Location of Bathinda
in PunjabPunjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
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CoordinatesA geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
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http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Bathinda¶ms=30_13_48_N_74_57_0_E_type:city(217389)_region:IN-PB_30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23°N 74.95°E / 30.23; 74.95]CoordinatesA geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
: http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Bathinda¶ms=30_13_48_N_74_57_0_E_type:city(217389)_region:IN-PB_30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23°N 74.95°E / 30.23; 74.95]
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IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
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StateIndia is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
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PunjabPunjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
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District(s)A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
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BathindaBathinda district is in Punjab, India. The districts encompasses an area of 3,344 square kilometres. It is bounded by Faridkot district on the north, Mukatsar district on the west, Barnala and Mansa districts on the east, and the state of Haryana on the south...
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Population
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217,389 (2001[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bathinda&action=edit [update]])
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Time zoneA time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
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ISTIndian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
(UTC+05:30)
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Codes
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| style="width: 85px" | • PincodeA Postal Index Number or PIN or Pincode is the post office numbering or post code system used by India Post, the Indian postal administration. PIN stands for Postal Index Number and the code is 6 digits long. The PIN was introduced on August 15, 1972.-Structure:There are nine PIN zones in India,...
| • 15100x
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| style="width: 85px" | • TelephoneThe Republic of India possesses a diversified communications system that links all parts of the country by Internet, telephone, telegraph, radio, and television...
| • +91-164
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| style="width: 85px" | • VehicleAll motorised road vehicles are tagged with a registration or licence number in India. The licence plate number is issued by the district-level Regional Transport Office of respective states — the main authority on road matters. The licence plates are placed in the front and back of the...
| • PB 03
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Bathinda or
Bhatinda ({{Lang-pa|ਬਠਿੰਡਾ}}), named after the
BhatiBhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
RajputA Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
kings, is one of the oldest cities in Punjab,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the current administrative headquarters of
Bathinda DistrictBathinda district is in Punjab, India. The districts encompasses an area of 3,344 square kilometres. It is bounded by Faridkot district on the north, Mukatsar district on the west, Barnala and Mansa districts on the east, and the state of Haryana on the south...
. It is situated in north-western
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the
Malwa (Punjab)Malwa is a region of Punjab and parts of Haryana between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. This Malwa should not be confused with the Malwa Plateau region of Madhya Pradesh, Central India...
Region, 225 km west of the capital city of
ChandigarhChandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
. Bathinda is nicknamed the city of Lakes and was once known as Tabar-e-Hind(or Tabarhindh), meaning the Gateway to India. The first empress of India, Razia Sultan was imprisoned in the
Qila MubarakQila Mubarak , is a historical monument in the heart of the city of Bathinda in India. It has been in existence from 90-110 AD in its current place. It was here that Razia Sultan, the first woman to take charge of the Delhi throne was incarcerated on her defeat and dethroned. The bricks of the...
fort in Bathinda.
Bathinda is home to two modern thermal power plants,
Guru Nanak Dev Thermal PlantThe Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant at Bathinda is one of the three thermal power stations in Punjab . It is a medium-sized power station with four units that were begun to be built in early 1970s and completed in 1982...
in the city and the other one,
Guru Hargobind Thermal Plantlocated on State Highway No. 12 which runs from Bathinda to Barnala. It is one of the three such plants in Punjab, the other two being Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, and Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant at Ropar. It compromises of just two units that collectively generate up to...
at Lehra Mohabbat. It is also home to a
fertilizerFertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
plant, a large
oil refineryAn oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
, a
ZooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, and the historic
Qila MubarakQila Mubarak , is a historical monument in the heart of the city of Bathinda in India. It has been in existence from 90-110 AD in its current place. It was here that Razia Sultan, the first woman to take charge of the Delhi throne was incarcerated on her defeat and dethroned. The bricks of the...
fort. Bathinda is one of the biggest food grain and
cottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
markets in northern India, and the area around Bathinda has become a large grape growing area. It is one of the leading cities in Punjab for education.
Prehistoric times
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Events
|-
| 40,000 BC
|People began living in man-made shelter huts in northern
PunjabThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and
central AsiaCentral Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
(
BactriaBactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
)
|-
| 7000 BC
|There is evidence of people growing
barleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
in this area and raising sheep and goats. People began living in mud-brick dwellings in villages, some of which are still in existence.
|-
| 5500 BC
| Inhabitants learned to make pottery from burnt
clayClay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, a technique that is scarce but still alive today.
|-
| 3000 BC
| Farming villages began appearing in the Bathinda area, most of which still exist today.
|-
| 2600 BC
| Farmers in the area made use of the
ploughThe plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
; exactly as it is still used in some Bathinda areas today.
|-
| 1500 BC
| Cities of the area were abandoned, but the rural villages thrived and survived.
Indo-AryansIndo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages...
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
BalochistanBalochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
and
SindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
|-
| 15 AD
| The Kushan Kingdom was restored in the area.
|}
History
The Etymology of "Bathinda" is uncertain. Although some possibilities exist.
According to Khalifa Muhammad Hassan, author of History of Patiala, the ancient name of the city was Bikramgarh. According to
Ibn BattutaAbu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
it was known as Batrind. It is generally believed that Bathinda was built by
BhatiBhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
RajputA Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
kings, who were the rulers of
PunjabThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
in 6th century AD. They called the city Whatinda or Bitunda after their surname which finally become known as Bhatinda. Bhatinda was changed to Bathinda to conform to the phonetical expression as locally pronounced.
According to
Henry George RavertyHenry George Raverty was a British Indian Army officer and linguist.-Life:He served from 1843 to 1864, rising to the rank of Major in the 3rd Bombay Native Infantry....
, Bathinda was known as Tabarhindh (Labb-ut-Twarikh). The earliest mention of Tabarhindh occurs in the "Jami-Ul-Hakayat" written about 607 Hijri or 1211 AD.
The city was under the rule of
Hindu shahiThe Shahi , Sahi, also called Shahiya dynasties ruled one of the Middle kingdoms of India which included portions of the Kabulistan and the old province of Gandhara , from the decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century to the early 9th century...
king
JayapalaJayapala Janjua Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, was the first king and founder of the Hindushahi dynasty of Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan. He succeeded the last Brahman Shahi king Bhimadeva in about 964 CE, and thus began the Janjua Rajput phase of Shahiya Dynasties...
in 965 AD. Emperor Jayapala was challenged by the armies of Sultan Sabuktigin and later by his son Sultan
Mahmud of GhazniMahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
. In 1004,
Mahmud of GhazniMahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
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 the first battle of Tarain.
After the death of Muhammad Ghori,
Delhi SultanateThe Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
was established. The fourth Emperor -
IltutmishShams-ud-din Iltutmish was the third ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi of Turkic origin. He was a slave of Qutub-ud-din-Aybak and later became his son-in-law and close lieutenant. He was the Governor of Badaun when he deposed Qutub-ud-din's successor Aram Shah and acceeded to the throne of the...
, on his death-bed nominated his daughter Raziya as his heiress. Raziya became the next and the first Empress of
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and was known as Razia Sultan.
Her childhood friend named
Malik AltuniaMalik Altunia was the governor of Bhatinda in India under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate under the Mamluk Sultanate. He led a revolt against Razia Sultana, the Sultana of Delhi and his childhood friend. To escape death, Razia agreed to marry Altunia...
, the governor of Bathinda, joined a rebellion by other provincial governors who refused to accept Razia's authority. She was imprisoned at the Bathinda fort in April, 1240. She was released in August and later died in October 1240.
The city later came under the control of The
SidhuSidhu is the most influential and prominent Jat/Jatt gotra .The Sidhu clan is mainly found in the Malwa region of Punjab state,Ganganagar district and the province of Punjab in Pakistan...
-Brars, who were thrown out of Bathinda during
LodhiLodhi is a Batani Pashtun tribe mainly found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were part of a wave of Pashtuns who pushed east into what is today Pakistan. Often accompanying the Timurids who conquered South Asia, the Lodhi established themselves during the Islamic period as a Muslim ruling class...
's rule, but were restored to the area by
BaburBabur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
. A few years later, Roop Chand, a
SikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, came into 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 jungleLakhi Jungle is situated 15 km from Bathinda, on the way to Muktsar. A forest having old Gurudwara enjoyed the touches of Shri Guru Nanak Dev who recited one lakh holy Paths of Shri Japuji Sahib. Therefore it was called Lakhi Jungle. Ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, and Tenth Sikh Guru,...
area. The city of Bhatinda was also visited by the tenth sikh guru
Guru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
. He halted at the mausoleum of Haji Rattan, a celebrated Muslim saint, which was at a distance of two kilometers outside the city. He also visited and surveyed the strategic importance of the Bathinda Fort.
In circa 1754, the town was conquered by Maharaja Ala Singh, the
Maharaja of PatialaThe Maharaja of Patiala was a maharaja in India and the ruler of the princely state of Patiala in Punjab. The first Maharaja of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh , who was granted the title by Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan in 1764....
and since then it followed the history of erstwhile princely state of
Patiala. With the dawn of indendence and merger of Patiala and East Punjab States into a division called PEPSU,
bathinda become a full fledged district with headquarters at Bathinda city.
Demography
Bathinda is the ninth largest district in Punjab with a population of 1,183,295[2]. Bathinda has a ratio of 865 females per 1000 males and an overall population density of 390 people per square kilometer. The district also has a literacy rate of 61.51%[3]
Important Jatt Clans of Bathinda District are Sidhu,Brar,Bhaika,Dhillon,Maan,Seera,Toor,Gill,Virk,Gondara,Aulakh,Bhullar,Mahal,goyal,garg,mittal,jindal,bansal,singla,kansal,aggarwal,gupta.
Geography and climate
Bathinda is located in the north-western region of India and is a part of the
Indo-Gangetic alluvial plainsThe northern Plains also known as the Indo - Gangetic Plain and The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and virtually all of Bangladesh...
. The exact cartographic co-ordinates of Bathinda are 30.20°N 74.95°E. It has an average elevation of 201 metres (660 ft).
{{climate chart
|Bathinda
|7|20|10.1
|10|24|19.2
|15|30|7.9
|21|37|9.8
|26|41|19.9
|28|41|38.2
|28|37|90.3
|27|36|83.8
|25|36|51.8
|19|34|9.4
|13|29|1.4
|8|23|3.6
|source=
MSN World Weather
|float=right
|clear=
}}
Bathinda's climate correspond to semi arid with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Average annual rainfall is in a range of 20 – 40 mm.
Summer temperaures of 48 °C (118.4 °F) and winter temperatures of 0 °C (32 °F) are not unknown in Bathinda. 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
monsoonMonsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
weather, and is concentrated in the period July to mid-September.
The region is very dusty and dust-laden winds often interrupt the normal life during the hot summer evenings. The vegetation is scanty and due to improper planning and lopsided growth traffic jams often take the most of your evening time. The surrounding districts are of
MuktsarSri Muktsar Sahib is a city and a municipal council in Sri Muktsar Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab. Sri Muktsar Sahib's historical name was Khidrane dee dhab .-Demographics: India census, Sri Muktsar Sahib has a population of 3,96,030...
,
FaridkotFaridkot district is one of the twenty districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. According to Punjab's Geo-Area, Faridkot is a Malwa District. It is one of the biggest cotton markets in South-East Asia. The name 'Faridkot' is derived from Baba Farid, a god-lover who wanted...
,
MansaMansa is a Mandinka word meaning "king of kings". It is particularly associated with the Keita Dynasty of the Mali Empire, which dominated West Africa from the thirteenth to the fifthteenth century...
,
MogaMoga district is one of the Twenty districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. It became the 17th district of Punjab State on 24 November 1995. It is also known as NRI district. Most Punjabi Non-resident Indians belong to rural areas of Moga District, who immigrated to the...
and
SangrurSangrur is a city in the Indian state of Punjab, India. It is the headquarters of the Sangrur district. It is located at the intersection of the roads connecting Delhi with Ludhiana and Patiala with Bathinda, at a distance of 80 km from Ludhiana and 48 km from Patiala. The...
in Punjab and
SirsaSirsa district is one of the districts of Haryana state, India. Sirsa is the district headquarters, and is located on National Highway 10 and 250 km away from Delhi.-Origin of name:The district is named after its headquarters, Sirsa...
in Haryana. The boundary of the state of
RajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
is also under an hour's drive from Bathinda.
Economy
Bathinda is surrounded by 12 small and medium towns, making the city a hub of most industrial activities in the region.
Bathinda is one of the largest railway junctions of India. More lines extend from it than any other junction on the Indian Railway network. Bathinda cantonment is also said to be the largest in Asia. Bathinda has one of the biggest food-grain and cotton markets in India. The
Multinational CorporationA multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
PepsiPepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
processes horticultural products grown in Bathinda.
Major industries in Bathinda include, National Fertilizers Plant, two power plants:
Guru Nanak Dev Thermal PlantThe Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant at Bathinda is one of the three thermal power stations in Punjab . It is a medium-sized power station with four units that were begun to be built in early 1970s and completed in 1982...
and
Guru Hargobind Thermal Plantlocated on State Highway No. 12 which runs from Bathinda to Barnala. It is one of the three such plants in Punjab, the other two being Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, and Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant at Ropar. It compromises of just two units that collectively generate up to...
(Lehra Mohabbat), Petrochemical Plants, Yarn & Textiles Plants, Citrus Fruit Belts and Sugar Mills. HMEL is building a Grassroots oil refinery in Bathinda.
As part of a massive development programme to make Bathinda a model city of Punjab, the government has proposed to set up a
special economic zoneA Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...
(SEZ) for
textileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, a flying school, an international
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
stadium and academy, a domestic
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
and an air-conditioned bus stand within three years. Besides, private players are also building new Shopping malls and a five star hotel in the city.
Bathinda is also an Educational Hub of this region, especially for competitive exams preparations, which in turn is a source of income for the local residents.
Tourism sector in the region has also grown manifold, as Bathinda has some of the oldest monuments, some of them even dating back to 3,000 B.C. to the Harappan period.
Environment
There has been increasing incidence of various types of cancer in and around Bathinda. It is attributed to the presence of polluting industries and the indiscriminate use of modern pesticides and other toxic materials in farming. A 2007 epidemiological study found that the surface waters of Bathinda are contaminated with
arsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
,
cadmiumCadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
,
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
,
seleniumSelenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
and
mercuryMercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
primarily due to the discharge of untreated waste water from surrounding industries. Unscientific farming practices, that emerged after the introduction of
Green RevolutionGreen Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s....
, are also alleged to be a reason for growing incidence of not just cancer but also, high rates of spontaneous abortions, reproductive aliments, genetic deformities, anaemia, diarrhoea, vomiting,
fluorosisSkeletal fluorosis is a bone disease caused by excessive consumption of fluoride. In advanced cases, skeletal fluorosis causes pain and damage to bones and joints.-Forms:...
and a host of skin ailments including rashes and boils. Many young couples are also reported to be migrating out to save their children from adverse affects.
Demographics
According to India's
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2001, Bathinda had a population of 217,389. Males constitute 54% of the population and females, 46%. Bathinda has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Education
One of the few new central universities of India
Central University of PunjabThe Central University of Punjab is a Central University located in Bathinda, Punjab, India. It has been established through an Act of Parliament: “The Central Universities Act, 2009" by Govt. of India...
is located in Bathinda. Government Rajindra College is located in the heart of the city founded by the Maharaja of patiala. The city also has a government engineering college named,
Giani Zail Singh College Of Engineering & TechnologyThe Giani Zail Singh College Of Engineering and Technology is a college in Bathinda, India. It is the first institute in Punjab established with the full funding of state government. It was founded in 1989 when the Governor of Punjab Sh.S.S.Ray laid the foundation stone on October 23rd...
.government polytechnic college, Hi-Tech polytechnic college also impart technical education in bathinda.M.S.D.SR.SEC. PUBLIC SCHOOL. which is famous for providing best education to the children. S.S.D. Senior Secondary School (Boys) is one of the oldest educational institutes and many English medium schools have also come up in the city during the last 30 years. DAV Public School and
Delhi Public School, BathindaDelhi Public School, Bathinda was established in 2003 at Goniana road, Bathinda in the state of Punjab in India. It is a day residential senior secondary school on a sprawling campus of with facilities for swimming, horse riding, football, basketball, hockey and cricket. The school had 1429...
have opened their branches in the city. Many missionary schools are also being run in the city like, St. Xavier's Sr. Sec. School, St. Joseph Sr. Sec. School, St. Paul school, Deepika Public School etc.
Bathinda is often considered to be an educational hub of this region. Many students from the neighboring towns who intend to pursue medical or engineering come here to prepare for their entrance exams. There are many known private institutes in the city preparing students for various engineering and medical entrance examinations. There is one government funded and nearly ten private colleges in the city.
Places of interest
Bathinda has a rich religious and cultural heritage. There are a number places worth visiting in and around the city. Many of them are deeply associated with various religious beliefs.
1.
Qila MubarakQila Mubarak , is a historical monument in the heart of the city of Bathinda in India. It has been in existence from 90-110 AD in its current place. It was here that Razia Sultan, the first woman to take charge of the Delhi throne was incarcerated on her defeat and dethroned. The bricks of the...
This is an oldest and highest small brick monument.
2. Bahia Fort
This was built in 1930 in front of the main Fort by S. Balwant Singh Sidhu belong to a group of 22 villages, so called Bahia Sahib. It was as official residence of armed forces of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala State . Now it has been converted into a Four Star Hotel.
3.
Lakhi JungleLakhi Jungle is situated 15 km from Bathinda, on the way to Muktsar. A forest having old Gurudwara enjoyed the touches of Shri Guru Nanak Dev who recited one lakh holy Paths of Shri Japuji Sahib. Therefore it was called Lakhi Jungle. Ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, and Tenth Sikh Guru,...
This is situated 15 km away from Bathinda and on the way to Mukatsar. A forest having old Gurudwara enjoyed the touches of Shri Guru Nanak Dev who recited one lakh holy Paths of Shri Japuji Sahib.Therefore it was called Lakhi Jungle. Tenth Sikh Guru , Guru Gobind Singh also visited this place.
4. Rose Garden
This garden boasts of large number of varieties of Roses. It is very near the city and is visited by large number of people on weekends.
The 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) garden is located close to Thermal Plant. It has a vast variety of rose plants and is a good picnic spot.
5. Zoological garden
It is a plant nursery of the forest department located approximately 10 km away from the Cantonment and is a popular picnic spot. This place is a small zoo in the midst of a small forest.
6. Chetak Park
A beautiful garden built in Bathinda Cantonment is popular among children's and others. It has a lake and boating facility.
7. Mazaar of Peer Haji Rattan
It is one of the most revered place of worship in the city.
8. One unique thing in bathinda is a place Haji Rattan. where the mosque and the sikh guruadwara share is the same wall and the temple is also very close to it. This is ignored but if you look it critically it is one of the unique thing in india. it shows how multicultural bathinda people are.
Notable people
- Kuldeep Manak, Punjabi Singer
- Avneet Sidhu
Avneet Kaur Sidhu is an Indian shooter. She won the gold medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle with Tejaswini Sawant at the 2006 Commonwealth Games...
, Indian Shooter
- Mehar Mittal, Punjabi Film Star and Comedian
- Balwant Gargi
Balwant Gargi was a renowned Punjabi language dramatist, theatre director, novelist, and short story writer, and academic.-Early life:Balwant Gargi Born on December 4, 1916 in Neeta Khandan in Bathinda...
, Punjabi Dramatist,Novelist and Writer
External links
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