Ludhiana

Introduction

Metropolis in Punjab, India This article is about the municipality in Punjab, India. For its namesake district, see Ludhiana district. This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: References and inline citations. Please help improve this article if you can. (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Metropolis in Punjab, IndiaLudhiana Ludhiāṇā (Punjabi)MetropolisGuru Nanak StadiumPunjabi BhawanAlamgirCanal RoadRailway StationGurudwara Dukhniwaran SahibGNDECSerai Lashkari KhanLudhianaInteractive map of LudhianaShow map of PunjabLudhianaLudhiana (India)Show map of IndiaCoordinates: 30°54′32″N 75°51′06″E / 30.9090°N 75.8516°E / 30.9090; 75.8516Country IndiaState PunjabDistrictLudhianaTehsilLudhiana West Ludhiana EastFounded byChief Yusaf Khan and Nihand Khan, under Sikandar Lodhi's reign.Named afterLodhi DynastyGovernment • TypeMayor–Council • BodyLudhiana Municipal Corporation • Deputy CommissionerHimanshu Jain I.A.S • MayorInderjit Kaur (AAP)Area • Metropolis310 km2 (120 sq mi) • Metro1,182.58 km2 (456.60 sq mi) • Rank1st in PunjabElevation247 m (810 ft)Population (2011) • Metropolis1,618,879 • Rank22nd in India, 1st in Punjab • Density5,200/km2 (14,000/sq mi)DemonymLudhianviTime zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)PINMultiple 141001-141016Telephone code0161Vehicle registrationPB-10, PB-91HDI (2018) 0.794 (High)Websitewww.ludhiana.nic.in Ludhiana (Panjabi: Ludhiāṇā, pronounced [lʊ́d̪͜tɪ̀ɪˈäːɳäː]) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 as of the[update] 2011 census and distributed over 310 km2 (120 sq mi), making Ludhiana the most densely populated urban centre in the state. It is a major industrial center of Northern India, referred to as "India's Manchester" by the BBC. It is also known as the commercial capital of Punjab. It stands on the old bank of Sutlej River, that is now 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the south of its present course. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has placed Ludhiana on the 48th position among the top 100 smart cities, and the city has been ranked as one of the easiest cities in India for business according to the World Bank.

History

[edit] This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (September 2024) During the period of Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, a fort was built at modern day Ludhiana. It was captured by Raja Jasrat during his 1421–22 campaign in Punjab. Later, Ludhiana was founded in 1480 by members of the ruling Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The ruling sultan, Sikandar Lodi, dispatched two ruling chiefs, Yusuf Khan and Nihad Khan, to re-assert Lodi control. The two men camped at the site of present Ludhiana, which was then a village called Mir Hota. Yusuf Khan crossed the Sutlej and established Sultanpur, while Nihad Khan founded Ludhiana on the site of Mir Hota. The name was originally Lodi-ana", meaning "Lodi town", which has since shifted from "Lodiana" to the present form of Ludhiana. The Lodi Fort, or "Purana Qila", is the only surviving structure in the city from this period; located in the neighbourhood of Fatehgarh, it was well-maintained under Ranjit Singh and the British after him, but then fell into disrepair. It was declared a state-protected monument in December 2013. The Semi Centennial Celebration of the American Presbyterian Lodiana Mission was held in Ludhiana from 3–7 December 1884. Ludhiana's Old City includes landmarks like the Lodhi Fort, Daresi Grounds, The Clock Tower, & Sood Family Haveli.[citation needed]

Geography

[edit] Ludhiana is located at 30°54′N 75°51′E / 30.9°N 75.85°E / 30.9; 75.85. It has an average elevation of 244 metres (801 ft). Ludhiana City, to its residents, consists of the Old City and the New City. The new city primarily consists of the Civil Lines area which was historically known as the residential and official quarters of the colonial British encampment. The Old Fort was at the banks of the Sutlej (and now houses the College of Textile Engineering). Legend has it that a tunnel connects it to the fort in Phillaur– although why this should be is debatable[citation needed], as the Sutlej was the traditional dividing line between the principalities, often occupied by enemy forces (see History section). The tree of largest natural extraction was the kikar, or Acacia Indica, but has been supplanted by the eucalyptus, transplanted from rural Australia in the late 1950s by the Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon.[citation needed] Climate[edit] Ludhiana Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     28     18 6     36     22 9     27     27 13     18     35 18     21     39 24     87     38 26     217     34 27     187     33 26     138     33 24     19     32 17     3.9     27 11     8.6     21 7 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: IMD Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND     1.1     64 43     1.4     71 48     1.1     81 55     0.7     95 65     0.8     102 74     3.4     100 79     8.5     93 80     7.4     92 79     5.4     92 74     0.7     89 63     0.2     81 52     0.3     70 44 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Ludhiana features a relatively dry monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa) under the Köppen climate classification, although bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), with three defined seasons; summer, monsoon and winter. Ludhiana on an average sees roughly 809.3 millimetres (31.86 in) of precipitation annually. The official weather station for the city is in the compound of the Civil Surgeon's Office to the west of Ludhiana. Weather records here date back to 1 August 1868. Ludhiana has one of the worst air pollution problems in India since 2011, with particulate matter being over six times the World Health Organization recommended standard, making it the 13th most polluted city in the world. Industrial water pollution is also of significant concern in portions of Ludhiana, notably along the Budha Dariya. vteClimate data for Ludhiana Airport (1991–2020, extremes 1868–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 29.2(84.6) 33.3(91.9) 41.1(106.0) 46.1(115.0) 48.3(118.9) 47.9(118.2) 47.8(118.0) 44.4(111.9) 41.7(107.1) 40.0(104.0) 35.8(96.4) 29.4(84.9) 48.3(118.9) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.9(64.2) 21.8(71.2) 27.3(81.1) 34.8(94.6) 39.0(102.2) 38.0(100.4) 34.1(93.4) 33.4(92.1) 33.1(91.6) 31.9(89.4) 27.1(80.8) 20.9(69.6) 29.9(85.8) Daily mean °C (°F) 12.0(53.6) 15.3(59.5) 20.2(68.4) 26.5(79.7) 31.3(88.3) 32.1(89.8) 30.4(86.7) 29.7(85.5) 28.3(82.9) 24.6(76.3) 19.2(66.6) 13.9(57.0) 23.6(74.5) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.1(43.0) 8.7(47.7) 13.0(55.4) 18.2(64.8) 23.5(74.3) 26.1(79.0) 26.6(79.9) 25.9(78.6) 23.5(74.3) 17.3(63.1) 11.2(52.2) 6.8(44.2) 17.2(63.0) Record low °C (°F) −2.2(28.0) −1.1(30.0) 1.4(34.5) 7.1(44.8) 11.7(53.1) 18.0(64.4) 17.4(63.3) 18.0(64.4) 15.2(59.4) 8.4(47.1) 0.3(32.5) −1.1(30.0) −2.2(28.0) Average rainfall mm (inches) 28.0(1.10) 36.2(1.43) 27.0(1.06) 17.5(0.69) 21.2(0.83) 87.4(3.44) 217.1(8.55) 187.2(7.37) 138.4(5.45) 18.8(0.74) 3.9(0.15) 8.6(0.34) 791.1(31.15) Average rainy days 2.1 2.9 2.1 1.7 1.7 4.9 8.6 8.7 5.5 1.0 0.4 0.9 40.6 Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) 66 58 48 27 26 42 67 73 65 50 50 62 53 Average dew point °C (°F) 8(46) 12(54) 15(59) 16(61) 19(66) 23(73) 26(79) 26(79) 24(75) 19(66) 13(55) 10(50) 18(64) Average ultraviolet index 4 5 7 8 9 9 8 7 7 6 5 4 7 Source 1: India Meteorological DepartmentTime and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015) Source 2: Weather Atlas Climate data for Ludhiana (Punjab Agricultural University) 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1966–2011 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 29.2(84.6) 30.0(86.0) 37.0(98.6) 44.0(111.2) 46.6(115.9) 46.0(114.8) 43.6(110.5) 40.0(104.0) 38.2(100.8) 37.6(99.7) 35.4(95.7) 27.2(81.0) 46.6(115.9) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 18.1(64.6) 21.1(70.0) 26.6(79.9) 34.5(94.1) 38.4(101.1) 38.2(100.8) 34.4(93.9) 33.5(92.3) 33.5(92.3) 31.9(89.4) 26.8(80.2) 21.0(69.8) 29.8(85.6) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.7(42.3) 7.8(46.0) 12.4(54.3) 17.4(63.3) 22.8(73.0) 25.9(78.6) 26.3(79.3) 25.8(78.4) 23.2(73.8) 16.7(62.1) 10.9(51.6) 6.7(44.1) 16.8(62.2) Record low °C (°F) −1.6(29.1) 0.0(32.0) 2.1(35.8) 9.0(48.2) 12.0(53.6) 18.0(64.4) 20.5(68.9) 20.6(69.1) 14.5(58.1) 8.4(47.1) 4.3(39.7) 0.2(32.4) −1.6(29.1) Average rainfall mm (inches) 28.0(1.10) 30.4(1.20) 24.2(0.95) 21.9(0.86) 26.5(1.04) 68.6(2.70) 221.4(8.72) 195.3(7.69) 101.6(4.00) 12.9(0.51) 6.9(0.27) 14.1(0.56) 751.7(29.59) Average rainy days 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.3 4.2 8.4 8.0 4.3 0.9 0.5 1.1 39.0 Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) 67 62 52 30 28 42 66 72 63 49 51 62 54 Source: India Meteorological Department Ludhiana has been ranked 31st best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.

Demographics

[edit] See also: List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh Historical populationYearPop.±% 1901 48,649—     1911 44,170−9.2% 1921 51,880+17.5% 1931 68,586+32.2% 1941 111,639+62.8% 1951 153,795+37.8% 1961 244,032+58.7% 1971 401,176+64.4% 1981 607,052+51.3% 1991 1,042,740+71.8% 2001 1,398,467+34.1% 2011 1,618,879+15.8%Source: As per the 2011 census, Ludhiana had a population of 1,618,879. The literacy rate was 86.50 per cent, and the population consisted of 950,123 males and 743,530 females. Religion[edit] Religion in Ludhiana City (2011) Religion Percent Hinduism   65.96% Sikhism   28.75% Islam   2.81% Jainism   1.05% Christianity   0.68% Other or not stated   0.75% With around 66% adherents according to 2011 Indian Census, Hinduism is the predominant religion of Ludhiana, followed by Sikhism with 29% of the population. Islam is followed by 2.8% and Christianity by less than 1%. Prior to India's partition, Ludhiana had a population of 111,639 with Muslims being the majority with 62.9%.: 32  The Hindus were 31.1% and Sikhs 4.7%.: 32  It changed post-partition with a drastic reduction in Muslim percentage and simultaneous increase in Hindu and Sikh population, owing to migration of people between West and East Punjab. Religious groups in Ludhiana City (1868–2011) Religiousgroup 1868 1881: 520  1891: 68  1901: 44  1911: 20  1921: 23  1931: 26  1941: 32  2011 Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Islam 27,860 69.68% 29,045 65.77% 30,257 65.3% 31,472 64.69% 27,197 61.57% 30,921 59.6% 42,981 62.67% 70,182 62.87% 45,473 2.81% Hinduism 10,208 25.53% 12,969 29.37% 13,871 29.94% 15,249 31.34% 14,079 31.87% 17,092 32.95% 20,758 30.27% 34,704 31.09% 1,067,744 65.96% Christianity 79 0.2% —N/a —N/a 328 0.71% 368 0.76% 552 1.25% 631 1.22% 1,049 1.53% 596 0.53% 11,044 0.68% Sikhism 45 0.11% 1,077 2.44% 1,065 2.3% 756 1.55% 1,684 3.81% 2,550 4.92% 3,445 5.02% 5,273 4.72% 465,393 28.75% Buddhism 0 0% —N/a —N/a 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 4 0.01% —N/a —N/a 1,700 0.11% Jainism —N/a —N/a 752 1.7% 813 1.75% 804 1.65% 658 1.49% 667 1.29% 344 0.5% 605 0.54% 16,941 1.05% Zoroastrianism —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 19 0.04% 5 0.01% —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a Others 1,791 4.48% 320 0.72% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 279 0.25% 10,584 0.65% Total population 39,983 100% 44,163 100% 46,334 100% 48,649 100% 44,170 100% 51,880 100% 68,586 100% 111,639 100% 1,618,879 100% Language[edit] Languages spoken across Ludhiana city (2011) Punjabi (67.0%) Hindi (29.2%) Bhojpuri (1.35%) Others (2.41%) At the time of the 2011 census, 67.00% of the population spoke Punjabi, 29.24% Hindi and 1.35% Bhojpuri as their first language.

Administration

[edit] Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is the urban local civic body in the city. Municipal finance[edit] According to financial data published on the CityFinance Portal of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation reported total revenue receipts of ₹666 crore (US$80 million) and total expenditure of ₹736 crore (US$88 million) in 2022–23. Tax revenue accounted for about 21.3% of the total revenue, while the corporation received ₹354 crore in grants during the financial year.

Politics

[edit] The city is part of the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency. The assembly constituencies in the city are: Constituencynumber Constituencyname Reserved for(SC/None) Electors(2017) 60 Ludhiana East None 182,228 61 Ludhiana South None 149,582 62 Atam Nagar None 157,578 63 Ludhiana Central None 147,646 64 Ludhiana West None 176,915 65 Ludhiana North None 181,931 Amarinder Singh Raja Warring of the Indian National Congress has represented the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency since June 2024, having won the 2024 general election by a margin of 20,942 votes."

Economy

[edit] Main article: Economy of Ludhiana The World Bank ranked Ludhiana as the city in India with the best business environment in 2009 and 2013. The riches are brought mostly by small-scale industrial units, which produce industrial goods, machine parts, auto parts, household appliances, hosiery, apparel, and garments. Ludhiana is Asia's largest hub for bicycle manufacturing and produces more than 50% of India's bicycle production each year. Ludhiana produces 60% of India's tractor parts and a large portion of auto and two-wheeler parts. Many parts used in German cars such as Mercedes and BMW are exclusively produced in Ludhiana to satisfy the world requirement. It is one of the largest manufacturer of domestic sewing machines. Hand tools and industrial equipment are other specialties. The apparel industry of Ludhiana, popularly known as Ludhiana hosiery industry provides employment to numerous people and produces India's largest share of winter clothing. It is especially known for its woollen sweaters and cotton T-shirts with the majority of India's woollen clothing brands being based here. Ludhiana is also famous for its industry of shawls and stoles and satisfies the demand of major domestic and international brands. As a result of its dominance in the textile industry it is often dubbed as the Manchester of India. Ludhiana is now sourcing production to major corporate brands all over India. Cloths manufactured here sell in big brand showrooms. Ludhiana also has a growing IT sector with multiple software services and product companies having development centers in the city. In April 2021, BizMerlinHR, a HR management software firm with development center in Ludhiana was awarded Cool Vendor in HCM for 2021 by industry analyst Gartner. Ludhiana was home to the Ludhiana Stock Exchange Association. LSE was situated on NH95 (Chandigarh-Ferozepur Highway) in Feroze Gandhi market near Mini Secretariat Ludhiana. The association is now defunct.

Attractions

[edit] Guru Nanak Stadium Sports[edit] Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana hosts a number of sporting events including athletics, football, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, handball, kabaddi, table tennis, volleyball, as well as other indoor games. Kabaddi Kabaddi world cup finals have been played twice in Guru Nanak Stadium Ludhiana. The stadium often hosts high-profile Kabaddi matches. Football Various competitions like finals of National Games Football Matches (2001) and I-League matches of clubs like Minerva Punjab FC (now RoundGlass Punjab Football Club) have been played in Guru Nanak Stadium. Kila Raipur Sports Festival[edit] Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as Rural Olympics Games, is held annually in Kila Raipur, near Ludhiana. Competitions are held for rural sports, including gatka, bullock cart races, trolley races, kabaddi, loading unloading trucks and acrobatics. Skating[edit] A skating rink is situated in Leisure Valley, Sarabha Nagar. Places of interest[edit] Alamgir Doraha Jagraon Katana Sahib Khanna Kila Raipur Machhiwara Mullanpur Dakha Nanaksar Payal Serai Lashkari Khan Sidhwanbet Rose Garden Rakh Bagh Sudhar Sri Bhaini Sahib Guru Ji Aashram, Dugri Alamgir Nanaksar Kaleran Pre independence architecture Khanna Serai Lashkari Khan Ludhiana Zoo

Transportation

[edit] Ludhiana is well connected by road and rail as Ludhiana railway station is on the main Delhi-Amritsar route, and is an important railway junction with lines going to Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Dhuri, and Delhi. The city is very well connected with daily or weekly trains to most places in India including the major cities of Jammu, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Kanpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chandigarh, Ambala, Panipat, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Ayodhya, Nanded, Patna, and Kolkata. For administrative reasons the station is under Ferozepur Railway Division. The railway line between Ludhiana and Chandigarh opened in 2013. The government has even passed a dedicated freight track between Ludhiana and Kolkata. [citation needed] A DMU Train in Ludhiana Road[edit] NH 5 passing through South City and Canal road Ludhiana is connected with other cities of Punjab and also with other states by bus service. Major national highways NH 44, NH 5 (old NH1, NH95 respectively) and state highway SH 11 connect to the city. The transportation services are provided by the state owned Punjab Roadways and private bus operators. Airport[edit] Ludhiana is served by two airports, with operations now centred on newer infrastructure. The older Ludhiana Airport, located about 5 km from the city, is a small domestic airport with limited capacity and historically irregular commercial flight operations. To address growing demand, the Halwara International Airport is being developed around 30–40 km from Ludhiana. Inaugurated in February 2026, it is a modern airport capable of handling larger aircraft and is expected to significantly improve regional and national connectivity, with scheduled commercial flights to Delhi commencing from 15 May 2026.. Chandigarh Airport is the nearest international airport to Ludhiana. Other nearby airports are Adampur Airport in Jalandhar and Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar. Railway[edit] Ludhiana Junction railway station Ludhiana has strong rail connectivity and is an important junction on the Delhi–Amritsar main line of Indian Railways. The city is primarily served by Ludhiana Junction railway station, one of the busiest railway stations in Punjab, with direct train services to major cities such as Delhi, Amritsar, Mumbai and Kolkata. Other railway stations within Ludhiana district include Khanna railway station, Doraha railway station, Sahnewal railway station and Phillaur Junction railway station, along with smaller stations such as Dhandari Kalan railway station and Kila Raipur railway station which collectively support both passenger and freight movement across the district. City transportation[edit] City bus service has been cancelled. Moving around inside the city is done mostly by auto-rickshaws, and cycle rickshaws, while latest Ludhiana BRTS was planned to be constructed but due to lack of funds allotted and weak planning and management the project too has been scrapped by the government thus worsening the traffic problems in the industrial city. Auto rickshaw[edit] An Air View of Ludhiana The Auto rickshaw is a three-wheel drive vehicle, which is one way to travel in the city. They have the capacity to hold three to six passengers. It can be hired individually or on a sharing basis. The auto rickshaws are easily available at every major place, including the interstate bus terminal and the railway station at a nominal fare which varies from ₨ 10 to ₨ 30.[citation needed] Jugnoo, an on demand auto rickshaw application launched its operations in February 2015 to provide low cost, reliable, 24×7 service to the citizens of Ludhiana. Rickshaw[edit] Cycle rickshaws are widely used in Ludhiana. The rickshaw or tricycle is pulled by a person and is a relatively cheap way of travelling in the city, but has become pricey after the autos have been scrapped. Taxi[edit] Radio taxis are also easily available. This is the most used means of transport by the people of Ludhiana. Ola Cabs launched in the city on 7 October 2014. Uber is also very popular in the city. Zoomcar provides cars for self-drive car rental in the city.

Education

[edit] Schools[edit] Ludhiana has 363 senior secondary, 367 high, 324 middle, 1129 primary, and pre-primary recognised Schools, with a total of 398,770 students. Most of these schools are either run by the ICSE Central Board of Secondary Education, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or by Punjab School Education Board.[citation needed] Prominent schools in Ludhiana include Delhi Public School, Sacred Heart Convent School, Sat Paul Mittal, R.S. Model Senior Secondary School and Kundan Vidya Mandir.[citation needed] Agriculture[edit] Ludhiana is home to the largest agricultural university in Asia[citation needed] and one of the largest in the world, Punjab Agricultural University. The College of Veterinary Sciences at PAU was recently upgraded to the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). GADVASU was established at Ludhiana by an act of the Punjab Legislature No. 16 of 2005 notified in the Punjab Government Gazette on 9 August 2005 and it started functioning 21 April 2006 for promoting livestock production, health and prevention of disease through integrated teaching, research and extension programmes. Medical[edit] Hospital building of Christian Medical College Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, the first medical school for women in Asia, was founded by Dame Edith Mary Brown in 1894. Christian Medical College is a major and reputed tertiary care hospital in India, also the location of the world's first face transplant. Dayanand Medical College and Hospital is another tertiary care teaching hospital in Ludhiana. Both these institutions are recognised by the Medical Council of India. The college is affiliated to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Punjab. Engineering[edit] Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College is an institution offering facilities and education for engineering students. It has a research and development center for bicycles and sewing machines. Ludhiana College of Engineering and Technology is an institute for Engineering and Management studies.