Language spoken Punjabi | State Punjab | |
Colleges and Universities Aryans Group of Colleges, Swami Vivekanand College of Pharmacy | ||
Map of Banur
Banur is a small town about 25 km south of Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, on the Chandigarh-Patiala National Highway.
Contents
Toponymy
In ancient times, the town was called Pushpawati. This name was derived from the abundance of flowering plants in the region (Pushp means flower in Hindi, Pushp + wati means a place where flowers are in abundance).
The name "Banur" is from the name of the local goddess of music, Mai Banno.
History
During Mughal times, Banur was a sizeable town along with its neighbour Chatt. Banda Singh Bahadur reduced it to ruins in 1709, on his way to Sirhind-Fategarh, as can be seen from its varying topography above the surrounding countryside.
Demographics
In 2011, according to Census India, Banur had a population of 18,775, including 9,889 males and 8,886 females. 13.4% of the total population were children, and literacy rate was above the state average at nearly 77%. In 2011, Banur Municipal Council had total administration over 3,639 households.
Religion
The town's mosque fell during the 1990s, due to ravages of time and weather. However, Banur still has many old temples, such as Mai Banno temple, Basanti Devi temple, Gugga Mari and Shitla Mata temple.
A three-day mela (religious fair) is organised every year at Gugga Mari on Naumi of Shraavana month, where people offer onions and wheat at the Mari. A mela is also organised at Shitla Mata temple every year where people offer chikpeas, dal and water.
Banur has a very big Gurudwara on the Chandigarh-Patiala National Highway, which is in memory of Banda Singh Bahadur. The Gurudwara organises various religious functions every year.