Jalandhar is a well-known city in Punjab. It is a junction to the state capital of Chandigarh and Amritsar.
The district got its name after a demon king who is well mentioned in Mahabharata. His name was Jalandhar. There are various historical references about Jalandhar. Some state that Jalandhar was ruled by Lav, son of Lord Rama and was the capital of a Kingdom. Another legend describes that the meaning of the word Jalandhar is an area underwater. This forms the junction between the rivers Satluj and Beas. Another story states that Jalandhar had the name Trigartta which means three rivers namely, Ravi, Satluj, and Beas.
The history of Jalandhar is divided into three parts. The stories from the Ancient, Medieval, and the modern age.
During the Ancient times, as per General Cunningham, Jalandhar got its name from King Danava Jalandhar who was the son of Ganga by the ocean. The present area of Jalandhar and even whole Punjab was a part of the Indus valley. The historical sites of Harappa and Mohenjodaro have the remains of Indus valley civilization. The historical importance of Jalandhar during the Harappan period can be understood from the archeological exploration done during recent years. Various dug out places and excavation sites have evidence of Harappan culture being followed by East Punjab and Pakistan. Rare historical findings have been dug out from Jalandhar district. The remains of several objects and traces of human settlement have been found in Indus valley. These objects were found over a thousand miles. The two oldest cities which date back to 2300-1700 BC are the Harappa and Mohenjo Daro found through this excavation. According to a Chinese pilgrim, there were various scholarly articles on Maths and Vihars of Buddhism. The people in Jalandhar had adopted Buddhism as a religion. The latter half of the 10th century pushed Jalandhar to be a part of the Shahi kingdom in Punjab.
There were various fights by the Sikhs to conquer the lands or even the whole kingdom during the medieval period. The first Anglo Sikh war took place between 1845-1846. There wasn't any military camp or event that had taken place here before. The army of Sardar Ranjodh Singh Majithia was the first to take a march in Jalandhar.
The modern period had witnessed the setup of various military camp bases. Cantonments were set up in Jalandhar. 5 people were appointed as leaders during Baisakhi day. The railway lines were extended to Jalandhar from Beas in 1869 AD. The delegates from Jalandhar were also a part of the Indian National Congress. There was a meeting that was set up in Jalandhar to decide to erect a National University for women on 6th February in late 90s. The first college for women was established in Jalandhar in March 1921. A charkha club was also established in Jalandhar where the members were all girls and women. Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh belonged to Jalandhar wherein he was arrested for throwing a bomb at an assembly hall in April 1929.
Wonderland Theme Park
This wonderful theme park is spread over 11 acres. You can reach this beautiful destination by bus or by train. It is 6km from Jalandhar stop and 8 km from Nakor railway station. There are a variety of attractive and thrilling rides. There are bumper cars, ghost houses, flying jets, boating for kids and adults, playhouse, and water splash. Among all the water rides, the wave pool is the most popular one. There is a dance floor called the Aqua dance floor where the latest Punjabi songs are being played and the visitors dance to these beats. There are artificial clouds from where water sprinkles like rainfall. This dance floor is under a canopy. As the winters are extremely cold, the water park is closed during this weather whereas the dry park is open throughout the year. The park is open all seven days in a week between 9 am to 10 pm including Sundays and all public holidays.
The nearest railway station to reach this wonderful theme park is Jalandhar Railway station.
Jang-e-Azadi Memorial
As mentioned earlier, Punjab had witnessed several fights, be it for the war or the freedom movement. In memory of these brave freedom fighters, the Punjab government had set up a project called the Punjab Freedom Movement Memorial. The project consisted of a large complex that spread through 25 acres of land in Kartarpur. The complex is easily accessible as it is built on the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway. The State government also kept in mind that visitors who visit the Golden Temple can pass through the complex by reading the sacrifices of their countrymen. There was a foundation called the Punjab Freedom Movement Memorial established by the government to bring out initiatives for this project. The nearest railway station to the location is Kartarpur.
The Punjabi food is known for its extreme dominance in flavor as well as its richness. Butter chicken and Amritsari Macchi are to be tried here. Punjab has its own set of delicacies that are different from others. The flavors vary in each part of Punjab.
The regular menu in Jalandhar dish is the Kuti Mirch Fish Tikka and the Jalandhri Murg. This is the most authentic dish apart from Tandoori Chicken and chicken biryani. The main side dish you will find in every meal is the curd and the raita. The flavors used in Jalandhar are different from the others. People love these flavors when they are spicy and full of ghee. During the festival periods, Jalandhar experiences some of the finger-licking dishes like Seekh Kebab, Lahori boti Kebab, and Naan. There are masonry ovens called Battis in this region which are grilled. These ovens are also called chulla made from bricks or stones and in many houses made of clay.
Recently a new airport has been set up to reach Jalandhar which is 25 km from the bus stop and 23 km from the Railway station. The name of the airport is Adampur Jalandhar. There is another airport that is near Jalandhar called Sri Guru Dass Jee international airport. This airport is 75 km from Jalandhar. Chandigarh Airport is 145 km from Jalandhar. The airlines fly from Birmingham, Dubai, Singapore, and other places of international setup.
Jalandhar Railway station is connected to all major cities of Mumbai, Howrah, Calcutta, Pune, Jaipur, and Jammu. Howrah Mail, Golden Temple Mail, Paschim Express are some of the trains that have a halt in Jalandhar Railway Station. The main trains like Shatabdi express and intercity express are all linked from Amritsar-Delhi rail which will help you reach Jalandhar.
There are state-run buses from Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, UP, and even Jammu.