%, respectively. The sex ratio of Ludhiana city is 845 per 1000 males.
History of Ludhiana
The history of Ludhiana dates back to 1481 when it was just a small village named Meer Hota. This land was ruled by several rulers namely the Guptas, Yodhas and the Rajputs. This city gets its name from the Lodhi Dynasty. . Two Lodhi Chiefs, Yusaf Khan and Nihang Khan, were deputed by Sikandar Lodhi (1489-1517 A.D.) to re-establish order in the region. They camped at a small village on the eastern bank of the Sutlej. Yusaf Khan went across the river in Jalandhar Doab to subdue rebellious Khokhars and settled at Sultanpur while Nihang Khan stayed back and founded Lodhiana, the town of Lodhi's at the site of Mirhota. He changed the name of the village to Lodiana and later on his grandson, Jalal Khan, built the Lodhi Fort in the site. His two sons Aloo Khan and Khijar Khan divided among themselves the area around the fort but were dethroned by Babur who even demolished Nihang's tomb. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, Ludhiana became the tehsil along with Tihara.
After the death of Akbar, in 1605 was dominated by the rise of Sikhism as a power, and the decline of the Mughal Empire. By this time the Mughal Empire was wobbling to its fall, and local powers began to assert their independence. The Rais of Raikot, who until then had held a considerable tract of land around Ludhiana in lease from the emperors, were some of the first to assert their independence. Raja Ala Singh of Patiala, the representative of the crumbling Delhi Sultanate and Rai Kalha II were the principal contenders for power in the region. Rai Kalha III, who had been a ruler of very great ability, extended his power up to Ludhiana. He established independent power over the whole of the Jagraon (the place of the Rais) and the greater part of Ludhiana Tahsils along with a large portion of the Ferozepur District.
After the gradual fall of Sirhind, the last vestige of Mughal control over the area, and Ludhiana was surrendered to the Rais. The Malaudh Sirdars belonging to the Phulkian stock had already established themselves in the south of Ludhiana in the Jangal villages and the country about Malaudh and Sudha Singh Gill. An adventurer from Loharu in the Ferozepur district secured a few villages around Sahnewal. In 1767 Ahmed Shah reached Ludhiana on his last voyage but could not get further.
In the year 1785, the Sutlej changed in course and Ludhiana was no longer situated on its banks. In the year 1798, Ludhiana witnessed the brutal attack by the Sikhs under Bedi Sahib Singh of Unan and the ruler of the Rais, Rai Alias was just a child and his agents Roshan and Gujar made a good stand against the Sikhs at Jodh, ten miles (16 km) southwest of Ludhiana. Roshan was the killed in the fight, and Rai`s army was dispersed. However, the Phulkian chiefs, who were on good terms with the Rais did not intend to allow the Bedi to establish himself in their midst and came to their assistance, driving the invaders out of the villages. Upon the Bedi`s obstruction in Ludhiana, the Rais called in British mercenary George Thomas to help with the protection of the city. On Thomas`s approach, Bedi returned to the other side of the river. After consolidating with the new Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh crossed the Sutlej in 1806 in his first expedition against the Cis-Sutlej states and exposed the Rais of all their possessions, including Ludhiana. The city was occupied but not annexed to the Lahore state.
By the year 1809 Ranjit Singh was completing his third expedition and was again on the west bank of the Sutlej ready to attack Ludhiana. Fearing further expansion that was coming closer to their sphere of interest, the East India Company occupied the Cis-Sutlej states east of the Sutlej. The Company sent Colonel David Ochterlony with a force to occupy Ludhiana. By the end of 1809, The Treaty with the Rajah of Lahore was signed in which the Rajah agreed to remain north and west of the Sutlej. British troops were permanently stationed in Ludhiana, and they established a cantonment to further consolidate their occupation. Compensation was paid by the British to the Raja of Jind. In the year 1835, the Jind family, who technically still ruled Ludhiana, was left without any heirs. By the British doctrine of lapse, Ludhiana came under official control of the East India Company. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Deputy-Commissioner George Ricketts crushed a rebellion in Ludhiana with the assistance of the chiefs of Nabha and Maler Kotla.
Tourist Destinations in Ludhiana
Besides being a renowned industrial and commercial hub of Punjab, Ludhiana is also a popular tourist spot. It has both historical monuments as well as religious centers that attract tourists from all over the world. Some of the prominent tourist attractions of the city are:
Transportation
Ludhiana railway station is on main Delhi-Amritsar route and is an important railway junction with lines going to Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Dhuri and Delhi. The city is very well connected with daily or weekly trains to most places in India including the major cities of Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Kanpur, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
The city also houses an airport, which has flights that daily flies to Delhi. Ludhiana is well connected with other cities of Punjab and also with other states by Bus service. The transportation services are provided by state owned Punjab Roadways and private bus operators. Moving inside the city, now there are modern Tata Marcopolo low floor buses for local travelling inside the city. The Ludhiana City Bus Services Limited (LCBSL) is the company which operates these buses in the City. Auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis that are common means of transportation within the city.
Geography and Climate
udhiana is located at 30.9°N 75.85°E with an average elevation of 244 meters (798 ft). The city stands on the Grand Trunk Road from Delhi to Amritsar. The district is almost rectangular in shape with 96 Kms (east-west) length alongside the Sutlej River and 39 km breadth from North to South.
Ludhiana features a humid subtropical climate with three defined seasons; summer, monsoon and winter. Summers, which range from April through June in the city, tends to be very hot and very dry with average highs in May and June hovering around 40 °C (104 °F). The monsoon season which runs from July through September, witnesses minor decrease in average temperatures but an increase in humidity. The size of the city's annual precipitation is received during the monsoon season. October and November are dry, which is similar to a summer month than a monsoon month, though November is noticeably cooler than the summer month. Average temperatures though tend to decrease during the course of each of these months. December through February, which forms the winter months, is relatively mild with warm days and chilly nights. March is more of a sharp transitional month from winter to summer. Ludhiana on average witnesses approximately 730 millimeters (29 in) of precipitation, annually.
Demographics
As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Ludhiana in 2011 is 1,613,878; of which male and female are 874,773 and 739,105, respectively. Total number of literates in the city is 1,230,218 of which 691,161 are males while 539,057 are females with an average literacy rate of 85.38 % of which male and female literacy is 88.35% and 81.85%, respectively. The sex ratio of Ludhiana city is 845 per 1000 males.
History of Ludhiana
The history of Ludhiana dates back to 1481 when it was just a small village named Meer Hota. This land was ruled by several rulers namely the Guptas, Yodhas and the Rajputs. This city gets its name from the Lodhi Dynasty. . Two Lodhi Chiefs, Yusaf Khan and Nihang Khan, were deputed by Sikandar Lodhi (1489-1517 A.D.) to re-establish order in the region. They camped at a small village on the eastern bank of the Sutlej. Yusaf Khan went across the river in Jalandhar Doab to subdue rebellious Khokhars and settled at Sultanpur while Nihang Khan stayed back and founded Lodhiana, the town of Lodhi's at the site of Mirhota. He changed the name of the village to Lodiana and later on his grandson, Jalal Khan, built the Lodhi Fort in the site. His two sons Aloo Khan and Khijar Khan divided among themselves the area around the fort but were dethroned by Babur who even demolished Nihang's tomb. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, Ludhiana became the tehsil along with Tihara.
After the death of Akbar, in 1605 was dominated by the rise of Sikhism as a power, and the decline of the Mughal Empire. By this time the Mughal Empire was wobbling to its fall, and local powers began to assert their independence. The Rais of Raikot, who until then had held a considerable tract of land around Ludhiana in lease from the emperors, were some of the first to assert their independence. Raja Ala Singh of Patiala, the representative of the crumbling Delhi Sultanate and Rai Kalha II were the principal contenders for power in the region. Rai Kalha III, who had been a ruler of very great ability, extended his power up to Ludhiana. He established independent power over the whole of the Jagraon (the place of the Rais) and the greater part of Ludhiana Tahsils along with a large portion of the Ferozepur District.
After the gradual fall of Sirhind, the last vestige of Mughal control over the area, and Ludhiana was surrendered to the Rais. The Malaudh Sirdars belonging to the Phulkian stock had already established themselves in the south of Ludhiana in the Jangal villages and the country about Malaudh and Sudha Singh Gill. An adventurer from Loharu in the Ferozepur district secured a few villages around Sahnewal. In 1767 Ahmed Shah reached Ludhiana on his last voyage but could not get further.
In the year 1785, the Sutlej changed in course and Ludhiana was no longer situated on its banks. In the year 1798, Ludhiana witnessed the brutal attack by the Sikhs under Bedi Sahib Singh of Unan and the ruler of the Rais, Rai Alias was just a child and his agents Roshan and Gujar made a good stand against the Sikhs at Jodh, ten miles (16 km) southwest of Ludhiana. Roshan was the killed in the fight, and Rai`s army was dispersed. However, the Phulkian chiefs, who were on good terms with the Rais did not intend to allow the Bedi to establish himself in their midst and came to their assistance, driving the invaders out of the villages. Upon the Bedi`s obstruction in Ludhiana, the Rais called in British mercenary George Thomas to help with the protection of the city. On Thomas`s approach, Bedi returned to the other side of the river. After consolidating with the new Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh crossed the Sutlej in 1806 in his first expedition against the Cis-Sutlej states and exposed the Rais of all their possessions, including Ludhiana. The city was occupied but not annexed to the Lahore state.
By the year 1809 Ranjit Singh was completing his third expedition and was again on the west bank of the Sutlej ready to attack Ludhiana. Fearing further expansion that was coming closer to their sphere of interest, the East India Company occupied the Cis-Sutlej states east of the Sutlej. The Company sent Colonel David Ochterlony with a force to occupy Ludhiana. By the end of 1809, The Treaty with the Rajah of Lahore was signed in which the Rajah agreed to remain north and west of the Sutlej. British troops were permanently stationed in Ludhiana, and they established a cantonment to further consolidate their occupation. Compensation was paid by the British to the Raja of Jind. In the year 1835, the Jind family, who technically still ruled Ludhiana, was left without any heirs. By the British doctrine of lapse, Ludhiana came under official control of the East India Company. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Deputy-Commissioner George Ricketts crushed a rebellion in Ludhiana with the assistance of the chiefs of Nabha and Maler Kotla.
Tourist Destinations in Ludhiana
Besides being a renowned industrial and commercial hub of Punjab, Ludhiana is also a popular tourist spot. It has both historical monuments as well as religious centers that attract tourists from all over the world. Some of the prominent tourist attractions of the city are:
- Nehru Rose Garden
- Tiger Zoo
- Lodhi Fort
- Rural Museum
- Punjab Agricultural University Museum
- Hardy's World
- Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib (Machhiwara)
- Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon
- War Museum
- Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir
- Bilwanwali Masjid
- Pir-I-Dastir Shrine
Transportation
Ludhiana railway station is on main Delhi-Amritsar route and is an important railway junction with lines going to Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Dhuri and Delhi. The city is very well connected with daily or weekly trains to most places in India including the major cities of Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Kanpur, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
The city also houses an airport, which has flights that daily flies to Delhi. Ludhiana is well connected with other cities of Punjab and also with other states by Bus service. The transportation services are provided by state owned Punjab Roadways and private bus operators. Moving inside the city, now there are modern Tata Marcopolo low floor buses for local travelling inside the city. The Ludhiana City Bus Services Limited (LCBSL) is the company which operates these buses in the City. Auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis that are common means of transportation within the city.