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Ludhiana is located on the latitude 30.55° North and longitude 75.54° East in the state of Punjab in northern India. The city stands on the Grand Trunk Road from Delhi to Amritsar.
The Punjabi spirit of enterprise and business savvy is best exemplified by the city of Ludhiana which is renowned the world over for its hosiery goods. It is no exaggeration to say that in Ludhiana every household is a mini hosiery unit and everybody seems to be involved in some way or the other in this lucrative business. From Moscow to Montreal, shopping malls retail both cotton and woollen products from Ludhiana. However, Ludhiana's claim to fame is not its commercial enterprises alone. It is an important pilgrimage center as there are many historic Gurdwaras.
The city of Ludhiana is dotted with places of tourist interest. The fort lies to the northwest of the city of Ludhiana. The main attraction of the fort is the shrine of Pir-i-Dastgir, also known as Abdul Kadir Galani. It draws both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims.
Ludhiana offers some excellent spots for daylong excursions. In the village Machhiwara about 35 km from Ludhiana, is the Gurudwara Charan Kanwal named after the Guru's feet that are compared to the lotus flower. When Aurangzeb's army attacked the fortress of Chamkaur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh successfully resisted their onslaught and slipped away into the forests of Machhiwara. The Mughal forces got wind of his whereabouts and Guru Gobind was saved by two of his Muslim devotees who disguised him as their Muslim prophet. The place where the Guru rested is where the Gurudwara stands today.
Ludhiana also boasts of many prestigious educational institutions. There are two medical colleges and the famous Punjab Agricultural University modeled on the Land Grant of America.
Ludhiana can be visited either for bulk hosiery shopping or making it a base for the Rural Olympics held in Killa Raipur nearby. One can also visit the Rural Museum at the Punjab Agricultural University. The War Memorial organizes frequent Sound and Light shows, where one can listen to stories of valour of brave, Indian and Punjabi soldiers.
History:
Ludhiana gets its name from the Lodhi Dynasty, which is believed to have founded the city in the year 1480.
During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Ludhiana became an important British cantonment. Initially, in 1805, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had occupied Ludhiana. However, in 1809, the British decided to curb his advance eastwards and sent troops to confront him. Ranjit Singh was forced to sign the treaty of 'perpetual friendship' with the British, which confined his activities to the right bank of the Sutlej. British troops were permanently stationed in Ludhiana and the Cis-Sutlej states came under British protection.
Many leaders of the Indian freedom movement came from Ludhiana. Prominent among them were Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Kartar Singh Saraba, Baba Santa Singh and Maulana Habibur Rehman.
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