Country India Region of Punjab Doaba Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Literacy 80.3% Local time Friday 10:51 AM | State Punjab Headquarters Nawanshahr Area 1,266 km² Population 612,310 (2011) | |
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Named for meaning ‘New City’ because people shifted from the old town of Rahon avoiding the ravages of
Sutlej River. Weather 31°C, Wind NW at 8 km/h, 41% Humidity Colleges and Universities Rayat Institute of Engineering & Information Technology, Rayat College of Pharmacy Points of interest Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum, dushera ground | ||
Nagar kirtan at nawanshahr
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district (formerly Nawanshahr district) is one of the districts in Doaba region of the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. It consists of three Sub -Divisions Nawanshahr, Banga and Balachaur. There are three legislative seats in the district, Nawanshahr, Balachaur and Banga. They fall under the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha Constituency.
Contents
- Nagar kirtan at nawanshahr
- Map of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Punjab
- History
- Geography
- Area and population
- Demographics
- Notable residents
- References
Map of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab
As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Punjab (out of 22), after Barnala and Fatehgarh Sahib.
History
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district was carved out of Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar districts of Punjab on 7 November 1995, as the sixteenth district of Punjab State named from the headquarters town of Nawanshahr. Nawanshahr was founded by the migrants from Rahon near the Sutluj river as Rahon was in danger of being flooded. They named it Nawanshahar (New City). Nawanshahr has been the stronghold of the Ghorewaha Rajputs allied to king Akbar via kinship ties.
Dewan Banna Mal Misr (Gautam) was born in Gautam Brahmin family of Nawanshahr. Dewan Banna Mal was manager with full sovereign powers of His Highness Maharaja Sir Randhir Singh Bahadur of Kapurthala's Estates in Oudh and served as Chief Minister Of Kapurthala State. Dewan Banna Mal built the beautiful temple Shivala Banna Mal near Municipal Committee office, Nawanshahr. It was built in the year 1862 and tall and huge structure Haveli Banna Mal Di Haveli in Vaidan Mohalla in Nawanshahr. Dewan Banna Mal's sons Dewan Acchru Mal Gautam and Dewan Sundri Mal Gautam (both Revenue Minister of Kapurthala State has built Brahmkund Mandir at backside of Shalimar Bagh in Kapurthala. There is a village in Mand area of Kapurthala on the Bank of River Beas "Bana Mal Wala" after Dewan Banna Mal Gautam's name and Brahampur villages in Tehsil Phagwara which was accorded as Jagir by Maharaja Sir Randhar Singh Bahadur. Dewan Banna Mal's descendants are prominent citizens today settled in Kapurthala, Phagwara, Dehradun and Delhi.
The Scheduled Caste population is more than 40%, one of the highest percentage in India.
Nawanshahr became the District in 1995 during S.Harcharan Brar Govt., with the strong efforts of the late S.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 being received back in India which contributes to the district's economic development and prosperity. The prosperity of Doaba area can be appreciated by the fact that price of land here is high, and far more than most of the districts in the state except Ludhiana, and Chandigarh. Nawanshahr is rising due to the currency coming from NRI Punjabi people who have settled abroad. Nawanshahr also has a rail track connecting it with Jalandhar, Rahon and Jaijon.
This region has abundant health facilities. Private clinics and nursing homes not only surprise with their numbers but also some of them claim to have the latest medical equipment. There is an adequate number of Government Hospitals, Dispensaries and Primary Health Centers in this area. The hospitals in Nawanshahr have capacity of 64 beds and are equipped with latest medical tools. Banga and Balachaur hospitals are having capacity of 30 beds each. Also Mukandpur, Urapar, Sujjon, Saroya and Muzzaffarpur are providing all kinds of health services. Even for every village of the district, health services are available. Veterinary hospitals are available in Nawanshahr, Rahon, Saroya and Balachaur.
On 27 September 2008 at Khatkar Kalan, 8 km from Nawanshahr, the Punjab government announced that a district in the state would be named after freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The announcement was made by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to mark Bhagat Singh's 101st birth anniversary and Nawanshahr district was renamed as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
Geography
Nawanshahr district is located at 31.8°N 76.7°E / 31.8; 76.7.
Area and population
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district has a population of 614,362, roughly equal to the nation of Solomon Islands or the US state of Vermont. This gives it a ranking of 522nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 479 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,240/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 4.58%. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar has a sex ratio of 954 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 80.3%.