Kapurthala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kapurthala | |
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| Country |  India |
| State | Punjab |
| District(s) | Kapurthala |
| Population • Density |
84,361 (2001[update]) • 93 /km2 (241 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
909.09 km² (351 sq mi) • 225 m (738 ft) |
| Website | http://www.kapurthala.co.in/index.php |
Coordinates: 31°23′N 75°23′E / 31.38°N 75.38°E Kapurthala (Punjabi: ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ) is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic architecture self-narrate its princely past and once earned this small Punjabi town the sobriquet of Paris of Punjab.
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[edit] Kapurthala Principality
Kapurthala Principality was in the Punjab ruled by Ahluwalia dynasty which is commonly known "WALIA" dynasty in urban area and had an area of 652 square miles (1,690 km2). The 1901 population was 314,341, showing an increase of 5% in the decade. At the time, estimated gross revenue was 178,000. [1]
[edit] History
The history of the Town of Kapurthala goes back as early as the 11th Century when it is said to have been founded by Rana Kapur, a scion of the ruling house of Jaisalmer (Rajasthan). The present royal family of Kapurthala is descended from Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, a contemporary of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah, who by his intelligence and bravery made himself the leading Sikh of his day. [2][3]
At one time it held possessions on both sides of the Sutlej, and also in the Bari Doab. The cis-Sutlej estates and scattered tracts in the Bari Doab were forfeited owing to the hostility of the chief in the First Sikh War; but the latter were afterwards restored in recognition of the loyalty of Raja Randhir Singh during the mutiny of 1857, when he led a contingent to Oudh which did good service. He also received a grant of land in Oudh, 700 m² in extent, yielding a gross rental of 89,000. In Oudh, however, he exercises no sovereign powers, occupying only the status of a large landholder, with the title of Raja-i-Rajagan.[4]
Raja Sir Jagatjit Singh, K.C.S.I., was born in 1872, succeeded his father in 1877, and attained his majority in 1890. During the Tirah expedition of 1897-98 the Kapurthala imperial service infantry took a prominent part. The territory is crossed by the railway from Jalandhar to Amritsar. The state has a large export trade in wheat, sugar, and cotton. The hand-painted cloths and metal-work of Phagwara are well known.
[edit] Geography
Kapurthala is located at 31°23′N 75°23′E / 31.38°N 75.38°E[5], about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Jalandhar. Its average elevation is 225 metres (740 ft).
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India census[6], Kapurthala had a population of 84,361. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Kapurthala has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 62%. In Kapurthala, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Monuments & Buildings
The City of Kapurthala has several buildings and places of interest linked to its local history such as the Sainik School (Formerly Jagatjit Palace), Shalamar Bagh (Gardens), District Courts buildings, Moorish Mosque, Panch Mandir ("Five Temples"), Clock Tower, State Gurudwara, Kanjli Wetlands, Guru Nanak Sports Stadium, Jagjit Club, and the NJSA Government college.
[edit] Sainik School (Jagatjit Palace)
It has the much renowned Sainik School, formerly known as Jagatjit Palace, is housed in what was formerly the palace of the erstwhile Maharajah of Kapurthala state, HRH Maharajah Jagatjit Singh. The palace building has a spectacular architecture based on the Palace of Versailles and Fontainebleau spread over a total area of 200 acres. It was designed by a French architect M. Marcel. Its magnificent Durbar Hall (Diwan-E-Khas) is one of the finest in India and the Plaster of Paris figures and painted ceilings represent the finest features of French art and archiecture. The construction of this palace was commenced in 1900 and completed in 1908.
[edit] Elysee Palace
The Elysee Palace was built by Kanwar Bikrama Singh in 1862. This magnificent building with its imposing and elegant facade has now been converted into MGN School of Kapurthala.
[edit] Moorish Mosque
A spectacular example of the secular history of Kapurthala is the Moorish Mosque, a famous replica of the Grand Mosque of Marakesh, Morocco, was built by a French architect, Monsieur M Manteaux. Its construction was commissioned by the last ruler of Kapurthala, Maharajah Jagatjit Singh and took 13 years to complete between 1917 and 1930. It was then consecrated in the presence of the late Nawab of Bhawalpur. The Mosque's inner dome contains decorations by the artists of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. The Mosque is a National Monument under the Archeological Survey of India. It was one of the monumental creations in the State during the premiership of late Diwan Sir Abdul Hamid Kt., CIE,OBE.It was his keen interest with Maharaja's blessings that the mosque was completed. Its wooden model lay at the entrance of the Lahore Museum.
[edit] Jagatjit Club
Jagatjit Club is an elegant building situated in the heart of the city based on the Greek Revival style of architecture. Its design loosely resembles the Acropolis of Athens and features the Coat of Arms of the erstwhile ruling family of Kapurthala with their royal motto "Pro Rege et Patria" (For King and country) on its pediment. The building has been used for a variety of purposes since it was constructed, it was used as a church in the early nineteenth century, as a cinema hall in the 1940s and now houses a local club. it is also known as jagjit club
[edit] Shalimar Gardens
Shalimar Gardens are situated in roughly the centre of the city and provide an escape from the hustle-bustle of the city. The Shahi Samadhs (The Royal Cenotaphs) in the Shalimar Gardens emphasise the traditions of its ruling Dynasty. Marble obelisks inside the red sandstone Chambers, are Memorials to the former Rulers and their families. Nearby, a grand structure built in 1880 and built on a marble plinth, houses the Samadhs of Maharajas Kharak Singh, Jagatjit Singh and Paramjit Singh.
[edit] Panch Mandir (Five Temples)
Panch Mandir of Kapurthala is a place of reverence for all faiths. The temple complex has a spectacular construction and is home to five small temples. Built during the reign of Sardar Fateh Singh, an extraordinary feature of this temple is that from the entry door, one can view all the five idols and pay obeisance to all.
[edit] The State Gurudwara
The large and imposing red sandstone building (now painted white) of the State Gurudwara was consecrated in 1915. Built in the Indo- Saracenic style, it has vast expanses of marble haloed by the feet of the hundreds of devotees.
[edit] Gurudwara Ber Sahib
The famous Gurudwara Ber Sahib is situated at Sultanpur Lodhi, which is one of the four sub-divisions (Tehsil) of Kapurthala. This historic site is of great importance to Sikhism as it is said to be the very place where the First Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak, spent 14 years of his life and attained enlightenment whilst bathing in a small rivulet, the Bein. The place derives its name from a Ber tree (Zizyphus Jujuba) said to be planted by Guru Nanak himself and under which he first uttered the Mool Mantra or the "Sacred Word or Revelation" of Sikhism.
[edit] Kanjli Wetlands
Kanjli Wetlands, on the western Bein rivulet at the outskirts of the city, has been included in under the Ramsar Convention. It is a a very popular site for bird watching and boating. An enormous project is currently being undertaken here to develop it into a destination for bird watching replete with modern day facilities. Sadly the Kanjli Wetlands have been in a state of neglect lately with little attention being given by the authorities to the condition of flora and fauna and its surrounding infrastructure.
[edit] Pushpa Gujral Science City
In 2005, the Governor of Punjab, Lt. Gen (retd) S.F Rodrigues, inaugurated the Pushpa Gujral Science City or simply known as the Science City. A joint venture between the state government and the Government of India,located on Jalandhar-Kapurthala, Highway. This project has been designed as an institution of excellence, for meeting both educational and recreational purposes. Despite being a recent development, it is now fast promoting itself as a tourist attraction, providing facilities for an informal science education through a more recreational aspect. Some of the attractions range from purely recreational adventure sports such as rock-climbing, aero-ballooning, boating to demonstrating learning in the field of nano-technology, micro-machines, levitation and genomics etc. Pushpa Gujral Science City is also coming up as Entertainment Capital having 23 meter diameter Dome Theatre showing Large Format Films (IMax) on 10 times larger screen than ordinary cinema hall screens. Other world class attractions are Flight Simulator, 3D Cinema, LASER Show, Earthquake Simulator and more than 200 interactive exhibits on Physics, Mechanical, Optics, Health, Space, Aviation, Fun Science etc.
[edit] Education
The main higher education institutions of Kapurthala are the NJSA Government College popularly known as the Randhir College and the Hindu Kanya College for women. There are numerous Primary and Secondary schools in Kapurthala, notably the Sainik School, Anand Public Sr. Sec. School , Bawa Lalvani Public School, MGN Public School,Little Angels Co-Ed School, Kendriya Vidyalaya (Kapurthala Cantt.), the Army School and the only ICSE pattern based convent school, Christ King Convent School, Kapurthala Public High School and Bawa-Lalvani Public School.
[edit] Transport
The City of Kapurthala is well connected with the main transport routes of the Punjab and Northern India. It is situated 19 km away toward South-West of its closest neighbouring city of Jalandhar, a main road and railway junction of the Punjab region. Nearest international Airport is approximately 66 Kilometers away at Amritsar.
[edit] Industries
Kapurthala is home to several medium-to-large scale industries. Some of these are the Rail Coach Factory (see below); JCT Mills Phagwara (a sub-division of Kapurthala district) which is one of the most successful textile mills in India; SSK, one of India's oldest and biggest manufacturers of Electrical wiring accessories, founded in 1935, is also based in Kapurthala . Other prominent industries include the Oswal Agro (Sugar) Mills and the Jagatjit Industries Limited (JIL), the latter being set-up under the patronage of Maharajah of Kapurthala in 1944 and remains one of the largest breweries of alcoholic beverages and manufacturer of dairy products in India.
It was the site of Rehman Automobile and Works, established there in 1935.
[edit] Rail Coach Factory
Kapurthala boasts of having one of the most innovative large scale hi-tech manufacturing units dedicated to building railway carriages for Indian Railways. Popularly known as RCF, the Rail Coach Factory was established in 1986 by the Government of India and has been important to the district's economy. RCF is located in a serene and green environment and is ISO 14001 certified.
[edit] Twin Cities
[edit] Notable people from Kapurthala
- Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the first female Indian Cabinet Minister.
- Anita Delgado, a Spanish dancer married by the last prince.
- Khurshid Anwar, leading activist in the creation of Pakistan.
- Rajan Zed, prominent Hindu chaplain and Indo-American leader.
- Maulvi Ghulam Rasul, a famous Sufi poet and the author of 'Yousaf Zulekha'.
- Sita Devi of Kapurthala, pre-WWII fashion icon: wife of Maharajkumar Karam of Karputhala.
[edit] Further reading
- Maharani; the story of an Indian princess, by Brinda, Maharani of Kapurthala, as told to Elaine Williams, by Brinda, Elaine Williams. Tr. by Elaine Williams. Published by Holt, 1954.
- Anita Delgado, Maharani of Kapurthala, by Elisa Vázquez de Gey. Hemkunt Publishers, 2002. ISBN 8170103150. Anita Delgado website
[edit] References
- ^ Kapurthala state The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 14, p. 408.
- ^ Genealogy and History of Kapurthala (princely state) Queensland University.
- ^ Kapurthala This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain..
- ^ Relating to the Awadh Estates of Kanwar Bikrama Singh of Kapurthala, 1883 wikisource
- ^ "Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kapurthala". http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/23/Kapurthala.html.
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
- Kapurthala History and detailed Genealogy Royalark
- Kapurthala state The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 14, p. 408-416.
- Kapurthala www.sikh-heritage.co.uk
[edit] External links
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