Dera Bassi is a satellite city of Chandigarh 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 counci ...

in Mohali district in the state of

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

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Dera Bassi is located on the Chandigarh – Delhi National Highway, 8 km from Chandigarh. It is located within 20 km from Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. It is strategically located near the boundary of Haryana, Punjab and Union territory of Chandigarh. Derabassi is most famous for its industrial belt, situated for the most part on Ramgarh and Barwala Road. The nearby sub town of Lalru was once a famous market for red chilli powder. The city and the nearby area host eight Engineering, B.Ed., Paramedical and Management institutes.

History

The Dera Bassi town was formed from the early

Kalsia State Kalsia was a princely state in Punjab, British India, one of the former Cis-Sutlej states. It was founded by Raja Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu in 1760. After India's independence, it was included in PEPSU and later in the Indian East Punjab after the ...

, whose headquarters were at Chhachhrauli. There was a big fort of Mughal era located at outskirts of Dera Bassi. The fort still exists, albeit as a ruin. It was used as guest house by Kalsia rulers. In 1922, Ravi Sher Singh visited Dera Bassi after his paramount as the monarch of Kalsai state. Earlier the town was under Patiala district, thereafter it has become a part of newly created

Mohali Mohali, officially known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, is a planned city in the Mohali district in Punjab (India), Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the Moh ...

district. In village named Makandpur in Dera Bassi, there is a holy place called "Kethlo Tirath" (Kamlon Third). There is Kunti Kund Sarovar (Pond), Temple of Pandavas with Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. It is believed that the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...

stayed at this place when they successfully escaped from Lakshagraha.

Geography and Ecology

Location

Derabassi is located near the foothills of the

Sivalik The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indian ...

range of the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

s in northwest India. It has an average elevation of 321 metres (1053 ft). The city, lying in the northern plains, has vast fertile and flat land. The surrounding cities are the union territory of

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...

, Zirakpur and

Roopnagar Roopnagar is a village in the Udaipur section of Rajasthan. It is situated on the summit of the Aravallis, between the Desuri and Someshwar passes. Steep and precipitous hill-sides render the village unapproachable from the north and east. It is ...

in Punjab, Panchkula, and

Ambala Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-area ...

in Haryana. Chandigarh is situated 119 km southwest of

Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...

, 30 km (19 miles) northeast of

, 236 km (148 miles) southeast of

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

and 230 km (144 miles) north of

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, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

Climate

Derabassi has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen: Cwa) characterised by a seasonal rhythm: very hot summers, mild winters, unreliable rainfall and great variation in temperature (−1 °C to 46 °C OR 30.2 °F to 114 °F). The average annual rainfall i
1110.7 mm
The city also receives occasional winter rains from the

Western Disturbance A western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, which extends as east as up to northern parts of Bangladesh and South easte ...

originating over the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. The western disturbances usually brings rain predominantly from mid-December till end of April which can be heavier sometimes with strong winds and hails if the weather turns colder (during March–April months) which usually proves disastrous to the crops. Cold winds usually tend to come from the north near

, capital of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

and from the union territory

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

, both of which receive their share of snowfall during wintertime. The city experiences the following seasons and the respective average temperatures: * Spring: The climate remains the most enjoyable part of the year during the spring season (from February-end to early-April). Temperatures vary between (max) 13 °C to 20 °C and (min) 5 °C to 12 °C. * Autumn: In autumn (from September-end to mid November.), the temperature may rise to a maximum of 30 °C. Temperatures usually remain between 10° to 22° in autumn. The minimum temperature is around 6 °C. * Summer: The temperature in summer (from mid-April to June-end) may rise to 44 °C. The temperatures might sometime rise to 44 °C in mid-June. Temperatures generally vary between 40 and 42 °C. * Monsoon: During monsoon (from early-July to mid-September), Derabassi receives moderate to heavy rainfall and sometimes heavy to very heavy rainfall (generally during the month of August or September). Usually, the rain bearing monsoon winds blow from south-west/south-east. Mostly, the city receives heavy rain from south (which is mainly a persistent rain) but it generally receives most of its rain during monsoon either from North-west or North-east. Maximum amount of rain received by the city of Chandigarh during monsoon season is 195.5 mm in a single day. * Winter: Winters (November-end to February-end) are mild but it can sometimes get quite chilly in Derabassi. Average temperatures in the winter remain at (max) 5 °C to 14 °C and (min) -1 °C to 5 °C. Rain usually comes from the west during winters and it is usually a persistent rain for 2–3 days with sometimes hailstorms. The city witnessed bone-numbing chill as the maximum temperature on Monday, 7 January 2013 plunged to a 30-year low to settle at 6.1 degrees Celsius.

Demographics

As of the 2001 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 incl ...

, Dera Bassi had a population of 15,690. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Dera Bassi has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80% and, female literacy is 72%. In Dera Bassi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Dera Bassi population of 2016 in 1,35,685.00

Places of interest

Derabassi is located very near to Chandigarh. Chandigarh has various visitor attractions including theme gardens within the city. Some notable sites are:

Sukhna Lake

Sukhna Lake is located in Sector 1, adjoining the

Rock Garden A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small A ...

near the foothills of Shivalik Hills. Sukhna is an artificial lake. This 3 km rain-fed lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. It has The

Garden of Silence The Garden of Silence is a meditative space at the end of Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh, India. It features a seated Buddha. The garden is financed by the Ministry of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that sp ...

within it. The atmosphere here is serene. Sukhna Lake is the venue for many festive celebrations. The most popular is the Mango Festival held during the monsoons. It is believed that a Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret's ashes were immersed in this lake according to his will as he developed a deep bond with the lake. Chand2

Rock Garden

The

is situated in the middle of the Capitol Complex and the Sukhna Lake in Sector 1. It is also known as

Nek Chand Nek Chand Saini (15 December 1924 – 12 June 2015) was a self-taught Indian artist, known for building the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, an eighteen-acre sculpture garden in the city of Chandigarh. Early life and background Nek Chand hailed fro ...

Rock Garden after its founder. It has numerous sculptures made by using a variety of different discarded waste materials like frames, mudguards, forks, handle bars, metal wires, play marbles, porcelain, auto parts, broken bangles etc. Nek Chand himself went up the Shivalik hills and got different stones and materials with which he started building the garden.

Rose Garden

Zakir Hussain Rose Garden Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, is a botanical garden in Chandigarh, India and spread over of land, with 50,000 rose-bushes of 1600 different species. Named after India's former president, Zakir Hussain and created in 1967 under the guidance of ...

, or simply Rose Garden, is named after the former President of India,

Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain ( ur, , link=no) is the name of: * Zakir Husain (politician), an Indian politician and former president of India * Zakir Hussain (actor), Bollywood actor * Zakir Hussain (field hockey) (1934–2019), Pakistani field hockey player * ...

. It is situated in Sector 16. The garden is known to be the greatest of its types in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. The garden is said to be spread about thirty to forty acres containing nearly 825 varieties of roses in it and more than 32,500 varieties of other medicinal plants and trees.

Parrot Bird Sanctuary Chandigarh

Parrot Bird Sanctuary Chandigarh City Bird Sanctuary Chandigarh or Parrot Bird Sanctuary Chandigarh is a bird sanctuary situated in sector 21 of the city of Chandigarh, India. It is primarily habitat of parrots. Hundreds of parrots live here. They fly in flocks in the mornin ...

is a bird sanctuary which is located in sector 21 Chandigarh India. It is notified under Section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is habitat of thousands of parrots. It is the second wildlife sanctuary in the city after

Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sivalik Hills of Chandigarh city, near Sukhna Lake. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1998. Closed during rainy season. Pass is required to visit which is issued by Forest Department Office, Sec-19 ...

Leisure Valley

A continuum of various theme gardens, Leisure Valley is a linear park over 8 km long which starts from Sector 1 in the north and leaves Chandigarh at its southernmost edge. It consists of many theme parks, botanical gardens and green belts, including Rajendra Park in Sector 1, the Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3 and the Physical Fitness Trails in Sector 10, among others.

Other destinations

Other tourist destinations include The New Lake in Sector 42, Capitol Complex in Sector 1, City Centre in Sector 17,

Open hand monument The ''Open Hand Monument'' is a symbolic structure designed by the architect Le Corbusier and located in the Capitol Complex of the Indian city and union territory of Chandigarh. It is the emblem and symbol of the Government of Chandigarh and sy ...

in Sector 1, Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19, Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10, International Doll Museum in Sector 23, Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in Sector 20. There are many tourist gardens like the Garden of Fragrance in Sector 36, Garden of Palms in Sector 42, Butterfly Park in Sector 26, Valley of Animals in Sector 49, the

Japanese Garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

in Sector 31 and the Terraced Garden in Sector 33. Several other famous tourist destinations like

Pinjore Gardens Yadavindra Gardens, also known as Pinjore Gardens, is a historic 17th century garden located in Pinjore city of Panchkula district in the Indian state of Haryana. Panchkula city is nearby it. It is an example of the Mughal gardens architectu ...

Morni Hills Morni is a village and tourist attraction in the Morni Hills at the height of in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. It is located around from Chandigarh, from Panchkula city and is known for its Himalayan views, flora, ...

Nada Sahib Nada Sahib is a Sikh gurudwara in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. Situated on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra River in the Sivalik Hills of Panchkula, it is the site where Guru Gobind Singh Ji halted while travelling fro ...

Kasauli Kasauli is a town and cantonment, located in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The cantonment was established by the British Raj in 1842 as a Colonial hill station,Sharma, Ambika"Architecture of Kasauli churches" ''The Trib ...

Chhatbir Zoo Chhatbir Zoo (formally Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park), is a zoological park situated close to Zirakpur, India. The zoo was constructed in the 1970s and is home to a large variety of birds, mammals and reptiles. History The zoo was christ ...

lie in its vicinity.

Transport

Road

(CTU) operates public transport buses from Derabassi bus stand for ISBT 17, PGI, ISBT 43, Mansa Devi and Manimajra route. Local private buses also run for Lehli, Lalru, Barwala (Haryana) and others for Patiala, Jalandhar, Ambala etc. Haryana Roadways is also very frequent because of its location on Delhi-Chandigarh main highway.

Air

Chandigarh International Airport is the nearest airport situated in Mohali 17 km away from the city.

Rail

Chandigarh Junction railway station Chandigarh Junction railway station (station code:- CDG), serves the union territory city of Chandigarh. The station is at an elevation of and was assigned the code – CDG. Chandigarh is amongst the top hundred booking stations of the Indian ...

lies 15 km away from Derabassi via Daria and 27.5 km via ISBT 17. Ambala Cantt railway junction is 31 km away from Derabassi and lies on same Chandigarh-Delhi highway on which Derbassi is situated. Ghaggar railway station is a 132 years old small railway station situated just 4.5 km away from Derabassi mainly operational for MEMU & Passenger trains.

Industries

Derabassi's location at Delhi-Chandigarh highway is suitable for real estate projects. Zirakpur and Derabassi are expanding towards each other which will form a continuous urban belt from Derabassi to Chandigarh. Certain real estate projects are : ATS Golf Meadows, Motia Chandigarh Hills,Bella Home, Silver City, Chandigarh Apartments, GBP Superia, GBP Business Square, GBP Ultima, GBP Eco Greens, Ubber Golden Palms, Estonia Homez, SBP Housing Park, Leaf Stone Valley, GBP Rosewood Estate, GBP Eco Homes, GBP Astra, Gulmohar City Extension and Parivar Enclave. Derabassi have a flour mill named as Balaji flour mills on gulabgarh road street no. 02, steel plant of Bhushan Power & Steel (now defunct), Hella India Lightings.Ltd, Molson Coors India (brewery), Nectar Life Sciences.Ltd (pharma), Cepham Milk Specialities.Ltd (dairy products), Federal Agro Industries (meat supplier), Allychem Laboratories (chemicals), Ind Swift.Ltd, Winsom Yarns, TSPL, Punjab Chemicals, KDDL.Ltd, Rajasthan Liquors.Ltd, Cooper Automotives.Ltd, HPL Additives.Ltd, etc. Derbassi have industrial estates/areas at Jawaharpur, Kuranwala and Focal Point housing more than 100 industries.

Educational Institutions

Sri Sukhmani Group of Institutes Longowal Polytechnic College National Dental College & Hospital Vidya Jyoti Institute of Higher Education at Gholu Majra village. L.M. Thapar School of Business Management on Derabassi-Barwala Road. Govt College Derabassi *

Hospitals In Dera Bassi

# Best Hospital- Blessings Multispeciality Hospital, Akali Market, Dera Bassi. # Indus International Hospital, Derabassi # Sri Sukhmani Multi Speciality Hospital, Derabassi # Civil Hospital, Derabassi # Apex Dental Care And Implant Centre, Derabassi # Apna hospital, Dera Bassi # Ashoka healthcare, Dera Bassi # National Dental College and Hospital, Gulabgarh Derabassi # RHV Homeopathic Polyclinic, Barwala road. Dera bassi

References

2. https://www.nhp.gov.in/hospital/sri-sukhmani-multi-speciality-hospital-derabassi--punjab{{Ajitgarh district Cities and towns in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district