Nurmahal

For palace in Bhawalpur, see Noor Mahal.

NurMahal
—  city  —
NurMahal Location of NurMahal in Punjab and India
Coordinates	31°05′47″N 75°35′48″E / 31.0964°N 75.5967°E / 31.0964; 75.5967Coordinates: 31°05′47″N 75°35′48″E / 31.0964°N 75.5967°E / 31.0964; 75.5967
Country	India
State	Punjab
District(s)	Jalandhar
Population	12,630 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 224 metres (735 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 144039 • Telephone • +01826

NurMahal or Noor Mahal (In Punjabi- ਨੂਰਮਹਿਲ) (In Hindi- नूरमहल )(31 06’N 75 36’ E) is a city and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian State of Punjab. It is a small town located near the Lohian Khas-Nakodar -Ludhiana line in Punjab. This town is also connected with its sister towns of Phillaur and Nakodar by a road which goes side by side with the railway lines. Nurmahal is situated 13 km from Nakodar, 33 km from Jalandhar.

History

Nurmahal was built on a place where an ancient town, called Kot Kahlur, was located which was proven by the bricks and many coins found beneath the soil of this town. It is believed that the ancient city was abandoned or destroyed around 1300 for an unknown reason. Maharaja Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Took This City Under His Control.

Nurmahal is named after Noor Jahan, the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627) as she was brought up here, and is thought to have spent her childhood here. The town then came under the rule of Talwan Rajputs and Ahluwalia Sikhs before the East India Company gained control.

Serai Nurmahal

The Nurmahal Sarai

Main article: Serai Nurmahal

Major point of tourist interest in Nurmahal is the Mughal Serai constructed by Noor Jahan. It is a striking example of oriental architecture. This historical monument is looked after by the Archaeological Department. The whole structure of the sarai is in the form of quadrangle consisting of 140 cells, spread over the four sides of the structure.

The best way to reach Serai Nurmahal is to go to Nakodar Junction, which is the nearest railway station. The junction is served by the Northern Railways. Nurmahal has its own railway station and a huge grain market.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] NurMahal had a population of 12,630. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Noor Mahal has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 68%. In Noor Mahal, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. It is also heard that the serai Noor Mahal was actually built by the Maratha brothers who decided not to go back to pune after the defeat of Marathas in 1745 AD by Ahmed shah Abdali. Also some decendant from the same family moved to Vill Kahnuwan in Dt Gurdaspur, Punjab.

References

1. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.