Punjab Meets Here !

KAPURTHALA
The French Connection

Named after its founder Nawab Kapur Singh, this capital town of an erstwhile princely state is situated towards the west of Jalandhar City at a distance of 19 kms.

The most striking building in the town is a fine Hindu temple called the 'Panch Mandir' built during the regin of, Sardar Fateh Singh. The principal dome in the centre is surrounded by several smaller temples dedicated to different deities. A replica of this only temple of its kind was exhibited in the pre-partition Punjab Museum at Lahore.

Kapurthala is a city with a colourful past. The capital of the erstwhile Kapurthala State, the city is the headquarter of the district by the same name and is located nine kilometres away from Jalandhar City. The Maharajas of kapurthala were renowned for their tastes and many of them were influenced by western fashions and trends. Perhaps the most colourful of them was Maharaja Jagat Singh who is believed to have been 'one of the most enlightened of the Hindu princes' in pre-independent India.

Many of Kapurthala's striking buildings owe their existence to Maharaja Jagat Singh. He was a great admirer of French architecture and has a Louis the XVI palace built for himself by a French architect. The famous French architect M. Manteaux designed the Moorish Mosque, a unique building in India because of the Moorish style of architecture. The mosque has a large compound paved with pure Indian marble and the inner dome has been decorated by artists from the Lahore School of Art Maharaja Jagatjit Singh's palace today houses the Sainik School and epitomizes the perfect blend of French architecture and oriental surroundings.

Kapurthala has many other buildings associated with its erstwhile rulers. A few miles from Kapurthala on the banks of the rivulet Bein is the Villa Buona Vista, the residence of the Maharajas of Kapurthala. This area is well suited for picnics and boating and fishing expenditions. The Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala contains the samadhis (momorials) of the former rulers, some of them embellished with exquisite filigree work.

In the heart of Kapurthala town is the Panch Madir built by Sardar Fateh Singh which houses many deities in a series of small temples built around a central dome. Thirty kilometres south of Kapurthala is the town of Sultanpur Lodhi where there is Gurudwara Ber Sahib, a renowned center of pilgrimage for Sikhs. The Gurudwara is named after the Ber tree under which Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated. There are many other Gurudwaras here as Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent many years of his early life in and around Sultanpur Lodhi.

Unique Moorish Mosque, patterned after the Qutbya Mosque in Morocco, was designed by famous French architect M. Manteaux. It has a large compound pved with the purest Indian marble. The inner dome has been decorated by the artists of the school of Art, Lahore.

The Shalimar Garden, is a lovely small garden with a swimming pool and a library having 'Samadhis' (with excellent filigree work) of the former Rulers Kapurthala State.

The Jagatjit Palace now housing the Sainik School is a remarkable building which harmonises.

Kanjli Wetland : A few miles from Kapurthala is the rivulet of Bein,which is surrounded by natural scenery. Villa Buona Vista, built on the banks of the 'Bein' is the residence of H.H. the Ex-Maharaja of Kapurthala. Nearby is the Kanjli Lake, a beautiful home of migratory birds in the winter. The place has all the infrastructure for a memorable fishing and boating holiday for the tourists.

Sultanpur Lodhi (A town 30 kms. South of Kapurthala) : Gurudwara Ber Sahib here, situated amid a constellation of other Gurudwaras is connected with Guru Nanak Devji who spent the early years of his life in and around Sultanpur Lodhi. Other historical buildings here include Mazaar Shah, Hujra Hajira and a Serai which is the oldest building in Sultanpur.

Phagwara : Phagwara was founded by Shah Jahan in 1804 AD. One of the main markets for agriculture produce, known for textile products, has many Ramgarhia educational institutions. Because of a large number of Punjabis who have gone abroad from the area, Phagwara has become a great trading centre and market for cloth and ethnic clothes.

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