District Profile

Origin of the name of the District

The District of Sangrur takes its name from its headquarters town, Sangrur. It is said to have been founded by one Sanghu, a Jat, about four hundred years back.
Sangrur is one of the four districts in Patiala Division. It is, one of the southern districts of the State and lies between 29 o - 4 ' & 30 o - 42 ' North latitude and 75 o-18 ' and 76 o -13 ' East longitude.
It is bounded by Ludhiana and Firozepur districts in the north, by Bhatinda district in the west, by Patiala district in the east and by Jind district (State Haryana) in the south.Sangrur, the headquarters of the district administration is directly linked by road with Chandigarh (142 Km), Ludhiana (80 Km), Budhlada (73 Km), Delhi (257 Km), Sultanpur (189 Km), Gurdaspur(250 Km), Ganga-Nagar(240 Km). It is also directly linked by rail with Ludhiana and Jhakhal (in Haryana). All the municipal towns of the district except Bhadaur, Bhawanigarh, Dhanaula and Longowal have railway stations.

According to the Deputy Economic and Statistical Advisor, Sangrur the area of the Sangrur is 502417 Hectare in the year 2004-2005. In terms of area, the district ranks 3rd in the State after Firozpur, Faridkot districts.
The tehsil-wise area of the district, Deputy Economic and Statistical Advisor, Sangrur, Punjab, is given Below :

Demography

According to 2001 Census of India, Sangrur district ranks _________ th in Punjab with a population of 2000173 which is _______% of the total population of Punjab State. The sex ratio according to census 2001 is 874 females per thousand Male in district which is 7 less than observed in 1991 census, which was 881. Though the rate of population growth is meagre yet the density of population has increased which is 484 per square Kilometer as compared to 336 by 1991 census.
Amongst the States & UTs, Punjab ranks 16 th in terms of literacy. Sangrur district have ________ th rank in the field of literacy in the state. 69.95% population is literate where as the rate for male and female literacy is 75.63 % and 63.55% respectively.
Sub-Divisional Wise Population in District Sangrur as 0n 01-01-2004

Administrative Structure

From Administrative point of view District Sangrur is divided into Five Tehsils

1. Sangrur
2. Sunam
3. Malerkotla
4. Barnala
5. Moonak

These tehsils have been further divided into 13 blocks as under;

 Sangrur At a Glance

Veternary Institutions

Cattle Census

Education

 Local Bodies

 Banking Sector

 Miscellaneous

 Net Area Irrigated(000 Hect.)

 Rural Water Supply

Climate

Climatic Divisions and Seasons and their Duration.

The climate of the district is on the whole dry and is characterised by a short monsoon, a hot summer and a bracing cold winter. The year may be divided into four seasons. The cold season from November to March is followed by the hot season lasting up to the end of June. The period from July to mid-September constitutes the rainy season, of south-west monsoon, the second half of September and October may be termed the post-monsoon or transition period.

At Sangrur, there is a meteorological observatory functioning since 1970. The available data of this station are not sufficient for the preparation of normals. The account which follows is, therefore, based on the records of this observatory together with records of observa- tions in the neighbouring districts where similar climatic conditions prevail. Temperature starts rising from middle of February and from about the beginning of March increase rapidly till June which is generally the hottest month. The mean daily maximums temperature during June is around 104F(40C) and the mean daily minimum is around 80.6F (27C). The heat is intense in summer. On individual days, the day temperature may occasionally exceed l16 'F (47"C) or 118.4F(48C). Scorching dust laden winds which blow during the hot season render the weather very trying. Afternoon thundershowers which occur on some days bring some relief although temporarily. With the onset of monsoon by the end of or the beginning of July, there is June drop in the day temperatures but nights continue to be as warm as in June. Due to increased humidity in the monsoon the weather is oppressive in between the rains. At the end of rainy season, by the middle of September, there is a decrease in temperature, the drop in the night temperatures being more rapid. After October, both day and night temperatures decrease rapidly. January is usually the coldest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at about 68F (20"C) and the mean daily minimum at about 56.6F (7"C). In winter, particularly in January and February, cold waves in the wake of passing western disturbances affect the district and the minimum temperature occasionally drops down below the freezing point of water. On such occasions frosts are likely in the district.

During the south-west monsoon, season July to September the relative humidity is high, being 75 to 80 per cent in the mornings and about 55 to 65 per cent in the afternoons. High humidities of more than 70 per cent also prevail during the winter months, December to February. It is comparatively drier during rest of the year. April and May are the driest period of the year when in the afternoons the relative humidity is 25 per cent or less.

There are five rain gauge stations in the district, which started functioning from 1954. Average rainfalls, monthly as well as yearly, and the number of rainy days recorded at these five stations and for the district as a whole based on data upto 1980 are given in the Tables 1 and 2. The frequency of annual rainfall in the Sangrur District from 1954 to 1970 are given in Table 3. The period of availability of data of these stations being not sufficiently long, the description that follows is based on these short period data augmented by the rainfall data of the neighbouring districts. The average annual rainfall in the district is about 590 mm, the maximum (about 73 per cent) falling in the months of July to September, July being the wettest month. The rainfall in the district increases from south-west towards the northeast and varies from about 490 mm, at Sunam to about 670 mm at Malerkotla. There is some rain, mostly in the form of thundershowers, during the pre-monsoon month of June. Some rain is also received with passing western disturbances during winter. The variation in the annual rainfall from year to year is large. In the 17 year period 1954 to 1970, it is seen that the highest annual rain- fall in the district amounting to 18.2 per cent of the normal occurred in 1955. The lowest annual rainfall which was 58 per cent of the normal occurred in 1965. The annual rainfall in the district was less than 80 per cent of the normal in five out of 17 years. For the district as a whole, two consecutive years of such low rainfall occurred once. Considering the rainfall at individual stations. It is seen that similar rainfall has occurred at least once in four out of five stations. Barnala and Malerkotla had however such rainfall twice. It will be seen from Table 1 that the annual rainfall in the district was between 450 and 750 mm in 10 years out of 17.
On an average, there are 27 rainy days (i.e. days with rainfall of 2.5 mm or more) in a year in the district. This number varies from about 24 at Sunam to about 31 at Malerkotla.
The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours recorded in the district was 377.5 mm on 9 August 1976 at Barnala.

Atmospheric Pressure and Winds

Winds are generally light but do gain some strength during the late summer and early part of the monsoon season. In the south-west monsoon season winds from easterly and southeasterly directions are more common with north-westerlies blowing on some days. In the post-monsoon and winter seasons, the predominant wind direction is north-westerly. In the summer, winds are generally from north-westerly direction but on some days they blow from south-east.

The district is scarcely affected by monsoon depressions. During the cold season, passing, western disturbances affect the weather over the district causing few thunder storms. Rain during June and the monsoon season is often accompanied with thunder. Dust storms occur occasionally during the hot season.

Educational Hierarchical Structure of the District

Primary, Secondary and College education is managed by three separate Directorates at the State Level and similarly there are three different Heads at District Level. Primary Education is managed by the District Education Officer ( Primary), Secondary Education by District Education Officer ( Secondary) manage the day to day affairs of primary education. There are no Sub-Division level officers at Sub-Division level either in Primary Education or Secondary Education, whereas in Primary Education there are 14 Education Blocks Headed by Block Primary Education Officers in each Block, there is no block level officer to manage the Secondary Education. Of course, there are two Deputy District Education Officer at Secondary level in the District to assist the District Education Officer. There are several more officials to help the District Education Officer(s) in their respective fields such as District Science Supervisor looks after Science Education in the District, District Coordinator (Vocation) to look after Vocational Education in the District, Assistant Education officer ( Physical Education ) and Assistant District Guidance Counselor to look after guidance activities in the district schools. An Administrative Officer responsible for the office work of Establishment Branch, Drawing and Disbursing powers are also invested with him to provide more time to District Education Officer(s) for inspection work in schools. Yet little time is left with this officer to justify his exigencies as he has also to cope with hundreds of court cases and a large number of day to day meetings with higher officers and Teachers’ organizations.

There are 863 primary, 189 middle, 173 High and 100 Senior Secondary Schools in District Sangrur. Nearly 95% of the middle, High and Senior Secondary Schools are situated on link roads and remaining 5% are situated either on main road or in towns. 90% of the schools have facilities for drinking water. 87% of schools have separate urinals for girls where as 13% schools do not have such facility. Funds for building separate urinals for girls and boys may be provided to these institutions.
Almost all the urban schools are housed in Govt. buildings where annual repairs and whitewashing is done by P.W.D. authorities. Such buildings may be assumed as safe buildings.

The district Education is network is given below

Number of Primary Schools

 It has 45.3 Primary schools per lac of population and has 17.18 schools per 100 sq. km. While the state average is 56 and 25 Schools. But in number of Middle schools, it is close to state average. Gross enrolment for the male children is 98.11 percent and 89.17 percent for female in the age group of 6-11. Enrolment for 11-14 age is 98.01 percent for male and 99.00 for female. Overall enrolment for 6-14 age group is 94 percent which is adequate. Survey conducted in 1991 by 255 Sangrur reveals that 4586 males and 4088 females are still not going for school. Similarly 18689 children of age group 6-11 are not going to school.

School Building and Infrastructure in Primary Schools

Building is the first and foremost requirement of primary school students and it should also have other utilities such as Furniture, drinking water facilities, blackboards, chalks toilets etc. The school building should be safe and attractive to the children. It should have sufficient number of class rooms with verandah and surrounded by a compound wall. Flower beds and grassy parks should adorn the environment of the school.
In Sangrur District the picture of primary schools s rather dismal, as is clear from the following details:-

In the prevailing system of education for 6-14 age group, students are studying in four different level school i.e. from Ist to Vth standard, they study in Primary schools, From Vth to VIIIth standard they can enroll themselves in middle schools, High Schools or senior secondary schools. The qualifications of Primary Schools Teachers are different from those of middle , High or Senior Secondary School Teachers.
In primary Schools, Instructions are imparted by J.B.T. qualified Teachers which have been upgraded to E.T.T. qualified teachers. Promotions for Head Teachers, Central Head Teachers and B.P.E.Os are still made out of J.B.T. Teachers. In Middle, High or Senior Secondary Schools, Instructions to VIth to VIIIth class are imparted by Graduate Trained Teachers having proficiency in teaching their relevant subjects.
The following table gives the sanctioned working strength and vacant posts of Primary teachers in District Sangrur:-

 Teacher Pupils Ratio comes to 1:46 in Govt. Schools and 1:49 in private schools, Similarly Teacher Pupil Ratio is 1:31 in Govt. Schools for middle classes and the same is 1:29 for private schools.

 Administration Setup

 Teachers

 Total Students as on 30-09-2003

Fairs and Festivals

Fairs and festivals are as old as mankind, arising from the innate desire to congregate and divert from the humdrum routine of life. They provide as index "to 'the cultural, social and domestic life of the people. Many among them are based on legends and aim at propitiating deities and persons believed to be blessed with supernatural powers, and invoking them for the grant of desires and for warding off troubles and curing aliments. With the spread of knowledge and gradual control of man over elements of nature and disease, the faith in old legends is waning, and consequently' there are signs of some of the fairs and festivals fast losing in importance. It is valuable to record these legends and fairs and festivals before they completely fade away, since they portray the flight of human imagination whom it was not 'polluted' by rationalism
Festivals of socio-religious nature provide an atmosphere of devotion and enjoyment. Some festivals mark the seasonal changes and some are local in character and are associated with some place, saint or peer. The fairs and festivals attracting large gatherings are taken advantage of by Government, religious and social organisations, and business firms, for doing publicity.
As in the adjoining districts, the religious festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm in the district. Gurpurabs are the largest religious festivals of the Sikhs which are celebrated with great devotion and love for the Gurus. A large number of Hindus also participate in these celebrations. Big diwans are held on the birthdays of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh and on the martrydom days of Guru Arjan DEV and Guru Teg Bahadur. The Gurpurb of Guru Ravi Dass is also celebrated in February, with great enthusiasm. People also show great enthusiasm in celebrating the religious festivals of Shivratri, Holi, Janam Ashtami,Rakhi, Dussehra, Diwali, Tikka, Ram Naumi, Nirjala -Ekadashi, Guga Naumi, etc. The seasonal festivals of Lohri, Maghi, Basant and Baisakhi are also celebrated with a good deal of fanfare.
Janam Ashtmi of Sangrur deserves special mention. Virtually, the whole population of Sangrur, belonging to different religions and castes, participates in its celebrations. The fair Guga Naumi is held at many places in the district. Dussehra is celebrated almost in all towns of the district with great pump and show.
In Sangrur District, and especially in Malerkotla, there is a good number of Mohammedans. Actually, Sangrur is the only district in the Punjab where Mohammedans are in insignificant number. They celebrate their festivals with a good deal of emotions. Their important festivals are Moharram, Shab-i-Brat, Ramzan, Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Zuha.
Among the Jains, Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated by taking out a procession of pictures of Lord Mahavir. The Jains observe fasts on that day. The Jyanti falls in the month of Chaitra, (March-April) and is celebrated with great enthusiasm at Moonak,Sunam,Sangrur and Malerkotla.
The national festivals are the Republic , Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (2 October). In fact, besides people, Government machinery is actively involved in the celebration of national festivals.
Besides the above fairs and festivals, there are certain local fairs which are celebrated by the people in the district.
To commemorate martyrdom of sixty-six Namdharis in connection with anti-cow slaughter movement, 'Kukas' Martyrdom Day' or 'Kuka Fair' is held at Malerkotla on January 17 and 18 everyyear (68 Namdharis were gunned down by British Government on 17 and 18 January 1872) Basant Panchami fair is held at Malerkotla at the Smadh of Baba Roda. Another local religious fair 'Mela Hazrat Sheikh Sadr-ud-Din' is also hold at Malerkotla in the memory of Sheikh Sadr-un-Din who founded Malerkotla State during the time of Bahlol Lodhi. The festival of Nirjla Ikadashi is also celebrated with much enthusiasm. It is celebrated at the smadh of Bawa Atma Ram where devotees take a sacred bath and make offerings of flowers and patashas at the smadh.
In Sangrur Tahsil, at Nankiana Sahib, a big 'Baisakhi' fair is held.
The 'Gugga Mari' fair at Gharachoo (Tahsil Sangrur) attracts a large number of people. It is held in the month of August-September for a period of four days. Another fair known as 'Mela Kuti' is also held at Gharachon for a period of three days in the month of February-March. It is celebrated both by the Hindus and the Sikhs, especially Ghuman Jats, The devotees make offerings at the smadh of Baba Faqiria who lived here 400—500 years ago. On this occasion singing and gidha parties show their performance ; wrestling matches held on this occasion attract a large number of spectators.
A big fair known as 'Mela Gurudwara Bhai Mani Singh' is held at Longowal in the month of November-December for a period of three days to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh. Wrestling, kabaddi and other games are the characteristic features of this fair. 'Mela Kali Devi' and 'Janam Ashtami' are also important fairs of Sangrur proper. In Sunam proper, 'Mela Smadh' fair is held in September-October for one day at the smadh of a Saint named Baba Mansa Ram. Another fair known as 'Mela Pir Bana Banoi' is held in the month of March-April for a period of three days in the memory of Pir Khawaja Mahmood Banoi whose tomb exists there. However, with fee migration of Mohammedan population to Pakistan, the importance of this local fair has considerably decreased. To commemorate the martyrdom of Udham Singh who shot dead Sir Michael O' Dwyer, the man behind the Jallian-Wala-Bag tragedy of 1919, Udham Singh Memorial Tournament is held for a period of four days, from 23 January to 26 January at Sunam.
A big fair called "Mahavir Jayanti' is held at Moonak to celebrate birh anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the founder of Jainism. In Barnala Tahsil, a national fair known as 'Shaheedi Dihara Sardar Sewa Singh' is celebrated at village Thikriwala in January-February for three days. The recital of Guru Granth Sahib, poetic symposium, lectures on the life of Sardar Sewa Singh and competitions in kabaddi, wrestling, horse riding, and singing are the special features of this fair. This fair is held to commemorate the martyrdom of Sardar Sewa Singh who formed Praja Mandal in the then Patiala State and pressed the political and other demands of the public before the then ruler Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. He was put behind the bars where he went on hunger strike and died. A fair known as 'Beebrian Da Mela' is held at Sehna in memory of young women who burnt themselves alive in the fire at this place and in whose honour a temple exists there. The fair of 'Chet Chaudash' is held at Tapa in March-April in memory of Baba Sukha Nand. People of Tapa have great faith in him and do not take false oaths if the name of Baba Sukha Nand is invoked.
A very big fair called 'Jor Mela Mastuana Sahib is held in the month of February in the memory of Sant Baba Attar Singh who did a tremendous task in the field of education in this backward region. This fair continues for three days and people come in large number from distant places. Poetic symposiums are held on this occasion. This fair is managed by students and teachers of Akal Degree College Mastuana. In the predominantly agricultural district of Sangrur, cattle shows and fairs are not uncommon. Big cattle fairs are held at Sangrur, Dhanaula, Lehragaga, Sunam, Bhawanigarh, Malerkotla, Bhadaur, Barnala and Dhuri

Language Department

Introduction

Primary, Secondary and College education is managed by three separate Directorates at the State Level and similarly there are three different Heads at District Level. Primary Education is managed by the District Education Officer ( Primary), Secondary Education by District Education Officer ( Secondary) manage the day to day affairs of primary education. There are no Sub-Division level officers at Sub-Division level either in Primary Education or Secondary Education, whereas in Primary Education there are 14 Education Blocks Headed by Block Primary Education Officers in each Block, there is no block level officer to manage the Secondary Education. Of course, there are two Deputy District Education Officer at Secondary level in the District to assist the District Education Officer. There are several more officials to help the District Education Officer(s) in their respective fields such as District Science Supervisor looks after Science Education in the District, District Coordinator (Vocation) to look after Vocational Education in the District, Assistant Education officer ( Physical Education ) and Assistant District Guidance Counselor to look after guidance activities in the district schools. An Administrative Officer responsible for the office work of Establishment Branch, Drawing and Disbursing powers are also invested with him to provide more time to District Education Officer(s) for inspection work in schools. Yet little time is left with this officer to justify his exigencies as he has also to cope with hundreds of court cases and a large number of day to day meetings with higher officers and Teachers’ organizations.

To teach Urdu language, free classes are being run at District Head quarters. The successful candidates are issued a certificate in Urdu Amoz. This is a six month course. New admission are done in the month of January and July of the year.

The Department reference library contain complete information regarding the history, culture, public life, geography, literature, music, art, language, sports, industry as well as prominent personalities of Punjab. To cater to specific requirements of teachers and students and to facilitate the introduction of Punjabi as a medium of instruction up to university level, more than 30 glossaries on various subjects have already been brought out. To met the dearth of suitable books for the coming generation more than 600 books are being prepared under 30 different series out of which more than 250 books have already been published. To make available classical and standard works of Punjabi of reasonable price of the readers, these books are published in sufficient number in the form of paper back series. Besides the translation of non-statutory material required for the official work, the department has also rendered into Punjabi the best 100 books published in different language of the world to develop the taste of Punjabi readers for the world literature. A part from the publication of books tour magazines of Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu, also been published by Language Department. All these publications in the book form are available at Sale Depot of District Language Office, Sangrur.

Places to Visit

The district in general is rural region in the southern part of the State. Situated west of Patiala, it is virtually isolated from urban centre of the State. The most populous from the district is Malerkotla which too has population less than 1 lakh (65,759 persons).
The district can hardly boast of any place of tourist interest, although there are a few places of some historical or religious import ance. The people by and large are Godfearing and have maintained guru-dwaras and mandirs of historical importance. Given in the following pages are the places/villages, which according to local sources are known to have some historical, religious or even superstitious importance. Apart from these places, there are a few others which are developing as agricultural, marketing, industrial or trading nucleus of the district.

Ahmedgarh

Falling in the Malerkotla Tehsil, Ahmedgarh is a sub-tehsil. It was founded by Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan of Malerkotla in 1905. It lies about 18 km north of Malerkotla on the Sangrur-Ludhiana road. It is 50 km from Sangrur, the district headquarters, 26 km from Ludhiana and 98 km from Chandigarh. It is a railway station on the Ludhiana-Jakhal railway line.
Ahmedgarh is an important agricultural market. The main crops brought to this market are paddy and wheeat. Being close to two industrial towns of Malerkotla and Ludhiana, a number of small-scale industries are being set up in and around this town too. khurpas, kahis and daties and a few modern agricultural implements manufactured here are well known in the area.
There are a M.G.M.N. Higher Secondary School for boys, two high schools for girls, a civil dispensary, a Zimindara Rest House and a post and telegraph office at Ahmedgarh.
A class III municipal committee has been functioning in the town since 1924

Akoi

Situated in the Sangrur Tehsil on the Malerkotla-Sangrur road, village Akoi lies about 5 km north of Sangrur, the district headquarters.
In the village, there is a gurudwara said to be associated -with the visits of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Hargobind and Guru Teg Bahadur, the first, sixth and ninth Sikh Gurus respectively. It is said that Guru Nanak Dev visited this place after visiting Nankiana. The sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind also stayed here about seven months. He blessed the place that milk will be available here in abundance, and his words are proving true. Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru is also said to have visited this place on the way to Delhi.
Maharaja Hira Singh of erstwhile princely state of Nabha, constructed the building of the gurudwara. This old building is being demolished and the new one is coming up. Three hundred and twenty-five bighas of land in Khilrian, Badrukhan and Akoi villages belongs to the garudwara.
The village has a primary school, a primary health centre and a veterinary dispensary. A Government poultry farm is also functioning in the village.
The inhabitants of the village are mostly Khangoora Jats.

Badrukhan

Badrukhan is about 5 km from Sangrur, the district heaquarters, on Sangrur-Barnala road. There are two versions about the nomenclature of the village. One is that it was named after Badru, a pandit of this village, by Raja Gajpat Singh. Another version, which is more believable is that when Raja Gajpat Singh took control of these villges,(Vada Agwarh, Vichla Agwarh, Dalamwal, Dhaliwas and Thagan wali Patti) at that time very big trees Rukh were standing here on the basis of which it came to be called Badrukhan Bade rukhan
The present village Badrukhan consists of five small villages, which, daring the times of Raja Gajpat Singh, were amalgamated and came to be known as Badrukhan. Prior to it, these villages were in Badbar thana and were being ruled by Nawab of Malerkotla. The residents of these villages were feeling insecure on account of the dacoities committed by Muslims. The leaders of these five villages, under the leadership of Pandit Badru, approached Gajpat Singh, the Maharaja of Jind, for their security and gave him 1700 bighas of land. Maharaja Gajpat Singh amalgamated these villages and named it Badrukhan. In 1763, when Gajpat Singh captured the town of Jind, Badrukhan was made the capital of Jind State. He also built the fort here.
Badrukhan is believed to be the birth place of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Raj Kaur,daughter of Gajpat Singh gave birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on 13 November 1780 here. Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha was also born here, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Harbaksh Singh (Vir Chakra). Major General Gurbaksh Singh (DSO and OBE)-and Major Rajnit Singh also belong to this area.
In the village, there exists a smadh of Baba Guddar Shah who is said to have taken out the body of Raj Kaur, daughter of Maharaja Gajpat Singh buried in the large earthen vessel. Maharaja Gajpat Singh distributed large sweet thick cake of bread. Every year on the anniversary of Baba Guddar Shah, large sweet thick bread is baked and distributed as prasad.
The village has a Government high school, a 4-bedded subsidiary health centre and a post office.

Bagrian

Situated on the Malerkotla-Nabha road, Bagrian lies about 18 km south-east of Malerkotla, Though now in Malerkotla. Tehsil, it was not a part of the Malerkotla Princely State but was being ruled by the British. Bagrian was given to Bhais of the village by Bhikhan Khan, the Raw of Materkotla State, but it was captured by Britishers as the Sikhs of Bagrian were not in favour of the British
There is a fort at Bagrian which was built by S. Arjan Singh in the begining of the 20th-century. The Bhais still run langar (free kitchen) daily; This tradition of langer was started from the time of Sri Hargobind the sixth Guru. For the preparation of langar wet fuel is used. It is said that the sixth Guru blessed that even wet fuel would work.
ln the fort a gurudwara has been built whose design and size is that of Golden Temple.
At Bagrian, an industrial unit, namely 'Bagrian Shoes' for the manu facture of shoes is being set up, in the large-scale sector.

Barnala

Badaur

:It was founded in 1718 by S. Duna Singh, brother of Maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala and since then it has remained the residence of the chiefs of Bhadaur.
It is situated at a distance of 27 km from Barnala on the Barnala-Jaito road. It is 64 km north-west of Sangrur, the district headquarters.
A fair known as Mata Rani Ka Mela is held here in the months of March-April which is dedicated to Shitla Mata, the goddess of smallpox. It is said that one Kirpa, Balmiki by caste, got a temple built and the idol of Shitla installed therein. On this day people worship the deity and offer animals like sheep, pigs, and goats. A large number of people, both Hindus and Sikhs, attend this fair.
A gurudwara has been built in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh who is said to have visited this place. A fair is held here on Baisakhi day. It is also associated with the memory of Baba Charan Dass whose smadh exists here, A big tank has been constructed here ; both Hindus and Sikhs take a dip in the tank.
There are two government high schools, one each for boys and girls and a 4 bedded civil dispensary at Bhadaur.
A class III municipal committee has been functioning here since 1956.

Bhawanigarh

Situated at a distance of 19 km east of Sangrur, the district headquarters, on the Patiala-Sangrur road, Bhawanigarh is a sub-tehsil of the Sangrur Tehsil. It is also connected by road with Chandigarh (102 km), Patiala (37 km), Nabha (16 km) and Sunam {28 km).
Bhawanigarh was originally known as Dhodan, the name having been lent to it by Jats of Dhodan, a sub-clan of Bajha clan or got. Prior to independence, it was tehsil headquarters of Karamgarh Nizamat of Patiala Princely State.
As tradition has it, a sheep at the shrine of goddess Bhawani defended itself against two wolves, during the days of Baba Ala Singh who was prevailed upon by a sadhu to build on the spot a fort and name it Bhawanigarh. The fort was constructed in 1754.
There are a government higher secondary school for girls, a government high school for boys. A degree college and 4-bedded primary health centre at Bhawanigarh.
A class III Municipal Committee is functioning in the town since 1945.

Bihla

Situated at a distance of 13 km to the north-east of Barnala, Bihla falls in the Barnala Tehsil.
Every year, a fair is held here for three days from 27 to 29 November. The fair is associated with Baba Buddha, a Sikh saint who performed the 'Gurgaddi' ceremony to the first six Sikh Gurus. The inhabitants of the village claim themselves to be the descendants of Baba Buddha.
The village has a government high school, a subsidiary health centre and a post office.

Chak Bhai Ka

The Barnala Tehsil and is 18 km from Raikot (Ludhiana District) by pucca road.
Chak Bhai Ka is associated with Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, who is said to have visited this place. A gurudwara has been built here where a fair is held on the Baisakhi day. A pair of shoes belonging to the Guru has been preserved in the gurudwara where the people assemble to have its darshans. People also take a holy dip in the tank on this day.
A primary school and a post office are functioning in the village.

Cheema

Situated at distance of 7 km west of Sunam, Cheema falls in Sangrur Tehsil and is 20 km south-west of Sangrur. It is the birth place of Sant Baba Attar Singh, who is revered equally by all sections of
people in the area Janam Asthan Gurudwara at Cheema has been constructed in his memory by his follower, Baba Teja Singh. This gurudwara has been constructed on the pattern of gurudwara Attal of Amritsar. It is a nine-storey building constructed after demolishing the old ancestral house of Sant Biba Attar Singh. A tank has also been constructed where people take bath. A fair is held at this place in the month of chet on the amavas (new moon) day, which is attended by a large number of his followers from far and near. Another gurudwara Nanaksar also exists here, which is said to have been constructed by Baba Attar Singh. Cheema has a government high school and a 25 bedded rural hospital

Dhadogal

This village lies in the Malerkotla Tehsil and is 11 km from Dhuri on the Dhuri-Nabha road.
A fair is held at this place to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh of this village. He was a co-worker of Sardar Sewa Singh of Thi-kriwala. He agitated for the freedom of the people and worked against the Britishers and then against the ruler of erstwhile Patiala State. He was jailed by the then Maharaja of Patiala and sent to Narnaul where he died. His dead body was brought to this village for funeral rites. This fair is held from the 24th of sawan (July-August) for three days and a large number of people attend this fair. Besides, a fair known as Gugga Naumi is also held on Bhadon Badi 9 (August-September) for one day at this place and about 20,000 people attend it.
The village has a government middle school and 4-bedded subsidiary health centre.

Dhanaula

Situated 18 km west of Sangrur, the district headquarters, Dhanaula lies on the Sangrur-Barnala road. It falls in the Barnala Tehsil and is about 8 km from Barnala.
Dhanaula was founded by Gurditta, eldest son of Taloka, in 1775 Bikrami (A.D. 1718). It remained the capital of erst while Princely State of Nabha upto 1755 when Raja Hamir Singh founded Nabha town and "made it the capital of the State. He also built a fort here which now houses the police station of Dhanaula.
A temple of Hanuman exists here. It is said that a man was digging a ditch and found an idol of Hanuman. A temple was constructed at that place, the idol was placed there, and the people began to worship it. A fair known as Hanuman Mela is held in this temple on every Tuesday.

Durga Mela

 dedicated to goddess Durga, is also held in March-April and September-October for one day each. Some people perform the first hair-cutting of their children here.
In the memory of the peerwhose tomb exist here , a fair is held in the Peer khanda dera on the first Thrusday of Bhadon (August-September), Magher (November-December) and Phagan (Febrauary-March) for one day. A cattle fair is also held here.

Dhuri

Situated at a distance of 14 km from Sangrur, the district headquarters, it is a railway junction on the Ludhina-Jakhal and Bathinda-Ambala railway lines. It is also well connected by road with Ludhiana (61 km), Chandigarh (126 km), and Malerkotla (18 km). Dhuri is a sub-tehsil of the Malerkotla Tehsil.
Dhuri is fast developing town. A sugar mill in the co-operative sector is functioning here. A number of small-scale industrial units engaged in the manufacture of agricultural implements have been established here. It is also famous for the manufacture of steel furniture.
There are a private higher secondary school for boys, two government high schools, one each for boys and girls, two private high schools for boys.
one civil hospital with 31 beds facility, one Northern Railway Health Unit with 5 beds facility, one Vardhman Mahavir Jain Charitable Eye Hosptial, with 18 beds, one Zimindara Rest House and a Warehousing Godown at Dhuri.
Constituted as small town committee in 1945, it is now a class II municipal committee since 1954.

Gharachon

Situated in Sangrur Tehsil on the Sunam-Patiala road, it is 11 km east of Sangrur and 10 km south-west of Bhawanigarh.
A fair known as mela kuti is held on Phagan Sudi 3 (February-March) for three days. The legend goes that about 5,000 years ago there lived one Baba Faqiria. Once he was sitting on a wall and Emperor Shah Jahan riding on a horse happened to pass that way. Baba Faqiria by his spirituals powers made the wall to walk along with the Emperor's horse. Astonished at this miracle, the Emperor touched feet of the Baba and gave him 12 bighas of land in village Gharachon. The Baba constructed his kuti (hut) there where a mela is held every year.
A government high school for boys, 4 bedded subsidiary health centre and a post office are functioning in the village.

Handiaya

Situated in the Barnala Tehsil, it lies at a distance of about 5 km south of Barnala, the tehsil headquarters.
It was a tahsit in the erstwhile Nizamat of Anahadgarh (Barnala). Hadiaya was founded by Baba Subha, the brother of Baba Ala Singh of Patiala some 275 years ago. Hadiaya means the market of hundis. This tiny village was once of great commercial importance which it gradually lost to the up coming town of Barnala. This place has become of some interest since 1965 when a double-storey house sank into the ground all at once and several other buildings thereafter have met the same fate.
There is a gurudwara associated with Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, who is said to have visited this place in 1722 Bikrami (1665AD), and sat under a tree. At that time a fatal disease had broken out in the village. A patient came to the Guru and told about his disease. The Guru told him to take bath in the chkappar (pond) in which hides were washed. The patient was hesitant to take bath. The Guru himself took bath in it and brought out some mud and blessed that it is a tank of Guru, whosoever will lake bath with devotion will be cured. Atsss the inhabitants took bath in it and were cured. People assemble here on the amavas day of every month for a holy dip in the tank.
Fairs are also held on amavas and purnmashi every month for one day each in the memory of a saint, Sant Kaleranwale, in whose honour a gurudwara has also been constructed here.
A fair known as Durga Ka Mela is also held for one day in the temple dedicated to goddess Durga in the months of March-April and September-October. The people perform mundan ceremony of their children in this temple.
There are a government high school for boys, 4 bedded subsidiary health centre and a canal rest house at Hadiaya.

Jandali

Situated on the bank of Bathinda Branch of Sirhind Canal, Jandali Kalan lies 5 km south-east of Ahmedgarh. It falls in Materkotla Tehsil.
There exists a gurudwara called Damdama Sahib said to be associated with the visit of the Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru who took rest here after hunting. He is said to have continuously visited this place for six months, for taking rest and that is why this place is known as Damdama Sahib. It is said that while fighting with the army of Ahmed Shah Abdali, a group of Sikhs led by Sardar Nahar Singh was killed at this place.
It is only after 1947 that a small building of the gurudwara was built. Now a more spacious building of the gurudwara is coming up. Its found-ation stone was laid down by Sant Ishar Singh Rarewale on 9 March 1966. A large number of people especially from Doaba area visit this place. A fair on the Dashmi of each month is held at this place and is attended by a large number of persons. An annual fair on the Dashmi of Magh (December-January) is also held here.

Kup

This village falls in Malerkotla Tehsil and is 8 km southeast of Ahmedgarh and 12 km north of Malerkotla, the tehsil headquarters on the Ludhiana-Jakhal railway line. A gurudwara exists here in the memory of 30,000 Sikhs who were killed while fighting with the army of AJhmed I Shah Abdali on 28 Maghar 1818 Bikrami (A.D. 1761), The Sikhs fought under the command of S. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia,S. Jassa Singh Ramgaria,S. Charat Singh Shukarchakia, S. Sham Singh, Baba Dip Singh Shahid, S. Baghel Singh Kroria etc. Ahmed Shah Abdali who was fed up with the Sikhs instructed his appointed Commissioners of Jalandhar, Sirhind, and Malerkotla to stop the Sikhs from advancing toward the Satluj. Thus stopped, the Sikhs were then attacked by Ahmed Shah Abdali with two lakh persons. When the Sikhs reached near Raipur (Ludhiana), the subedars of Sirhind, Jalandhar, and Nawab of Malerkotla etc. stopped the Sikhs from advancing further. As a result a large number of Sikhs were killed.
There are a private high school and a 10 bedded rural hospital at Kup.
A large fair is held here in the month of October.

Kutba Bahamnia

It is in the Barnala Tehsil and lies about 6 km west of Barnala and 6 km south of Dhanaula.
At this place, a gurudwara has been built to commemorate the memory of 30,000 sikhs who were killed while fighting with the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali. A big fair is held here in the month of February each year.
A middle school, a subsidiary health center, and a veterinary hospital is functioning here

Ladda

Situated in Dhuri Tehsil, it is about 6km south of Dhuri and 6 km north of Sangrur on the Sangrur-Malerkotla road.
A fair of Gugga Naumi is held at this place on Bhadon Badi 9 (August-September) for one day. The legend goes that somebody brought two bricks from the Gugga mari of Bagar. He placed these bricks in his fields and the next morning when he came to lift these bricks he could not do it despite attempts. People regarded it as miracle and a fair began to be held at this place. The marhi was later on re-built by the Nawab of Malerkotla.
The village has a high school, a canal dispensary (4 bedded), a veterinary dispensary and a post office.

Lehragaga

Situated on the Ludhiana—Jakhal railway line, Lehragaga is a sub-tehsil of Sunam Tehsil. By road it is 26 km south of Sunam, 46 km from Sangrur, 90 km from Patiala and 155 km from Chandigarh. It is also linked by pucca road with Patran (14 km) and Jakhal (14 km).
Lehragaga consists of two villages, Lehra and Gaga. A gurudwara exists at Gaga which is associated with the visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur the ninth Sikh Guru, on his way to Delhi.
In Lehragaga, monkeys are found in abundance but they are not killed by the people. It is also called 'Lehra Bandran da'. The main crops in the area are wheat, cotton, groundnut and bajra Paddy is also grown but in less quantity.
Lehragaga is blocks headquarter. A class II municipal committee has been functioning here since 19 September 1956. There are two high schools here, one each for boys and girls. A dispensary and a veterinary dispensary are also functioning here, A P.W.D. rest house and a Zimindara Rest House has also been constructed here.
Known earlier as Lalgarh, lies 18 KM south-west of Sangrur on the Sangrur-Barnala road, It falls in the Sangrur Tehsil. This Town was founded by Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the Patiala Estate. Bhai Mani Singh, to secrifies his life by getting the joints of his body cut by the Muslim Rulers hailed from his place. A Gurudwara has been built here where a fair is held on Maghar 27th (November-December) for 3 days to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh. Sr. Bhagwan Singh who was one of the founders of Praja Mandal, was the resident of Longowal. He sacrifices his life for liberation of oppressed people of the princely state. Longowal is also the birth place of Giani Gian Singh , A noted Sikh Historian. At Longowal, a class III municipal committee is functioning since September 1956.

Longowal

Known earlier as Lalgarh, lies 18 KM south-west of Sangrur on the Sangrur-Barnala road, It falls in the Sangrur Tehsil. This Town was founded by Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the Patiala Estate.
Bhai Mani Singh, to secrifies his life by getting the joints of his body cut by the Muslim Rulers hailed from his place. A Gurudwara has been built here where a fair is held on Maghar 27th (November-December) for 3 days to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh.
Sr. Bhagwan Singh who was one of the founders of Praja Mandal, was the resident of Longowal. He sacrifices his life for liberation of oppressed people of the princely state. Longowal is also the birth place of Giani Gian Singh , A noted Sikh Historian.
At Longowal, a class III municipal committee is functioning since September 1956.

Mastuana

Situated at distance of 6 KM west of Sangrur on the Sangrur-Barnala Road, Mastuana was built by Sant Atar Singh a Pious man of Cheema. It is named after Mastu, a Jatt, to donated his forest land to the Saint. Sant Baba Atar Singh constructed a Gurdwara, Gur Sagar and a Tank here. He also started a high school here. Now a Degree College has also been functioning here since 1920. a Jor Mela is held hessre for 3 days on 29, 30 and 31 January every year. Sant Baba Atar Singh was cremated here a big congregation his held on 3rd July every year.

Malerkotla

Headquarter of the Tehsil/Sub Division of the same name, Malerkotla is situated on the Ludhiana-Sangrur Road at a distance of North of Sangrur, The District Headquarter. It is also connected by road with Ludhiana (43 KM) Chandigarh (123 KM) Nabha (36 KM) Patiala (62 Km) etc. It is a railway station on the Ludhiana-Jakhal railway line.
The town of Malerkotla was devided into two parts – Maler and Kotla. Maler has probably been named after Malher Singh who is said to have been ruling here. He is said to have constructed a Kaccha fort here which was called Malhergarh. It is also said that Malher (now Maler) was founded by Sadr-u-din in 1466 who was Sarwani afghan of Daraband. He was a very pious man and a disciple of Peer Rukha Alam of Multan (Pakistan). He left the Peer and settled at Bhumsi in the remains of the Malhergarh. Behlol Lodhi stayed here on way to Delhi and met Sadr-u-din and was so impressed with him that when he became the King of Delhi, he married his daughter Taj with Sadr-u-din along with 68 villages in dowry. Around the hut of Sadr-u-din he merged Basti. It was named Malher after the fort Malhergarh with later on came to be known as Maler.
The Kotla portion of Malerkotla was established by Bayazid Khan in 1656 in the south of Maler. It was a walled town with a number of gates. These gates were closed at night. The distance between Maler and Kotla has been linked by constructing Mod Bazar in 1901-02 by Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan. It was earlier named Kotla Maler and later on named Maler-Kotla.
Malerkotla town was capital of the erstwhile princely State of Malerkotla, prior to the formation of PEPSU on 1 September 1948 when it was made a tehsil of the Barnala District of PEPSU. Again in 1956, when PEPSU was merged with Punjab it was made a tehsil of Sangrur District and since then it has continued to be so.
There are a government college, two government high schools one each for boys and girls, 5 private high schools, 4 for boys and one for girls, a 50 bedded civil hospital, a 4 bedded urban slum area dispensary, one E.S.I. dispensary, one 5 bedded Dr. Daya Krishan Jain Janta Hospital, one P.W.D. and one Zamindara Rest House at Malerkotla.
A municipal committee has been functioning here since 1905
Malerkotla is the only industrial town of worth the name in the district. A large number of small-scale industrial units are functioning in the town. It is now well known for the manufacture of a few cycle parts, agricultural implements. Similarly in the field of agriculture, especially growing of vegetables, Malerkotla is a famous place. The cauliflower of this area is' marketed throughout Punjab, Methi of the area is also of high quality "and is famous for its taste and odour.
A fair is held on January 17 and 18 for two days every year to commemorate the martyrdom of 66 Namdharis during the anti-cow slaughter movement. Under the orders of the British authority, 49 Namdharis were blown away with canons and one cut down by sword on 17 January 1872 without trial. Another sixteen were blown away by canons after summary trial on 18 January 1872.
A fair known as Mela Hazrat Sheikh Sadr-u-Din is also held in May-June and September-October for one day each in the memory of Sheikh Sadr-u-Din who founded the Malerkotla State during the time of Behlol Lodhi, People belonging to all communities attend this fair. Visitors from other districts also come to attend this fair. Offerings of he-goats are also made,
The Other places worth seeing in Malerkotla town are:

Sheesh Mahal

 It was the residence of the Nawab of Malerkotla. In this palace, glass has been used extensively hence known as sheesh Mahal.

Jama Masjid

 The Masjid is an old building of the town built during the times of princely State. It is still very well maintained.

Moonak

Situated on the bank of Ghaghar River at a distance of 45 Km south of Sunam. Moonak lies on the Jhakhal-Patiala road. It is 5 km from Jhakhal (Haryana) by road. It is sub-tehsil of the Sunam Tehsil. Prior to the formation of PEPSU, it was in the erstwhile princely state of Patiala. It was also known as  Akalgarh. In 1916, it was the headquarters of the court of appeal and continued to be so till 1946. Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala was married at Moonak.
There is an old fort 'Qila Mubarik' said to have been built in the Muslim period. In the fort, there was a well whose water was not good for health Hardened prisoners of Patiala State were sent to this place where they died after a few days. Peacocks are found here in abundance, and they move about quite freely. They are neither caught nor killed by the people.
There is a gurudwara associated with the visit of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru. A tank has also been built where people take bath.
Two high schools (one for boys and one for girls), a 30-bedded rural hospital, a veterinary dispensary, a sub-treasury, a post and telegraph office and a telephone exchange are functioning here.
Wheat, gram, oil seeds, cotton and paddy are the crops grown in the area.

Mulowal

Situated at a distance of 13 km west of Dhuri, Mulowal lies on the Dhuri-Barnala road. It falls in the Barnala Tehsil, some 15 km east of Barnala. This place is associated with the visits of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, and Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. Guru Teg Bahadur is said to have stayed here for four days and laid the foundation of Gurudwara Manji Sahib by laying four bricks and blessed that whosoever will look after this place will be bestowed with all happiness, A small pond existed on the way to village Sekha where Guru Teg Bahadur used to bath. He blessed that whosoever will have a dip in this pond on the amavas day, all his sufferings will vanish. A brick laid by the Guru has been recovered from the pond on which the following words have been engraved:—(17 January 1663)
A hukmnama said to have been of Guru Gobind Singh dated 15 Poh 1761 Sambat (December-January 1704} is also preserved here. It was found when the building of the old gurudwara was being demolished and new one was being constructed. It is written in the hukmnama, that Guru Gobind Singh will appear at this place every year here on 15 Poh (December-January).
A big fair is held on 15 Poh every year. People assemble here on amavas day every month.

Ranike

Situated at a distance of 8 km west of Dhuri, Ranike lies on the Dhuri-Barnala road. There exists an ancient Shiv Mandir in the village. It is said that Shivling appeared at this place. On the Shiv-ratri day, a large fair is held at this place. A large number of people from Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh also come here for worship and offer water to Shivling. About 50,000 people gather here on this day. It is said that childless women, if they stay for a pre-shivratri night at this place and worship Shiva, are blessed with a child.

Sangrur

Headquarters of the district and tahsil of the same name. Sangrur is situated on the Ludhiana-Jakhal railway line. By road, it is connected with Patiala (56 km) Ludhiana (52 km), Chandigarh (121 km),and Bathinda (112km). It remained capital of the erstwhile princely state of Jind till 1948, when the princely state was abolished.
The town of Sangrur is said to have been founded by one Sanghu, a jat, about 400 years ago and named after him. Formerly, a small village of mud houses, it was chosen as his capital in 1827 by Raja Sangat Singh, as it was close to Patiala and Nabha, the headquaters of the other two Phulkian States. After the fall of Sirhind in A.D. 1763 when Zain Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, a protege of Ahmed Shah Abdali, was defeated by the Sikhs, and the province of Sirhind was partitioned among the Phulkian Sardars, the town of Sangrur became a part of Nabha State. However, on the occasion of marriage of Sardar Mahan Singh Shukar-chakya, the father of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with Raj Kaur, the daughter of Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind, a quarrel arose between the two Phulkian states of Jind and Nabha when some members of the marriage party passing through Nabha territory were insulted by some high officials of Nabha. Subsequently, the town of Sangrur was snatched by Raja Gajpat of Jind from Raja Hamir Singh of Nabha.
The town was later on developed into a beautiful city. Raja Raghbir Singh constructed a bazar on the lines of Jaipur town (Rajasthan) with pucca shops, gardens, tanks, temples and other public and religious buildings; a metalled road was also constructed around the city. He also constructed gurudwaras and mandirs on all the gates.
The city has four gates-the Sunami. Patiala, Dhuri, and Nabha gates, each named after the neighbouring town located in that direction. The city is surrounded by beautiful gardens and shops. The most attractive place in the city is the Banasar Garden with marble baradari in the centre of the swimming tanks.
The baradarihas a beautiful bridge and marble gate. The rulers of Jind State used to spend their summers here. It presents a splendid view during moonlit nights due to reflections in water surrounding it. These days Banasar Garden is, open to public and in the evenings many people have a stroll there just for relaxation. There is also a mini zoo in the Banasar Garden. Adjacent to Banasar, there is another important building known as Diwankhana. Here, Raja of Jind used to hold Darbar during the princely times. At present there is a beautiful museum wherein weapons and other important articles belonging to princely times have been displayed. The splendour of Diwankhana and Baradari convinces one of the high attainments in the field of art and architecture during princely times.
There are two degree colleges, two government higher secondary schools one each for boys and girls, two private high schools one each for boys and girls, one civil hospital with 100 beds, one urban slum area dispensary, one T.B. clinic with 18 beds, one school health clinic, one district jail hospital with 12 beds, one police line hospital with 16 beds, one sainik rest house, one P.W.D. rest-house and one Zimindara rest house at Sangrur.
About 5 km from Nabha Gate, Sangrur, is situated Gurudwara Nankiana Sahib. It is said that Shri Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru and Shri Hargobind, the 6th Sikh Guru, visited this place. It is said that Shri Guru Nanak Dev wrote Aarti at this place. Further it is believed that Shri Guru Hargobind tied his horse with the karir tree plant. The karir tree/plant, now known as Karir Sahib is still there on the top of the gurudwara. A large number of people visit this place.

Sunam

Sunam is a tehsil and sub division of the Sangrar District. Situated on the Ludhiana-Hisar railway line, it is connected, by roadwith Patiala (64 km), Sangrur (19 km),Bathinda(114 km),Ludhiana (90 km), and Chandigarh (129 km).
The history of Sunam goes back to the Vedic period, when its name was Surajpur. The Saraswati River is believed to have flowed by it The modern town was built within the walls of an old fort into which its inhabitants were driven to take refuge. It is divided into two parts, one in the citadel of the fort and the other on the lowland around it. Though now of little importance, Sunam has played a significant part in the history of the Punjab after the Muhammdan invasion ; Al-Baruni mentions it as a famous place of that period. 'Sunam' in Sanskrit means auspicious name, but some say that it was named after Sona, a Gujari, who guided Muhammad of Ghor to conquer the fort of Bathinda and asked him to give Sunam as her reward. Others accepta derivation from Sunam, which in Arabic means the hump of a camel.When Qutb-ud-Din Aibak saw that the place had this shape he named it Sunam, but this etymology is untenable, as the town is said to have assumed its present shape only after Taimur's invasion (AD 1398).Sunam was held by Hindu Rajas till conquered by Muhammad of Ghor. Sultan Shams-ud-Din Altmash gave it to his page Sher Khan in Jagir. Ghais-ud-Din Balban gave it to Timar Khan, with Samana,(now in Patiala District), on the death of his cousin Sher Khan, andsubsequently conferred it on his own son Bughra Khan. Under Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, its dependent tribe revolted. Firoz Shah brought a canal through Sirhind and Mansurpur to the town in 1360, and in 1398 Taimur attacked it. It is an ancient site, and by digging 40 or 50 feet deep, statues, big bricks and bones are found. In the time of Akbar, it was a Pargana of Sirhind. During Muslim rule, Sunam was a centre I of politics like Samana and Sirhind (now in Patiala District).
Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the erstwhile Patiala State, had won this town from Muslim rulers.
Akbar's courtier Abul Fazal has recorded in his Ain-i-Akbari that Emperor Akbar often came to Sunam on hunting expeditions.
The town was famous for its seat of learning Dar-ul-Uloom where theology was taught to Muslims drawn from far and near. The important and ancient places in the town are described below:

Sita Sar

 It is ancient tank spread over 80 bighas. It is said that Sita, wife of Rama, washed her hair in this tank when she was turned out of the house by Rama. Even now the widows of the surrounding area come here and wash their hair. It is also said that at one time kumb fair of the Punjab was held here. This tank, it is said, was filled with the water of River Saraswati. The tank is, now, not in good condition. Shiv Mandirs have been built in the south west and north of the tank. A small Shitla Mata Mandir has also been built in the south of the tank in which an ancient idol of Mata has been installed.

Suraj Kund

 This building is situated in the east of the town at a distance of about 1 1/2 km. The theh of Surajpur of Sunam is also very near. At one time it was spread over a large area. At this place, a large Mandir of Sun god existed but, it is said Mahmood Ghaznvi or Taimur demolished it. It is also said that River Saraswati was flowing near the Suraj Kund.
There are, now, three small temples at this place. The Suraj Kund is now in a dilapidated condition.

Khangah Pir Bana Banoi

 It is an old building in the city and a monument of the Muslims. A mosque has been built in the building in the north-west of the grave of Pir Bana Banoi. Pir Bana Banoi whose real name is said to be Mohmood or Khawaja Mahmood was a Sayyad by caste. Before the partition of the country, a big fair used to be held here in the month of Chet (March-April) in which people from Peshawar, Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore (now in Pakistan) used to attend. Professional dancers used to dance and qawwalis were sung at the fair.
This place is revered by all sections of people of the area. It is said that Pir Bana Banoi killed the then ruler of the Surajpur Fort who was in the habit of keeping the newly wedded brides of the town for first three nights.
It is also believed that people visited by evil spirits are cured when they put their head in a hole in the west of the outer-gate of the Khangah.

Samadh Bhai Mool Chand

 This samadh is situated in the Suth-east of the town. This place is equally revered by the Hindus and Sikhs of the town. They pray for the fulfilment of their desires, which it is said, are fulfilled.
Bhai Mool Chand was a Khatri (Duggal) by caste. His father was a shopkeeper at Bathinda. He wanted his son to join the same trade but Bhai Mool Chand was least interested as from the very childhood he remained occupied in meditation. It is also said that he was born with a long grey bodi (hair knot). He was the disciple of Pandit Ganga Ram who was of saintly nature. Bhai Mool Chand also became a saint by nature. Big sardars of the area started revering him. Even Baba Ala Singh, the founder of Patiala State, held him in high esteem and made frequent visits to his place. Gurditta, a chaudhary of Sangrur also gave him due respect.
Bhai Mool Chand was well-known in the area for his spiritual attainments. Guru Teg Bahadur too recognized his intense spirituality even when the Bhai was a child.
Sunam is the birth place of the great martyr Udham Singh who shot dead Sir Michael O' Dyer on 13 March 1940 in London and took revenge from him of the 1919 Jalianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar. Later on, Udham Singh was hanged on death by British authorities on 31 July 1940 on which date every year a Shaheedi Mela is held at Sunam with great enthusiasm to pay homage to the great Indian martyr. In the memory of Shaheed Udham Singh, his statue has been installed in the town. A stadium has also been built in the memory of the martyr-There are a degree college, a government higher secondary school for girls, a government high school for boys, two private high schools, one 50 bedded hospital and a Zimindara rest house at Sunam.
There is a class II municipal committee at Sunam.

Tapa

Situated on the Ambala-Bathinda railway line, Tapa is a sub-tehsil of Barnala Tehsil. It lies 19 km south-east of Barnala and 46 km from Bathinda. By road it is 47 km from Sangrur, the district headquarters. It is also connected by road with Ludhiana (97 km) and Chandigarh (168 km).
The town is said to have been named after Tapa Rama, a disciple of Baba Sukha Nand who spent his life in meditation. Two fairs are held every year on his smadh.
A fair on chet chaudash is held for one day in the month of March-April in the momory of Baba Sukha Nand, whose math exists here. People have great faith in him and do not take false oaths when his name is invoked. People of all communities join in the celebrations of this fair.
There are two nigh schools, one each for boys and girls, a private high school for boys, one 8 bedded primary health centre and a Zimindara rest house at Tapa.
It has a class III municipality.

Thikriwala

Situated in the Barnala Tehsil, it is linked with pucca road and is 5 km from the tehsil headquarters, in the north.
To commemorate the martyrdom of Sardar Sewa Singh, a fair is held for three days in the months of January -February at this place. Sardar Sewa Singh Thikriwala formed Praja Mandal in the then Patiala State and pressed hard for the fulfilment of the political and other demands of the public before the then ruler, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. He was put behind the bars where he went on hunger strike and died. A large number of people attend this fair.
A fair is also held on the Baisakhi day every year in the memory of Baba Buta, a Sidh, and obeisance is paid at his smadh. About 8,000 people, both Sikhs and Hindus, come to attend this fair. Horse and chariot races, and weight-lifting and wrestlings are arranged on this occasion.
The village has a government high school, a 25 bedded rural hospital and a post office.