Nawanshahr is a municipal council in
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district is one of twenty-three districts of state of Punjab, India. It is located in Doaba region. It consists of three subdivisions, Nawanshahr, Banga, and Balachaur.
There are three legislative seats in the district ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. It was previously a town that became a district in 1995.
History
Nawanshahr was founded by migrants from
Rahon
Rahon is a city and a municipal council in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, district Shaheed Bhagat Singh of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Punjab (India), Punjab. Rahon is in Doaba region of Punjab. Doaba also know ...
, a city located near the
Sutlej River
The Sutlej or Satluj River () is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as ''Satadru''. It is the easternmost tributary of the Ind ...
, which puts it at risk of flooding. They named it Nawanshahar ( pa, ਨਵਾਂ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ, lit=New City). Nawanshahr has been the stronghold of the
Ghorewaha was allied to
King Akbar via kinship ties.
Dewan
''Dewan'' (also known as ''diwan'', sometimes spelled ''devan'' or ''divan'') designated a powerful government official, minister, or ruler. A ''dewan'' was the head of a state institution of the same name (see Divan). Diwans belonged to the el ...
Banna Mal Misr (Gautam) was born into the
Gautam Brahmin Gautama, Gautam or Gotama may refer to:
Ancient sages and philosophers
* Akṣapāda Gautama, a Hindu sage and founder of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy: see Nyāya Sūtras
* Indrabhuti Gautama, chief disciple of Mahavira
* Gautama Buddha, th ...
(Shori Gotra) family of Nawanshahr. His father was Vaid, Pandit Jhanda Mal. Dewan Banna Mal was a manager with the full sovereign powers of His Highness Maharaja
Sir Randhir Singh Bahadur of
Kapurthala
Kapurthala 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 aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent build ...
's Estates in
Oudh
The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...
in 1862, Dewan Banna Mal became mediater in between Oudh local Landlords and Rajas who rebelled against Britishers in 1857 to settle dispute between Britishers and oudh’s local Rajas Banna Mal played a major role and served as Chief Minister of
Kapurthala State
Kapurthala State, with its capital at Kapurthala, was a former Princely state of Punjab. Ruled by Ahluwalia
Sikh rulers, spread across . According to the 1901 census the state had a population of 314,341 and contained two towns and 167 village ...
. Ancestors of Dewan Banna Mal Gautam Were Vaids (Ayurvedic Doctor’s), Dewan Banna Mal built the Shivala Banna Mal temple near the Municipal Committee office in Nawanshahr. He also built the tall and huge structure
Haveli
A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...
Banna Mal Di
Haveli
A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...
in Vaidan Mohalla in Nawanshahr. His son, Dewan Acchru Mal served as Revenue Minister of Kapurthala State at the time of
Maharaja Kharak Singh
Kharak Singh (22 February 1801 – 5 November 1840) was the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur. He succeeded his father on 27 Jun ...
and
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. Grandon of Dewan Acchru Mal, Dewan Ambika Prasad Misr (Gautam) became the Accountant General of Kapurthala State.Descendants of Banna Mal Today lives in Kapurthala, Phagwara, New Delhi and Dehradun, descendants of Dewan Banna Mal Pandit Daljit Parshad Gautam Advocate of
Kapurthala
Kapurthala 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 aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent build ...
Renowned Civil Lawyer of Punjab practices in Kapurthala till his death in the Year 2010,Dewan Ambika Parshad ( Accountant General of Kapurthala State) his daughter Savitri Shori Mahajan a historian and a Descendant of Dewan Banna Mal was married to The Great Historian of India and A Lawyer
Vidya Dhar Mahajan
Vidya Dhar Mahajan (1913 — 10 July 1990) was an Indian historian, political scientist, and advocate.
Biography
Mahajan was born in 1913 in Punjab, British India. He did M.A. twice – in History at the D.A.V. College, Lahore and in Political ...
, their daughters
Mridula Mukherjee
Mridula Mukherjee (née Mahajan) is an Indian historian known for her work on the role of peasants in the Indian independence movement. She is an ex-chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, a ...
And Sucheta Mahajan are Historian and Working as a Professor of Indian history in JNU New Delhi.
The city was later developed and constructed by Lala Parmanand Bhuchar (Sareen) who was the first major scale building thekedar. Lala Paramanand was given a mould of large brick design by
Queen Elizabeth in the presence of
Maharaja Patiala in his courtroom, as a token of gratitude, to settle brick factories (Batha) in the city. Lala Paramanand first planned the construction of Mandi (now known as old Dana Mandi) in around 1920 which even has his name "PN" on bricks and his name on the Foundation Stone at old Dana Mandi Gate. He resided in Lalliyan Mohalla (Lalleyan da Mohalla) situated in the centre of the city. The mohalla has a
haveli
A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...
there along with a common haveli which was the residence of 100 families, a historical landmark in that mohalla made with Nanakshahi bricks.
Nawanshahr became a district in 1995 during the Harcharan Brar government, with the strong efforts of the late Dilbag Singh, former Cabinet Minister, and the then MLA of Nawanshahr. People of this district are economically sound. Large numbers of families from the district have settled abroad. Consequently, huge remittance is received back in India which contributes to the district's economic development and prosperity. The prosperity of the
Doaba
Doaba also known as Bist Doab, is the region of Punjab, India that lies between the Beas River and the Sutlej River. People of this region are given the demonym "Doabia". The dialect of Punjabi spoken in Doaba is called "Doabi". Th ...
area has grown considerably due to high land prices in the area, which is higher than that of most other districts in the state except for
Ludhiana
Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 Indian census, 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the ...
and
Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...
. The economy of Nawanshahr is also improving due to the currency coming from
overseas Punjabi people. Nawanshahr also has a railroad connecting it with
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...
,
Rahon
Rahon is a city and a municipal council in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, district Shaheed Bhagat Singh of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Punjab (India), Punjab. Rahon is in Doaba region of Punjab. Doaba also know ...
, and Jaijon.
On 27 September 2008, the Punjab government announced that Nawanshahr would be renamed after freedom fighter
Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh (27 September 1907 – 23 March 1931) was a charismatic Indian revolutionary*
* who participated in the mistaken murder of a junior British police officer
*
* in what was to be retaliation for the death of an Indian nationa ...
to mark his 101st birth anniversary.
Geography
The total area of Nawanshahr is 1,258 square kilometres.
Demographics
According to the
2001 census,
Nawanshahr had a population of 587,468. This consisted of 306,902 males and 280,566 females, which meant there were 913 females for every 1000 males. The average literacy rate of Nawanshahr is 75% (male literacy is 79% and female literacy is 71%), surpassing the national average of 59.5%. In Nawanshahr, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. The population density (per km²) is 439 people. Between the
1991 census and the 2001 census, there was a 10.43% increase in population. Nawanshahr constituency is one of the 117 seats of the Punjab
Vidhan Sabha
The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislati ...
and its constituency number is 47.
Angad Saini, who is a member of Congress, won the last assembly election and is the current MLA of Nawanshahr.
The
scheduled caste
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
population is 45.58%.
Transport
Air
As of now, there is no commercial airport in Nawanshahr. The nearest
regional airport is in Sahnewal, in
Ludhiana
Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 Indian census, 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the ...
which is around 45.2 km by road South-West of Nawanshahr, has only one daily flight to
Delhi Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New Del ...
by
Alliance Air. The nearest full-fledged
International Airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
is
Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport
Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport is an international airport serving Amritsar, Punjab, India, located 11 km (7 mi) north-west from the city centre. It is named after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and the founder of Amritsar. The ...
in
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
, which is situated at a distance of about 155 km. Direct flights from key cities around the world like
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
and others are available from
Amritsar Airport.
Rail
Nawanshahr Doaba Junction is one of the primary railway stations in Nawanshahr. Around 6 trains pass through Nawanshahr Doaba Junction. Nawanshahr Doaba Junction code is (NSS).Nawanshahr Doaba Junction is well connected with the entire city through easy conveyance options. Parking is also available at the station. Other facilities available at the station are automatic ticket vending machines, ATM machines, information kiosks, LCD screens, internet cafes and TV advertising panels. All the basic amenities are available for passengers at the railway station.
Road
![Bus Terminal Nawashahr Punjab](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Bus_Terminal_Nawashahr_Punjab.jpg)
Nawanshahr is well-connected by road to other parts of state.
Punjab Roadways serve a number of routes from Nawanshahr to other big cities nearby, such as
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and
Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...
.
Healthcare
This region has abundant health facilities. A high number of private clinics and nursing homes are available and some claim to have the latest medical equipment. There is an adequate number of Government Hospitals, Dispensaries, and Primary Health Centers in this area. Some hospitals in Nawanshahr have a capacity of 64 beds and are equipped with the latest medical tools.
Banga
Banga may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Banga'' (album), a 2012 album by Patti Smith
* A song by Ali Shaheed Muhammad from the 2004 album '' Shaheedullah and Stereotypes''
* The name of Pontius Pilate's dog in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel ' ...
and
Balachaur
Balachaur is a town in Balachaur Tehsil in the Nawanshahr district, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District of Punjab, India, Punjab, India.
History
Raja Raj Dev, a Rajput, came to Balachaur along with his family to meditate. He was related to the ...
Hospitals have a capacity of 30 beds each. Also, Mukandpur,
Urapar,
Sujjon, Saroya, and Muzzaffarpur provide all kinds of health services. For every village in the district, health services are available. Veterinary hospitals can be found in Nawanshahr, Rahon,
Saroya, and
Balachaur
Balachaur is a town in Balachaur Tehsil in the Nawanshahr district, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District of Punjab, India, Punjab, India.
History
Raja Raj Dev, a Rajput, came to Balachaur along with his family to meditate. He was related to the ...
.
Notable people from Nawanshahr
*
Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh (27 September 1907 – 23 March 1931) was a charismatic Indian revolutionary*
* who participated in the mistaken murder of a junior British police officer
*
* in what was to be retaliation for the death of an Indian nationa ...
, Indian freedom fighter
*
Madan Puri
Madan Puri (30 September 1915 – 13 January 1985) was an Indian actor of Hindi and Punjabi films. His brothers were actors Chaman Puri and Amrish Puri. As a character actor mainly in negative roles (villain), he acted in about 430 films in a ca ...
,
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
and
Punjabi actor
*
Jazzy B
Jaswinder Singh Bains (born 1 April 1975), better known by his stage name Jazzy B is an Indo-Canadian Punjabi singer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Jazzy B was born in Nawanshahr, Punjab, India. When he was five years old, his family m ...
, Indian-Canadian singer
*
Surinder Shinda
Surinder Pal Dhammi, better known as Surinder Shinda is an Indian singer of Punjabi music who is considered a "grandfather of moc", and has been described as "legendary". He has had numerous hit songs including "Jatt Jeona Morh", "Putt Jattan D ...
, singer
*
Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actors ...
, actor
*
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian people, Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chop ...
, Bollywood producer
*
Sukh-E Musical Doctorz
Sukhdeep Singh, better known by his stage name Sukh-E or Sukh-E Muzical Doctorz, is an Indian singer-songwriter and music producer associated with Punjabi and Hindi-language songs. He debuted his first single "Sniper" featuring Raftaar. His 2 ...
, singer-songwriter and producer
*
Roshan Prince
Roshan Prince is an Indian singer, producer, musician, songwriter and actor known for his Punjabi-language Bhangra songs. He was born on June 09 1981. In August 2021, Roshan begins shooting of his upcoming movie ''13Teen''.
Discography
Film ...
, singer
See also
*
Hansron
*
Hussain Chak
*
Langroya
References
{{Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district
Cities and towns in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district
1995 establishments in Punjab, India