LudhianaLudhiana 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
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
Christian Medical college Established in 1895, Christian Medical College was the first school of medicine in Asia. This college has a partnership with CMC in Vellore. Both these colleges together form one of the South Asia's major teaching and research hospitals. 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
Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon
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