Gignowal

Origin of name

The name "Giganwal" is associated with saint Baba Gigan Ji. Saint baba gigan jis samadh (tomb) is situated on the outskirts of Giganwal—pandori road at around half km outside of the village. Saint baba giganji is also the ancestor (jatherey) of gidda subcaste of the sainis.

Demography

About 99% of the population of this village are Sikhs other 1% consists of Hindu migrated labours from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar province. People from this village have migrated within India and abroad. Its people live in the Middle East, Canada, USA, England, Australia, Italy and many other countries.

Employment

Gignowal has two flour mills and a saw mill. Gignowal has some grocery shops in the village and near the school. Agriculture and foreign remittances support the villagers.

70% of the population is engaged in agriculture and 20% is engaged in labour work. Others work in govt sector and other businesses. This village has produced number of engineers, doctors, teachers, professors, businessmen etc. who are serving in their homeland and some of them are settled abroad. There are some persons from this village employed serving the nation in army, paramilitary or police.

Government

The village is run by panchayat of 7 panches and a surpanch elected through the election. Before the recent elections this village was divided into ward like other villages of Punjab. Now Surpanch's post has been reserved for reserved categories.

Transport

The village has regular bus service every 5–10 minutes from Hoshiarpur or tanda urmur The local bus stop is situated at around 100 yards from the village on the main road. This main road joins Hoshiarpur city to tanda urmur. Nearest railway station is at Hoshiarpur roughly at a distance of 15 km.

Infrastructure

Water is available to the village from the water facility in Pandori Kahjoor. Rather than that all houses have their own handpumps or tubewells.

Choe

A bridge has been build over the Gignowal Choe(monsoon river). During monsoon season rain water plays havoc to the local land. Many times flooding has disturbed the life of locals.

Banking

CANARA BANK has established its branch in the village for the service of the local community, recently.

Festivals

Local people celebrate all the Sikh festivals which are celebrated in Punjab. On the martyrdom day of 5th Guru Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, a festival at Baba Gigan Ji's place marks the occasion. Sikhs specially sainis (gidhey) come in thousands on this occasion a three-day akhand path follows by kirten/katha by various ragi singhs followed by guru ka langar.

Social and Cultural Organizations

Guru ka Langar is organised every year by Gignowal and surrounding villages on the Hola Mohalla occasion at the bus stop. There is a gurdwara situated in the middle of the village. Mostly all gurpurbs are celebrated here. Majhabi singhs also have a small gurdwara situated to the west of the village Nagar keertan and parbhat pheris are organised every year specially on the occasion of Shri Guru Nanaks birthday and Shri Guru Ravidass birthday.

Education

Gignowal has a state govt.run co-educational school which includes both primary and middle sections. Due to the trend of modern culture, many people send their children to English medium schools for better education located in bullohwal, pandhori, hoshiarpur etc. Teenagers or adult students have to go to bullohwal or hoshiarpur city for higher education. Now young people are going to Australia, England and Canada for higher studies and are settling there.