History
Kapurthala (Punjabi: ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ, Hindi: कपूरथला) is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the Capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely State in British India. It is one of the smallest districts of Punjab in terms of both area and population, with 815,168 people by the 2011 census. The district is divided into two noncontiguous parts, the main Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi portion and the Phagwara tehsil or block. It was a secular state having prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic architecture of self-narrate princely past. It is famous as city of Palaces & Gardens. Presently, its famous places are Pushpa Gujral Science City, Sainik School, Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University and Rail Coach Factory.
The first Sikh Guru Shree Guru Nanak Dev Ji resided at Sultanpur Lodhi, a Sub-Division of this District, around 14 years of his life and attained enlightenment whilst bathing in a small rivulet, the Bein. The place derives its name from a Ber tree (Zizyphus Jujuba) said to be planted by Guru Nanak Ji Himself and under which he first uttered the Mool Mantra or the “Sacred Word or Revelation” of Sikhism, so it is connected with Sikh history.
Presently, it would not be out of place to mention a district of heavy industry like Rail Coach Factory, JCT Mills Phagwara, SSK Industries (manufactures of electrical wiring and accessories), Oswal Agro (Sugar) Mills, Jagatjit Industries Limited (one of the largest breweries of alcoholic beverages), Rehman Automobile & Works, Agro based industries (Rice & Flour Mills) and a number of units of dairy products.
The Kapurthala Sessions Division was created on 01.11.1966. The first District & Sessions Judge was Sh.Kartar Singh, who joined this Sessions Division on 01.11.1966, initially, just three courts were established. The Courts as well as District Administration housed in the Darbar Hall (Diwan-E-Khaas) by the then Maharajah of Kapurthala, which was constructed in the year 1908. The Courts functioned in that Darbar Hall (Diwan-E-Khaas) till 20.02.2015.
By the construction of New Judicial Court Complex Kapurthala in the area of 12 acres land and having covered area 2,53,800 sq.ft. (six storeyed building) and having around 20 Court rooms in the outskirts of city Kapurthala at Village Nurpur Dona, all the Courts of Kapurthala shifted in that new Courts Complex on 21.02.2015. Sufficient chambers are also provided to the Advocates in this complex.
The elevated Sessions Judges to the Bench of Hon’ble High Court from Kapurthala Sessions Division are Sh.Nanak Chand Khichi, Sh.Nirmal Singh and Sh.Gurmit Ram Banyal.
Sub-Divisions of Kapurthala Sessions Division are Phagwara, Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath.
Phagwara is the City and it recently became Municipal Corporation in Kapurthala District in the Central Part of Punjab, located in the Doaba Region. The City is internationally recognized because a large NRIs population belongs to this City. The Phagwara has population of 97,864 people. JCT Mills is one of the oldest cloth manufacturing Mill at Phagwara. Lovely Professional University is the great pearl for Phagwara in the Education context, which is famous worldwide. Gurudwara Shri Sukhchaina Sahib and Hanuman Gahri temple are the historical monuments at Phagwara. The building of present Judicial Court Complex, Phagwara was inaugurated on 10th June 1983.
Sultanpur Lodhi is a Sub-Division (From 1969) and Tehsil of District Kapurthala of Punjab. It is a small town, connected by the Road & Rail. This City houses a Civil & Criminal Judicial Court Complex which was established in 1988 prior to this the court premises was at the Quila Sarai of the city, Sh. Shamsher Singh was the very first Sub Judge of the Tehsil in 1969.
Bholath is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Kapurthala District in the State of Punjab, India. Bholath was town of Raja Bharat. Bholath is a fast developing town. It is mainly recognize as NRI Area. Many of persons from this surrounding area go abroad for good earning. Total geographical area of Bholath Nagar Panchayat is 10 sq. Km. The Court Complex at Sub-Divsion Bholath has been inaugurated on 16th March, 2019 by the Hon’ble Mr.Justice Kuldeep Singh, Judge, Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.
Monuments, Buildings and Places of Tourist Attraction
Sainik School (Jagatjit Palace)
The much renowned Sainik School, formerly known as Jagatjit Palace, is housed in what was formerly the palace of the erstwhile Maharajah of Kapurthala state, HRH Maharajah Jagatjit Singh. The palace building has a spectacular architecture based on the Palace of Versailles and Fontainebleau spread over a total area of 200 acres. It was designed by a French architect M. Marcel. Its magnificent Durbar Hall (Diwan-E-Khas) is one of the finest in India and the Plaster of Paris figures and painted ceilings represent the finest features of French art and archiecture. The construction of this palace was commenced in 1900 and completed in 1908.
Elysee Palace
The Elysee Palace was built by Kanwar Bikrama Singh in 1862. This magnificent building with its imposing and elegant facade has now been converted into MGN School of Kapurthala.
Moorish Mosque
A spectacular example of the secular history of Kapurthala is the Moorish Mosque, a famous replica of the Grand Mosque of Marakesh, Morocco, was built by a French architect, Monsieur M Manteaux. Its construction was commissioned by the last ruler of Kapurthala, Maharajah Jagatjit Singh and took 13 years to complete between 1917 and 1930. It was then consecrated in the presence of the late Nawab of Bhawalpur. The Mosque’s inner dome contains decorations by the artists of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. The Mosque is a National Monument under the Archeological Survey of India. It was one of the monumental creations in the State during the premiership of late Diwan Sir Abdul Hamid Kt., CIE, OBE. It was his keen interest with Maharaja’s blessings that the mosque was completed. Its wooden model lay at the entrance of the Lahore Museum.
Gurudwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi
The famous Gurdwara Ber Sahib is situated at Sultanpur Lodhi, which is one of the four sub-divisions (Tehsil) of Kapurthala. This historic site is of great importance to Sikhism as it is said to be the very place where the First Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak, spent 14 years of his life and attained enlightenment whilst bathing in a small rivulet, the Bein. The place derives its name from a Ber tree (Zizyphus Jujuba) said to be planted by Guru Nanak himself and under which he first uttered the Mool Mantra or the “Sacred Word or Revelation” of Sikhism.
Pushpa Gujral Science City
In 2005, the Governor of Punjab, Lt. Gen (retd) S.F Rodrigues, inaugurated the Pushpa Gujral Science City or simply known as the Science City. A joint venture between the state government and the Government of India,located on Jalandhar-Kapurthala, Highway. This project has been designed as an institution of excellence, for meeting both educational and recreational purposes. Despite being a recent development, it is now fast promoting itself as a tourist attraction, providing facilities for an informal science education through a more recreational aspect. Some of the attractions range from purely recreational adventure sports such as rock-climbing, aero-ballooning, boating to demonstrating learning in the field of nano-technology, micro-machines, levitation and genomics etc. Pushpa Gujral Science City is also coming up as Entertainment Capital having 23 meter diameter Dome Theatre showing Large Format Films (IMax) on 10 times larger screen than ordinary cinema hall screens. Other world class attractions are Flight Simulator, 3D Cinema, LASER Show, Earthquake Simulator and more than 200 interactive exhibits on Physics, Mechanical, Optics, Health, Space, Aviation, Fun Science etc.