Bathinda

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  ?Bathinda
Punjab • India
Map indicating the location of Bathinda
Thumbnail map of India with Punjab highlighted
Location of Bathinda
Coordinates: 30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23, 74.95
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
District(s) Bathinda
Population 217,389 (2001)
Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari
Codes
• Pincode
• Telephone
• Vehicle
• 15100x
• +91-164
• PB 03

Coordinates: 30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23, 74.95 Bathinda(Punjabi: ਬਠਿੰਡਾ}) is one of the oldest and famous cities of Punjab, in north-western India. It is relatively small compared to other major cities of Punjab. It is situated in Malwa (Punjab) Region. It was in the jungles of Bathinda that Guru Gobind Singh Ji is reputed to have once challenged and fought the mighty chumacca forces. Bathinda also had a prominent role in the nation's struggle of freedom against the British rule and the autocratic administration of princely rulers. A prominent landmark is Qila Mubarak fort.

Bathinda is undergoing rapid industrialization: among recently developed features are a modern thermal power plant, fertilizer plant, and a large oil refinery[1]. Bathinda is one of the biggest food grain and cotton markets in northern India, and the area around Bathinda has become a large grape growing area.[specify] Bathinda is also a leading railway junction and the administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. The American International firm Pepsi processes horticultural products grown in Bathinda.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Prehistoric Bathinda

Timetable of prehistoric Bathinda area
Year Event
40,000 BC People began living in man-made shelter huts in northern Punjab and central Asia (Bactria)
7,000 BC There is evidence of people growing barley in this area and raising sheep and goats. People began living in mud-brick dwellings in villages, some of which are still in existence.
5,500 BC Inhabitants learned to make pottery from burnt clay, a technique that is scarce but still alive today.
3,000 BC Farming villages began appearing in the Bathinda area, most of which still exist today.
2,600 BC Farmers in the area made use of the plough; exactly as it is still used in some Bathinda areas today.
1,500 BC Cities of the area were abandoned, but the rural villages thrived and survived. Indo-Aryans arrived in the area.
800 BC Indo-Aryans spread in the area and began clear-cutting forests.
600 BC Area inhabitants began use of elephants in warfare.
125 BC A Scythian tribe known as Sakas invaded Punjab from Balochistan and Sind.
15 AD The Kushan Kingdom was restored in the area.

[edit] Birth of modern Bathinda

It is believed that Rao Bhatti established the modern town of Bathinda in the Lakhi jungle area in the third century, and it was captured from him by the Brars. Bala Rao Bhatti inhabited the city in 965 AD, naming it Bhatinda after his surname. The city also remained the capital of Raja Jaipal.

In 1004, Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the local fort, which was located on the route from the northwest into the rich Ganges valley. In 1189, Muhammad Ghori attacked and occupied the fort of Bathinda. Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the ruler of this region, managed to recover possession of the fort thirteen months later in 1191 after a fierce battle.

Razia Sultan, the first female ruler of India, was imprisoned at Bathinda in April, 1240. She was released in August of that year through the efforts of Altunia, the local governor. Both Altunia and Razia married but were killed by robbers near Kaithal on October 13[citation needed].

The Sidhu-Brars were thrown out of Bathinda during the Lodhi's rule, but were restored to the area by Babur. A few years later, Roop Chand, a staunch Sikh, came onto the scene of Punjab history. Phul, the second son of Roop Chand, started the practice of langar (community kitchen) for the people in the Lakhi jungle area and built a fort around 1654.

[edit] The story of Bhai Roop Chand ji

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On the day of her marriage to Raja Sada’s son Sidhu on 16th Jyesth 1670, Bibi Surti of Vada Ghar (near Daroli) had the chance to meet Guru Hargobind. Her father, Bhai Aqal, was a disciple of Guru Ramdas ji and Guru Arjan Dev ji. The Guru gave her his blessings and professed that she would give birth to a boy who would be honoured by the public and the kings as a Sikh.

As professed, a boy was born on 3-Baisakh and was named “Roop chand” by Guru Arjan Dev himself. Father Sidhu and son Roop Chand were superintending the harvesting of the crop. It was a very hot day. They had a goat skin bottle hanging from a branch in the shade of the neighbouring tree. Moved by devotion, they dedicated the water as offering to the Guru and refrained from drinking it. Though they were exhausted by the heat, neither gave in to their thirst. Legend has it that the omnipresent Guru Har Gobind was aware of the distress which both suffered on account of their deep devotion to him. Thus the Guru travelled 32 miles on horseback despite the hot day to meet both men and drink his fill of water while sharing with his devoted disciples.

The sixth Guru laid the foundation of Village Bhai Roopa on the 16th Baisakh, 1687 Bikrmi (AD 1630) naming it after Bhai Roop Chand. In August 1631, Guru Har Gobind Sahib ji with 3000 warriors again visited Bhai Roopa and stayed there for three months. The Guru, in recognition of devotion, honoured Roop Chand with the title of “Bhai” (own brother) and put him in charge of the spiritual welfare of the new Malwa and the country south of Sutlej. With his own hands, the Guru put Bhai Roop Chand on the masand and put on his forehead the tilak, saffron mark of leadership of the area, and gave karchha (a long spoon) asking him to run langar to feed the poor and the needy. This karchha is still kept with veneration.

Ala Singh, son of Rama, another Sikh, attacked Bathinda when it was in possession of Sardar Jodh Singh Saboke and conquered a large area around the city.

Ala Singh, who died in August 1765 at Patiala, was succeeded by Amar Singh, his grandson. In 1770, Amar Singh sent a large force to capture the fort of Bathinda from Sukhchen Singh Sabo. The fort was reacquired in 1771. Raja Amar Singh died in 1781 at the age of 35.

After the death of Amar Singh, Raja Sahib Singh, who was six, was made the Chief of Patiala; however, the affairs of the state were managed by Diwan Nanun Mal. Raja Sahib Singh died on March 26, 1813 and was succeeded by his son Karam Singh.

During the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–46, Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala fought on the side of the British. He died during the war, but his son and successor Maharaja Narinder Singh also helped the British government. Narinder Singh was succeeded by Rajinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh, and finally, in 1938, Yadavindera Singh.

With the formation of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) on May 5, 1948, Bathinda District came into existence on August 20, 1948. Its headquarters was originally at Faridkot, but relocated to Bathinda in 1953.

After 1953, many changes were made to Bathinda District's geographical boundaries. Muktsar and Mansa districts were separated from Bathinda.

[edit] Qila Mubarak

Main article: Qila Mubarak

The 1900 year old fort in Bathinda is a Historical National Monument. A brief history:

View from inside Qila Mubarak, June 2003; (photo: G. S. Bhalla)
View from inside Qila Mubarak, June 2003; (photo: G. S. Bhalla)
History of Qila Mubarak
Year Event
90-110 AD Emperor Kanishka and Raja Dab built it.
179 AD Bathinda town was established by Bhatti Rao.
1004 AD Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni captured it.
1045 AD Pir Haji Rattan settled here for meditation.
1189 AD Sultan Mohammed Ghori captured it.
1191 AD Raja Prithvi Raj Chauhan recaptured it.
1240 AD Razia Sultan prisoned here.
1515 AD Guru Nanak Dev visited this place.
1665 AD Guru Teg Bahadur visited this place.
1705 AD Guru Gobind Singh visited this place.
1754 AD Maharaja Ala Singh captured it.
1835 AD Maharaja Karam Singh built a Gurdwara here.
2005 AD Begin fort repairs sponsored by Akal Society of America.[2]

[edit] Geography and climate

Bathinda is also famous for having one of the biggest military chhaunis (cantonments) in Asia. Rampura Phul, Goniana, Mansa, Talwandi Sabo, Bhucho Mandi, Nathana, Tungwali and Gubalgard are all small towns near Bathinda. Bathinda is about 1-2 hours distance from Sangrur, Dhuri, Kotkapura, Faridkot. Ludhiana and Patiala are about 3 hours from Bathinda. Chandigarh is about 4 hours from Bathinda.

There are direct trains that run from Delhi to Bathinda via Patiala, Ambala,Hisar and Rohtak, Jind route. The journey takes approximately six hours.

Areas worth visiting are The Mall, Dhobi Bazar,Rose Garden, Model Town, Fort at Bathinda, known as 'Qila Mubarak', Gurudwara Shri Hazi Rattan, the three lakes near the thermal plant, and others.

Summer temperatures can be as high as 50°C (122°F), and winter temperatures as low as 0°C (32°F). The weather is generally dry, but is very humid from mid-May to the end of August. Rainfall is primarily from the south-west due to monsoon weather, and is concentrated in the period July to mid-September.

[edit] Economy

Bathinda is the largest railway junctions of India, and more lines extend from it than any junction on the Indian Railway network. Sharjah of Punjab, located in Bathinda, is the largest military Cantonments of Asia; its name refers to local sand dunes. Bathinda itself is located on the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains. Bathinda also houses two Thermal Plants: Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant in Bathinda City and Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant in Lehra Mohabbat. Bathinda is home to the Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery, which is currently under construction, and a National Fertilizers Plant. Major developments are planned & announced starting from 2007 till 2010.As part of a massive development programme to make Bathinda a model city of Punjab, the government will set up a special economic zone (SEZ) for textile, flying school, cricket stadium and academy, domestic airport and an air-conditioned bus stand within three years. The cricket stadium and academy would be set up by the BCCI on 25 acres[3].

Bathinda has a thermal power plant named as Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant(GNDTP) after the first Sikh guru. It is located near the rose garden within in the interiors of Bathinda. There is another 230MW power plant located 18 km away in Lehra Mohabbat. Bathinda is also one of the biggest railways junction in Asia.

Real estate in Bathinda is more expensive just like it is in the rest of Punjab and India in general. International players like Zoom Developers are very keen on developing properties in Bhatinda. The group has recently acquired 12.5 Acres of primely located land in Bhatinda and will be developing 600 state of art residential units along with a Shopping Mall cum Multiplex. The group is also keen on developing a 5 Star hotel in the city. All major national and regional banks operate in Bathinda. These include:[4]


[edit] Demographics

As of the 2001, India census[5], Bathinda had a population of 217,389. Males constitute 54% of the population and females, 46%. Bathinda has an average literacy rate of 70% (57% male and 43% female), higher than the national average of 59.5%; 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Education

Government Rajindra College is located in the heart of the city. The college offers graduate courses in science, commerce, and humanities.City also have Punjab Technical University, Giani Zail Singh College Of Engineering & Technology Bathinda, and Bathinda Engineering College. Saint Joseph's Convent School, Saint Xavier's Senior Secondary School and MSD Senior Secondary Public School are located in Bathinda.It also have private medical college called the Adesh Institute of Medical Research, located in the outer skirts; and Baba Shiri Chand Ji Government College in Sardargarh (Bathinda),Maharaja Ranjit Singh Khalsa Technology College, D.A.V. collage.[6] and others. Guru Nanak Senior Secondary Public School Civil Station is a prominent Punjabi Medium school of the town.

[edit] Famous Personalities from Bathinda

Brig. Bant Singh(retd.) - Highly decorated officer from the British Army as well as the Indian Army. Presently secretary of District Sainik Welfare, Bathinda.

Avneet Kaur Sidhu- Member of Indian Shooting Team. Has won many laurels for the country.

Kamaldeep Sidhu- Deputy Advocate General, Punjab and a National Rally Champion.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bathinda , Punjab
  2. ^ NRI offers help to save Qila Mubarak. http://www.punjabheritage.org/architectural-heritage/nri-offers-help-to-save-national-monument.html
  3. ^ The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Punjab
  4. ^ District
  5. ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  6. ^ http://www.universitypunjabi.org/pages/affiliatedcolle.html#4

[edit] External links

  • Information and pictures of important places [1]
  • Google satellite map of Bathinda [2]
  • Official website of Bathinda district [3]
  • City of Bathinda - Google Explorer [4]