Samana ( pa, ਸਮਾਣਾ) is a town and a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

Patiala district Patiala district is one of the twenty three districts in the state of Punjab in north-west India. Patiala district lies between 38 47’ and 39 41’ north latitude, 115 58’ and 116 54' east longitude, in the southeast part of the state ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

. Before Independence, Samana was a part of Patiala Kingdom (PEPSU). Now it is a part of Patiala District of Punjab (India).

Geography

It has an average elevation of 240

metre The metre ( British spelling) or meter ( American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pre ...

s (787

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

) with Latitude 30.1583 and Longitude 76.1931. It is located on State Highway(SH-10) between Patiala and Patran. The distance between Patiala and Samana is 26 km (kilometers) or 16.3 miles.

History

Samana was named after the wife of

Ali al-Ridha Ali ibn Musa al-Rida ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا, Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the ...

, respected by both

Sunnis Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...

and

Shias Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

, by their five sons (namely

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

Mash'had Ali) who moved from

Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province and has a po ...

to the present day Samana because of political tensions with the then

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttal ...

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

Al-Ma'mun Abu al-Abbas Abdallah ibn Harun al-Rashid ( ar, أبو العباس عبد الله بن هارون الرشيد, Abū al-ʿAbbās ʿAbd Allāh ibn Hārūn ar-Rashīd; 14 September 786 – 9 August 833), better known by his regnal name Al-Ma'm ...

after Al-Ma'mun poisoned and killed their father Imam Ali al-Ridha. After they got settled in the area, they named the place after their mother; Later, Mash'had Ali died there and his shrine is also located there and many

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

go there to participate in the annual Symposium held in the premises of the Shrine. Later the history is traced to the days of Raja Jaipal who ruled over, among others, the territories of

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth l ...

and Samana. It was included within the territory of Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Gauri after the conquest of Ajmer and Delhi and was entrusted to

Qutb ud-Din Aibak Qutb ud-Din Aibak ( fa, قطب‌الدین ایبک), (1150 – 14 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid king Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination i ...

in 1192, along with the territories of Ghuram and Sunam. Samana is listed in the

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...

as a

pargana Pargana ( bn, পরগনা, , hi, परगना, ur, پرگنہ) or parganah, also spelt pergunnah during the time of the Sultanate period, Mughal times and British Raj, is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent and each ...

under the sarkar of

Sirhind Sirhind-Fategarh is a town and a municipal council in the Fatehgarh Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab. Demographics In the 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of 60852. Males constituted 54% of the population and fema ...

, producing a revenue of 12,822,270

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

s for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 2000 infantry and 700 cavalry. While Samana is said to be a place of saints and scholars during the Mughal days, it was notorious also for its professional executioners, who served at Delhi and Sirhind. ''"Sayyad Jala-ud-Din"'', who was ordered to execute

Sikh guru The Sikh gurus (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...

Guru Teg Bahadur ji at Delhi in 1675 was from Samana. Baig brothers, who were ordered to execute the younger sons of

Guru Gobind Singh ji Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

, 6 years old

Sahibzada Fateh Singh Sahib or Saheb (; ) is an Arabic title meaning 'companion'. It was historically used for the first caliph Abu Bakr in the Quran. The title is still applied to the caliph by Sunni Muslims. As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several langu ...

and 9 years old

Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Zorawar Singh (17 November 1696 – 5 or 6 December 1705, pa, ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਾ ਜ਼ੋਰਾਵਰ ਸਿੰਘ), alternatively spelt as Jorawar Singh, was a son of Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 ...

, also belonged to Samana. This town was therefore one of the first places to have been sacked by the

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

rebel

Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev) (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a commander of Khalsa army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery ...

. He had to give up Samana towards the end of 1710 AD when it was retaken by the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. The

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...

retook it once again in 1742 AD under the leadership of

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

Ala Singh Ala Singh Sidhu-Brar (1691–1765) was the first king of the princely state of Patiala. He was born in 1691 at Phul, in present-day Bathinda district of the Punjab, in Jat sikh family to Chaudhary Ram Singh of Phulkian Misl. His father had six c ...

, the founder

of the

Patiala State Patiala State was a self-governing princely state of the British Empire in India, and one of the Phulkian States, that acceded to the Union of India upon Indian independence and partition. Patiala Kingdom/State was founded by Sidhu Jat ...

, and was recognized as a part of his territories by

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...

Demographics

As per 2011 India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, population statistics of Samana city:
Total Population: 54,072
Male Population: 28,309 (52.35%)
Female Population: 25,763 (47.65%)
Female Sex Ratio: 910
Literacy Rate: 85.85 %
Male Literacy Rate: 90.69 %
Female Literacy Rate: 78.58%

Samana Constituency

Samana is one of the 117 Vidhan Sabha Constituencies of Punjab. Its constituency no. is 116. List of MLAs of Samana Constituency * 1957 : Harchand singh (INC) * 1962 : Chaudhary Bhajan Lal (INC) * 1967 : Chaudhary Bhajan Lal (INC) * 1969 : Pritam singh (SAD) * 1972 : Gurdev singh (SAD) * 1977 : Gurdev Singh (SAD) * 1980 : Sant Ram Singla (INC) * 1985 : Hardial Singh Rajla (SAD) * 1992 :

Captain Amarinder Singh Captain Amarinder Singh (born 11 March 1942), is an Indian politician, military historian, former royal and Indian Army veteran who served as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab. A former Member of the Legislative Assembly, Punjab and Member ...

(SAD) * 1997 : Jagtar Singh Rajla (SAD) * 2002 :

Surjit Singh Rakhra Surjit Singh Rakhra is an Indian politician who belongs to the Shiromani Akali Dal. He was Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation, Higher Education and Languages (2012–2017) in the Punjab Government. Nawab Bhikhan Shah, a Muslim who owned a nearby Garhi (fort), was a great follower of Guru Tegh Bahadur. When Guru ji visited Samana, he requested him to accompany him back to his garhi which was safer for Guru ji as Mughal spies and soldiers were looking to arrest Guru ji . Upon request from Bhikhan Shah, Guru ji visited his Garhi and since then this place is famous as Gurudwara Garhi Sahib in memoir of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. This gurudwara is situated at the bank of Ghagar river. Bir Gurdialpura Wildlife Sanctuary: Bir Gurdialpura Wildlife Sanctuary is about 15 km from Samana. It was one of the important hunting reserves of the erstwhile rulers of Patiala state. It was declared a protected forest and then as a sanctuary under the Fauna of Patiala Act. The sanctuary has a good ecological value and habitat for number of wild animals. Panj Peer Mazar: It is a major pilgrimage centre for

Shia Muslims Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

. Sayyid Mash'had Ali, who was son of 8th

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

was buried here about 1200 years ago and the town of Samana also takes its name from his mother. According to scholars of Muslim history, the discovery of the mazar is very significant as there is no mazar of any

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

. New Aggarwal Gaushaala: It is one of largest Gaushaalas in Punjab. It is built on the banks of Bhakra, on Samana-Patiala road. It is fully accomplished with world class infrastructure and facilities. It covers 12 acres area. People visit here on the daily basis and offers charity and help. Pingla Ashram: It is a charitable center and home for mentally retarded, handicapped and elderly helpless people. It was started by Dr. Hari Chand. It is being operated by the blessings of respected Hari Chand and handling by committee of reputed people of Samana. It is managed by Sh. Inderjit Dawar for more than a period of 51 years as a successor of Dr. Hari chand without accepting any serving fees of his duty. It is run by the donations from generous people of local town, adjacent villages and abroad. Maisar Mandir: A famous Maisar Mandir, dedicated to goddess Durga is located on the border of Samana and Shadipur (Haryana). Every year, a grand fair is organized here on the occasion of Navaratri. Shri Sai Baba Mandir: It is located at the distance of 3 km from Samana. Shri Durga Mata Mandir: It's a newly renovated beautiful temple located inside Aggarwal Dharamshala. Shri Aggarwal Dharamshala & Devi Talab Mandir Jamia Masjid: This

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

was built during British era and was a place of worship for the

community. However, the mosque went out of use after

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...

due to the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

community leaving for

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Colleges

* Adarsh Nursing College * Dr Johri Degree College * Nancy college of Education. * Public College, Samana * SASM College of Law * Aggarsain Women college

Schools

* Acharya Devinder Muni Jain Model High School, Shehajpura Road, Samana * Aggarsain International public school Samana * * * Akal Academy School, Fatehgarh Channa * Budha Dal Public School, Samana * D.A.V Public School, Samana * D.A.V Public school, Badshahpur * D.A.V Public school, Kakrala. * D.A.V Public school, Kularan. * Dayanand Model High School, Samana * Holy heart public school, Samana * Mind Glow Academy, Samana * Model public Sr. Sec. school Samana * Premier public school Samana * Public Sr. Sec School Samana * S.D. Model High School, Samana * St. Lawrence Sr. Sec. School, Samana * Shivalik multipurpose public school * SRS Vidyapeeth Patiala Road Samana * The Winners Academy, Samana * Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Public Sr. Sec. School, Fatehpur

Gallery

File:Panchmukhi Mandir.jpg, Panchmukhi Mandir

References

External links

Samana - An unsung city in Punjab
{{Patiala district Cities and towns in Patiala district