Mukerian

Mukerian
City
Nickname:  The City of Gardens
Mukerian Location in Punjab, India
Coordinates: 31°57′N 75°37′E / 31.95°N 75.62°E / 31.95; 75.62
Country	India
State	Punjab
District	Hoshiarpur
Government
• Type	Democratic
Area
• Total	25 km2 (9.7 sq mi)
Elevation	257 m (843 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	129,841
• Density	5,200/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	144211
Telephone code	+01883
Vehicle registration	PB54

Mukerian is a city and Municipal council of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, India. Mukerian is located on National Highway 44 and state highway 15 about 450 kilometres (280 mi) north of New Delhi. It is a district headquarters situated on Jalandhar-jammu railway line and is connected by road with Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Talwara, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. National Highway-44 also passes through here.

Geography

Mukerian is located at 31°57′N 75°37′E / 31.95°N 75.62°E / 31.95; 75.62.^[2] It has an average elevation of 245 metres (804 ft).

History

Mukerian marks the easternmost border of Alexander the Great's conquests in 326 BCE, at the banks of the Beas River. It was one of the area which created problems during the Greek campaigns in India. His troops mutinied here in 326 BCE, refusing to go any further; from this mutiny came the name "Mukria" (to "refuse" or "protest"). The soldiers and colonists under Alexander's command had been away from Macedon for eight years. Alexander shut himself in his tent for three days, but when his men did not change their desires, and Alexander gave in, raising twelve colossal altars to mark the limit and glory of his expedition.

Another history about the name of city is the local tradition goes that Chaudhry Dara Khan of the Awan caste in 1216 A. D. founded Mukerian. Another tradition relates that the city was named after one Mukeria Kalal, and with the passage of time it was corrupted to Mukerian. It's also mentioned that Jarral Rajputs defeated the Awans in the 17th Century and built 14 Villages. Raja Veer Singhs Samadhi (also known as Baba Shaheed) in Jandwal, Mukerian.

The city was enlarged and improved about 1768 by Sardar Jai Singh Kanhaya, who held possession of it. His daughter-in-law was Mai Sada Kaur, whose daughter, Mehtab Kaur, was married to maharaja Ranjit Singh. This union gave Ranjit Singh the co-operation of the Kanhaya enabled him to consolidate his power. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is said to have acquired the neighbouring fort of Atalgarh in 1819, now in ruins. A gurdwara has been erected on the ruins of the fort. In between the gurdwara and railway line, there is a baradari, which is in dilapidated condition. Maharani Mehtab Kaur gave birth to Ranjit Singh's son, Sher Singh here, who afterwards became Maharaja.

Education

Transport

The city has a railway station^[3] and various road links. It is located on National Highway 44, which connects Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of India, and state highways connect it with the city of Hoshiarpur as well as Talwara and Hajipur. Other connecting roads link Mukerian with Amritsar, Daulatpur, and Kapurthala.

Demographics

The table below shows the population of different religious groups in Mukerian city, as of 2011 census.

References