Balachaur is a town in Balachaur

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

History

The royal family of

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

visited Balachaur with their family for meditation and named the tehsil "Balachaur" after their son, Balraj. In 1539,

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...

is believed to have sought the blessings of Raj Dev before launching his attack on

Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...

. Raj Dev passed away in 1596, and in his honor, the locals constructed a tomb in the

, where he is revered as Baba Balraj. In 1949, the Balraj Mandir Committee was formed, with Zaildar Balwant Singh serving as its first president. The current president of the committee is Rana Purshotam Singh.

Demographics

Balachaur is a Municipal Council city in the district of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab. The city is divided into 13 wards, with elections held every five years. According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of Balachaur Municipal Council is 21,631, comprising 11,180 males and 10,451 females. The scheduled census of 2021 for Balachaur city was postponed due to covid. The latest population census for Balachaur city will be conducted in 2025. Balachaur serves as an important

for nearby villages, hosting Punjab government offices that cater to the administrative needs of the local population. Historically, Balachaur lacked access to higher education, but it now boasts Baba Balraj Government College, located on Bhaddi Road, providing educational opportunities for the region.

Commerce

The main source of income in Balachaur is agriculture, with wheat and maize being the two main crops. Many people work in the government or private sectors in neighboring towns and cities, primarily Nawanshahr,

Ropar Rupnagar (; formerly known as Ropar) is a city and a municipal council in Rupnagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. Rupnagar is a newly created fifth Divisional Headquarters of Punjab comprising Rupnagar, Mohali, and its adjoining distr ...

Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...

, and

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

. There is a big market that serves the people of Balachaur and nearby villages. Balachaur also has a big

grain market The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

''(Anaaj Mandi)'' where the field produce is sold to wholesalers. The S.V. Cold Drink factory, which was set up in 2003, manufactures Lava Cold Drinks in Sudha Mazra (Balachaur).

Transport

Balachaur is well connected by roads to all major cities in Punjab. Balachaur is on the main highway to

Jallandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the historical Grand Trunk Ro ...

, located off a highway that goes to

Pathankot Pathankot () is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the sixth most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal ...

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

. The nearest railway station is Garhshankar and the nearest airport is

. From Balachaur there are buses (both private and public) available for passengers to go to major cities of Punjab as well as

Himachal Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

, and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. Various other modes of transportation are also available for local travel. Balachaur is a Tehsil, situated almost equidistant from Nawanshahr (), Roopnagar (25 km), Garshankar (25 km), and Nurpur Bedi (24 km). Other big cities near Balachaur are Ludhiana (), Chandigarh (68 km),

Hoshiarpur Hoshiarpur () is a city and a Municipal corporations in India, municipal corporation in Hoshiarpur district in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the ...

(70 km),

Anandpur Sahib Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur (), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Si ...

(68 km), and

Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...

(75 km). The national capital, Delhi, is from Balachaur.

Villages

Balachaur Tehsil has a total of 185 Villages in its jurisdiction. Sahdra is a village that belongs to Balachaur Tehsil located near Majari. It has two Gurudwaras and a

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

. Sudha Majra Alais Fatehgarh is situated on the

Jalandhar highways. There is a historical Gurudwara Tahli Shaib built in memory of Guru Hargobind Singh Ji. It had a population of 1,200. Gahoon (Punjabi-ਗਹੁੰਣ) is named for the people who lived on the bank of the sea called ("ਗਾਹਣਿਅੇ"). According to the 2001 India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Gahoon had a population of 1,100: 53% male and 47% female. Gahoon has an average

literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

of 72.6% with 56% males and 44% females. Fifteen percent (15%) of the population is under 6 years of age. Garhi Kanugoan (ਗੜੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਗੋਅਾਂ) is located on Nawanshahr road. There is a historical and oldest Shiv Mandir, Gurdwara of Baba Jawahar Singh Ji (Falahi Sahib) Main Gurdwara Sahib, Gurdwara Sahidan Sahib, Patka Sahib, Majar Baba Roshan Shah Wali, and this village is located nearly midway between 4 main cities: from Chandigarh, 73 km from Jalandhar, from Hoshiarpur and 65 km from Ludhiana, village Thopia 4 km. Taunsa is located on the mohali phagwara highway and is surrounded by a plethora of pharmaceutical companies, namely Sun Pharma, Centrient, Health Caps and many more. This village provides residence to many employees working in these firms; most of the labor comes from the states of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

and

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. The market of Taunsa is well known by the neighbouring villages such as Rel majra, Banah, Tajowal, Majran Jattan.

References

External links

District Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar: Cities and Towns

Nawanshahr district population statistics

Balachaur

Schools in Balachaur
{{Nawanshahr district, state=collapsed Cities and towns in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district