Kapurthala

Kapurthala is one of the smallest districts of Punjab state. It derives its name from the town of Kapurthala, which was the capital of the formerly princely state of the same name. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city, with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic architecture, narrate the princely past of the State. The administrative headquarters of the district is formed by Kapurthala city.

Kapoorthala is situated in Jalandhar Daob and comprises of two non-contiguous parts, separated by some 32 km. Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath Tehsils form one part and Phagwara Tehsil, the second separated portion. The former area lies between North latitude 31 degree 07 minutes and 31 Degrees 22 minutes, and East longitude 75 degrees 36 minutes. Phagwara tehsil falls between North latitude 31 degrees 22 minutes and East longitude 75 degrees 40 minutes and 75 degrees 55 minutes.

Kapurthala district covers a total area of 1633 sq km. The river Beas separates it from the adjacent district of Gurdaspur in the north and from Amritsar in the west. In the north, Kapurthala abuts partially on the district of Hoshiarpur. It is separated from Firozpur district in the south by the river Sutlej and on the eastern side; it is bounded by Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar districts. Paddy, wheat and sugarcane form the principal crops of the area. The common plantation includes kikar, shisham, poplar, eucalyptus, lah, jhau, plichi, ajal, karali and bhalu.

The history of Kapoorthala goes back to the 11th Century. It was founded in the time of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, by Rana Kapur, a scion of the ruling house of Jaisalmer (Rajasthan). The present royal family of Kapurthala has descended from Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, a contemporary of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah. The family derives its title of Ahluwalia from village Ahlu, near Lahore (Pakistan,) founded by S.Sadhu Sigh, an enterprising son of this family. Nawab Jassa Singh took a leading role in the Sikh struggle against the Mughal Governor in Punjab.

Kapurthala stands as an apt example of true secularism, with every community finding a representation in the district. Kapurthala town used to be called the "Paris of Punjab”, owing to its planned streets and drains and remarkable sanitation. The district abounds in a number of tourist spots, visited by the tourists in most part of the year. The main attractions include Sainik School, Elysee Palace, Moorish Mosque, Jagatjit Club, Shalimar Gardens, Panch Mandir, State Gurdwara, Gurdwara Ber Sahib, Pushpa Gujral Science City, The War Memorial, and Mausoleum of Peer Yau-udin Sahib.

How to Reach Kapurthala
Kapurthala is one of the important cities of Punjab and owing to this very reason, it boasts of a well developed rail and road network. Though it has no airport of its own, yet it is easily accessible from Amritsar airport, which is located at a close proximity from Kapurthala.

Tourist Attractions
The city of Kapurthala abounds in several historic monuments, which attracts tourists across the globe. Let is explore these tourist places in detail.

Kapurthala Weather
The weather of Kapurthala is characterized by general dryness, except for a short period of the south-west monsoon season. Let us explore more information on the weather and climate of Kapurthala.