Kunjpura
Encyclopedia
Kunjpura is a village on the banks of the Yamuna River, off the Grand Trunk Road
that runs from Amritsar
to Delhi
and further on to Calcutta.
in Haryana
, this village has a beautiful fort and a long history. Kunjpura was a major halting point for all those who traveled from Khyber Pass
to Delhi
before the Grand Trunk Road
came to be. The local rulers changed and this was a jagir that changed hands many times. Midway between Karnal
and Kunjpura is a Sainik School
, which was started in 1961. This was originally a large property belonging to the last Nawab of Kunjpura who was Ibrahim Ali Khan. This property passed into the hands of the Defence Ministry as Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan did not claim his estate after the independence as he moved to Lahore, Pakistan. Ibrahim Ali Khan died in Lahore in 1952. Alumni of the school have done well in the Military establishment as well as in the Civilian street. The old boys' of the school are called Kunjeans.
Sainik School, Kunjpura
stands majestically sprawled over 275 Acres, amidst nature’s beauty in the land of Mahabharat where Lord Krishna discoursed and enlightened Arjuna
with the knowledge of the divine Bhagvad Gita. The school, which is about 10 km from the heart of the Karnal
city, famed as Karna Bhumi, was originally the palace of the Nawab of Kunjpura. Nawab Mohammed Ibrahim Khan had built it in 1900 AD to house the marriage party of his daughter. This huge building was earlier the sanctum sanctorum of the prestigious Punjab Police
Academy. Sainik School
Kunjpura came into being on the 24th of July, 1961, at the behest of the then Defense Minister of India
, who took personal interest in its inception and upbringing. He then handed over the reins of command and put at the helm of affairs a very able administrator, Col. E J Simeon, who nurtured it for seven years as its Founding Principal.
Gradually, a whole lot of additions were made to the structure of the school in terms of new constructions– the junior block, the Infirmary, the Cadets' Mess, the Manekshaw Auditorium, the Simeon Squash Court, the swimming pool and then residential area for the staff and the boys. But the main building remained the ‘nerve center’ of the school with the administrative block, senior classrooms, computer-cum-conference room, library, general knowledge room and staff room etc in its vicinity. The school is a ‘Dronacharya’s Gurukul
’ in the true sense of the word as it provides opportunities for growth and development in each and every segment of a student’s life, may it be academics, co-curricular activities, extra-curricular activities or career guidance.
. The market is huge relative to normal villages and traders are quite prosperous. This could be attributed to the Sainik School
situated close-by. The soil is alluvial in nature and the Yamuna
river is not too far. Thus, irrigation is not an issue for the farmers and they are easily able to harvest more than two crops a year.
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
that runs from Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and further on to Calcutta.
Overview
Close to KarnalKarnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, this village has a beautiful fort and a long history. Kunjpura was a major halting point for all those who traveled from Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
before the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
came to be. The local rulers changed and this was a jagir that changed hands many times. Midway between Karnal
Karnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
and Kunjpura is a Sainik School
Sainik School
The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society. They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the regional and class imbalance amongst the Officer cadre of the Indian Military, and to...
, which was started in 1961. This was originally a large property belonging to the last Nawab of Kunjpura who was Ibrahim Ali Khan. This property passed into the hands of the Defence Ministry as Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan did not claim his estate after the independence as he moved to Lahore, Pakistan. Ibrahim Ali Khan died in Lahore in 1952. Alumni of the school have done well in the Military establishment as well as in the Civilian street. The old boys' of the school are called Kunjeans.
Sainik School, Kunjpura
Sainik School, Kunjpura
Sainik School, Kunjpura is one of the first five Sainik Schools established by the 'Sainik Schools Society' in 1961 in India. The school comes under the control of state government and Ministry of Defence and was also the first Sainik School in the state of Haryana , and was set up prepare...
stands majestically sprawled over 275 Acres, amidst nature’s beauty in the land of Mahabharat where Lord Krishna discoursed and enlightened Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
with the knowledge of the divine Bhagvad Gita. The school, which is about 10 km from the heart of the Karnal
Karnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
city, famed as Karna Bhumi, was originally the palace of the Nawab of Kunjpura. Nawab Mohammed Ibrahim Khan had built it in 1900 AD to house the marriage party of his daughter. This huge building was earlier the sanctum sanctorum of the prestigious Punjab Police
Punjab Police
Punjab Police may refer to:* Punjab Police , which operates in the Indian state of Punjab* Punjab Police , which operates in the Pakistani province of Punjab...
Academy. Sainik School
Sainik School
The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society. They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the regional and class imbalance amongst the Officer cadre of the Indian Military, and to...
Kunjpura came into being on the 24th of July, 1961, at the behest of the then Defense Minister of India
India
India , 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...
, who took personal interest in its inception and upbringing. He then handed over the reins of command and put at the helm of affairs a very able administrator, Col. E J Simeon, who nurtured it for seven years as its Founding Principal.
Gradually, a whole lot of additions were made to the structure of the school in terms of new constructions– the junior block, the Infirmary, the Cadets' Mess, the Manekshaw Auditorium, the Simeon Squash Court, the swimming pool and then residential area for the staff and the boys. But the main building remained the ‘nerve center’ of the school with the administrative block, senior classrooms, computer-cum-conference room, library, general knowledge room and staff room etc in its vicinity. The school is a ‘Dronacharya’s Gurukul
Gurukul
A gurukul is a type of school in India, residential in nature, with shishyas living in proximity to the guru, often within the same house...
’ in the true sense of the word as it provides opportunities for growth and development in each and every segment of a student’s life, may it be academics, co-curricular activities, extra-curricular activities or career guidance.
People and economy
The land-owners of the village are of different religions including Vaisya, Kshatriya(RorMaratha),Shudra and Bharhamana. The economy of the village is booming compared to many villages in the state of HaryanaHaryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. The market is huge relative to normal villages and traders are quite prosperous. This could be attributed to the Sainik School
Sainik School
The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society. They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the regional and class imbalance amongst the Officer cadre of the Indian Military, and to...
situated close-by. The soil is alluvial in nature and the Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
river is not too far. Thus, irrigation is not an issue for the farmers and they are easily able to harvest more than two crops a year.