Ludhiana is a centrally located district in Malwa region of
Punjab state in
India. Its northern periphery is demarcated by river Sutlej, which separates Ludhiana from Jalandhar. This major town of
Punjab is quite aptly called as “the Manchester of
India” for its production of hosiery products. The town lies on the Amritsar-
Delhi Grand Trunk road.
History:
Ludhiana’s history is turbulent and rich. Yodhas, Guptas and Rajputs have ruled this town. Great empires clashed and fought in this place for power and growth. It is said that the city was founded by the Lodhi dynasty. Around AD 1480, the Lodhi Chief Nihand Khan founded the present city at the site of the Mir Hota village. Formerly it was called as Lodhi-ana which later changed into Ludhiana. The city attained huge progress when it was under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a cantonment was established here. Later the British took over the city. It is also the birthplace of some noteworthy freedom fighters of India namely Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Kartar Singh and Maulana Habibur Rehman.
Ludhiana is an important destination in the itinerary of tourists who visit
Punjab state. Being an important pilgrim center of
Punjab, it houses a number of Shrines, Gurudwaras and temples. Travelers must visit Gurudwara Charankanwal Sahib in Machhiwara district, 35 km away from this city. This is the place where Sri Guru Gobind Singh rested while fighting against Mughal forces. About 38 km away from Ludhiana, Gurudwara Nanaksar Jagraon is located. It was built to honor the Sikh Saint named Baba Nand Singh Kalerwale. Also travelers must visit Gurudwara Shrimanji Sahib Alamgir located 10 km away from this city. Here one can see a sacred tank formed by the subterranean stream of water which emerged when Guru Gobind Singh shot an arrow into the parched earth.
The Pir-I-Dastgir Shrine is situated in a fort to the north-west of the city and attracts lots of devotees irrespective of caste and creed. The other must visit place is the Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum which houses the weapons and artifacts which belonged to the period of the great ruler of
Punjab. The place famous for Rural Olympics which is conducted in Mid-February every year is called Killa Raipur which is 20 km away from Ludhiana. All sorts of sports like purely rural games, performing sports and modern sports are conducted in this Olympics. Beside this the most fascinating landmark of the city is Lodhi Fort. This 500 year old Fort was built by Sikander Lodhi near the Sutlej river.
Other spots which must be visited are
Punjab Agricultural University, Nehru Rose Garden and Hardy Amusement Park. The best time to visit this city is from February to mid - April. Tourists can buy woollen and hosiery products here as these products are manufactured in Ludhiana itself.
The nearest airport is at
Chandigarh, the capital city of
Punjab. The city is well connected by road to other parts of the state and
India. Also Ludhiana has its own railway junction.