Mohali

Mohali, officially known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, is a planned city[4] in the Mohali district in Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the Mohali district and one of the six Municipal Corporations of the State. It is officially named after Sahibzada Ajit Singh, the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh.

Mohali
Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar
City
From top; left to right: District Court Complex, Quark Mohali, Agriculture Bhawan, Puda Bhawan, Tata Bss Mohali Office, Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.
Mohali is located in Punjab
Mohali
Mohali
Mohali is located in India
Mohali
Mohali
Coordinates: 30.699°N 76.693°E / 30.699; 76.693
Country India
StatePunjab
DistrictMohali
Established1 November 1975
Named forSahibzada Ajit Singh
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • BodyMunicipal Corporation
 • MayorAmarjeet Singh Sidhu[1]
 • Deputy CommissionerIsha Kalia, IAS[2]
Area
 • Total400 km2 (200 sq mi)
Elevation
316 m (1,037 ft)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total176,152
 • Density440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Mohali Wale, Mohalite
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Pincode(s)
140XXX - 160XXX
Area code+91 172
Vehicle registrationPB-65
Sex ratio0.911 males/female (City)
Literacy91.96% (City)
91.86% (Metro)
GDP₹6,500 crore (US$ 1.3 bn) in 2009-10
Nearest cityChandigarh
Websitehttp://mcmohali.org/

Mohali has developed rapidly as an IT hub of the state of Punjab, and has thus grown in importance.[5] The Government of Punjab has initiated significant infrastructure and recreation projects in attempts to increase the standard of living in Mohali.[6] Roads have been built to create networks between Mohali and Chandigarh International Airport to boost its international connectivity.[7]

Mohali was earlier a part of the Rupnagar district and was carved out and made a part of a separate district in 2006.

History

Early history

Prehistoric evidence has been found in Mohali and its surrounding regions. Due to the presence of the lake, fossil remains with imprints of a large variety of aquatic plant, animal, and amphibian life have been found. As a part of the Punjab region, it has many rivers in the areas where it is speculated that ancient and primitive settlements by humans began. Some 8,000 years ago, the area was also known to be a home to the Harappans.[8]

Medieval history

Mohali means settlement. The village of Mohali was a part of the Sikh Empire.[9]

The village Lambian, located in the city, was visited by Guru Har Rai, the 7th Guru of the Sikhs.[10] A battle took place here between the British and 500 Sikhs under the command of Akali Hanuman Singh, in which Akali Hanuman Singh attained martyrdom.

Modern history

After the partition of India in 1947, the former British province of Punjab was split between east Punjab in India and west Punjab in Pakistan.[11] The Indian Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore, which became part of Pakistan during partition.[12][13] Consequently, the government made Chandigarh from nearly 50 Puadhi speaking villages of the then state of East Punjab, India.[14]

Mohali was conceived after the trifurcation of Punjab and its capital Chandigarh became a Union Territory in the late 1960s. In 1967, the area around Mohali Village was initially developed as an industrial estate; this was broadened with residential areas to meet housing demands.[15] The township plan for Mohali was put forward by the All India Congress Committee during the annual session held in 1975 at Mohali. On 1 November 1975, Punjab Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh laid the foundation stone of Mohali township and named it Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar. It was rechristened to Ajitgarh by the union government in the year 2012, as it was felt at that time that the name, SAS Nagar, was too long.[16]

City design

Mohali and Chandigarh are contiguous, with only the boundary between Punjab and Chandigarh dividing this area. The original plan of Mohali township is an extension of the road and an 800m x 1200m extension of the sector design system of Chandigarh, without any unique planning.

The first 11 sectors of the sector design system for Mohali are popularly known as Phases. Early development was only till Phase 7. The development of sectors and phases from Phase 8 onwards started in the late 1980s, the city received its bus stand during Phase 8 in the mid-1990s. Some sectors of Chandigarh are shared between Chandigarh and Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, like the sectors 48, 51, 52, 54, 56, 61 and 63. 63 onwards sectors fall in the Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar region. phase 1 = sector 55 phase 2 = sector 56 phase 3= Sector 57 phase 4 = sector 58 phase 5 = sector 59 phase 6 = sector 60 phase 7 = sector 61 phase 8 = sector 62 phase 9 = sector 63 phase 10 = sector 64

Greater Mohali Area Development Authority master plan

In the GMADA master plan, the city has up to 128 Sectors which include nearby villages.[17] They are, among others, Alipur, Bairampur, Bakarpur, Ballo Majra, Balongi, Bari, Bar Majra, Bathlana, Behlol, Bhago Majra, Chajju Majra, Chaparchiri, Daun, Desumajra, Dyalpur, Harlalpur, Jandpur, Jhampur, Jheureri, Jhungian, Kailon, Kandala, Khuni Majra, Kishanpura, Kurali, Landiali, Landran, Manakmajra, Manana, Matran, Naraingarh, Pattlin, Raipur Kalan, Sambalki, Saneta, Santemajra, Shafipur, Siaun, Sihanpur, Sukhgarh, Tapauli and Thaska. GMADA also includes the Aerocity which is a gateway to Mohali International Airport. Also IT City Mohali has emerged as one of the best location for residences and corporate offices under GMADA. It is spread over 1,600 acres and includes sectors 82, 82A, and 83A. The IT city aims to produce at least 40,000 jobs. With allotment to top IT companies and state of the art infrastructure for residential projects. With futuristic planning and due the location advantage, IT City Mohali is understandably the distinguished locality in Tricity.

Chandigarh Tricity

Mohali and Panchkula are two satellite cities of Chandigarh. The trio of these three cities is collectively known as Chandigarh Tricity. Panchkula is a planned city adjoining Chandigarh in Panchkula District, Haryana, India.[18]

Climate
Clouds and downpour at Godrej, Mohali during Mid-April (2015)
Godrej Mohali clean skies
See also: Geography of Chandigarh

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar has a sub-tropical continental monsoon climate characterised by a seasonal rhythm: hot summers, slightly cold winters, unreliable rainfall and great variation in temperature (−1 to 44 °C or 30 to 111 °F). In winter, frost sometimes occurs during December and January. The average annual rainfall is recorded at 617 millimetres (24.3 in). The city also receives occasional winter rains from the west.

Average temperature
  • Summer: The temperature in summer may rise to a maximum of 47 °C (117 °F) . Temperatures generally remain between 30 and 40 °C (86 and 104 °F).
  • Autumn: In autumn, the temperature may rise to a maximum of 36 °C (97 °F). Temperatures usually remain between 16 and 27 °C (61 and 81 °F) in autumn. The minimum temperature is around 13 °C (55 °F).
  • Winter: Average temperatures in winter (November to February) remain at (maximum) 7 to 15 °C (45 to 59 °F) and (minimum) 1 and 5 °C (34 and 41 °F).
  • Spring: spring temperatures vary between (min) 16 and 25 °C (61 and 77 °F) (max).

Demographics

As per 2011 census, Mohali's urban agglomeration (metropolitan area) had a population of 176,152, out of which males were 92,407 and females were 83,745. The effective literacy rate (7+ years) was 93.04% per cent. The sex ratio of Mohali is 906 females per 1,000 males.[3]

Sikhism is the majority religion in Mohali which is followed by 51.53% of the people. Hinduism is the second most followed religion which is adhered to by 45.55% of the people. Minority religions like Islam and Christianity are followed by 1.68% and 0.79% of the population, with 0.45% are Buddhists, Jains and others.[19]

Religion in Mohali (2011)[19]
Religion Percent
Sikhism
 
 51.53%
Hinduism
 
 45.55%
Islam
 
 1.68%
Christianity
 
 0.79%
Others
 
 0.45%

Politics and government
District court complex, Mohali, Punjab, India

The Deputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, is the overall in charge of the General Administration in the Districts of India. Currently, Girish Dayalan is serving as Deputy Commissioner. The civic administration in Mohali under the Municipal Corporation (established 1984), a body of elected councillors and is headed by a Commissioner chosen from the elected members.

Main article: Municipal Corporation SAS Nagar (Mohali)
City officials
Member of Parliament Manish Tewari 2017
Mayor Kulwant Singh August 2015
Municipal Commissioner MR Dhiman
Administrator MR Dhiman

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar is a Municipal Corporation, with Kulwant Singh as the first mayor,[20] with the current being Amarjoit Singh since April 2021.[1] The district administration is under the supervision of Current Administrator Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, Deputy Commissioner (IAS). Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar is part of Anandpur Sahib Parliamentary Constituency, represented by Manish Tewari since 2019, while in Punjab Legislative Assembly, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar is represented since 2012 by MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu from Congress. Before 2012, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar was part of the Kharar Assembly Constituency. In the 2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, a new Assembly Constituency was carved out in the name of Mohali (as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar was known during Assembly Elections 2012). Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar is also represented in Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) by Paramjit Kaur Landran and Hardeep Singh. The seat was reserved for women during the 2011 SGPC Elections.

Transport

Road

The main bus stand of this city is located in Sector 56, where many government and private bus operators provide services to different cities of the state. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) provides bus connectivity with the rest of the tricity. Chandigarh Sector 43 Bus Stand is also close to Mohali.

Auto-rickshaws ply throughout the city.

Rail

Mohali Railway Station is situated in Industrial Area, Phase 11 and connects the city with several important locations in the region such as Delhi, Ludhiana and Amritsar, as well as other parts of the country.

Air

Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport is located near Aerocity in Mohali. It has both domestic and international flights.

Economy
Quark, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar

Mohali's economy is largely manufacturing-based, the major companies in the region include Punjab Tractor Limited (PTL), ICI Paints, and Punjab Communications Limited. Telecommunications service providers including Tata Communications, Vodafone and the Godrej Group operate within SAS Nagar. SAS Nagar's role in facilitating multinational corporations is growing, with contributions from global tech giants such as Quark and Philips.

Denver-based Quark, Inc. has created a $500M, 46-acre (190,000 m2) QuarkCity in SAS Nagar, complete with a residential complex comprising 30% of the area; the shopping, entertainment, medical and educational districts consume another 10%. It was designed to generate 25,000 direct and 100,000 indirect jobs. It also includes a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). It is located 265 km (165 mi) north of India's capital city of New Delhi.[21]

The region has been targeted by an increasing number of outsourcing IT companies.[5]

Sports

Mohali contributes greatly to sports within the Punjab region (most notably Minerva Academy), with 8 multipurpose sports complexes equipped football, field hockey, cricket, swimming, table tennis, athletics, volleyball, badminton, tennis, etc. It has two international cricket stadiums, latest being Mullanpur International Cricket Stadium.[22] It also home to the Mohali International Hockey Stadium.

Cricket
Main articles: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium and Mullanpur International Cricket Stadium
A panorama of the stadium.

In 1990, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) unveiled a plan to build a state-of-the-art facility complete with a separate practice ground—to be built in a swampy area in the city. The PCA invested heavily in the ground, a swimming pool, health club, tennis court, library, restaurant, and bar and outdoor & indoor cricket practice nets were incorporated into the plans.

The construction of the stadium took around ₹25 crores and 3 years to complete. The stadium has an official capacity of 30000 spectators. The stadium was designed by Arun Loomba and Associates, Panchkula and constructed by R.S. Construction Company, Chandigarh. The lights here are unconventional compared to other cricket stadiums, in that the light pillars are very low in height. This is to avoid aircraft from the nearby airport colliding with the light pillars. The stream passing through the central part of Chandigarh called N Choe, also passes alongside the stadium.

PCA Stadium is home of Punjab Kings (IPL Mohali franchisee). The current pitch curator for the PCA Stadium is Daljit Singh and the design consultant is Ar. Sufyan Ahmad.

Hockey

The city has the International Hockey Stadium which serves as the home ground for the hockey club, Punjab Warriors, of Hockey India League.

Places of interest

Places of tourist interest in and around this region include the following:

Gurudwara Amb Sahib
Gurudwara Amb Sahib

Gurudwara Amb Sahib is a historical shrine situated in Sector 62, Mohali commemorates the visit of the 7th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Har Rai. The place also commemorates the meeting of Guru Har Rai with his famous Sikh Bhai Kuram, a Labana trader.[10][24] This shrine is managed by SGPC, Amritsar.

Shri Shiv Mandir
Shiv Mandir, Phase 1, Mohali

Shri Shiv Mandir is an old Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, situated in Phase1.[25]

Gurudwara Singh Shaheedan

This shrine is situated in the village Sohana, close to Sector 70 constructed in memory of the martyrdom of Jathedar Baba Hanuman Singh, a Nihang Jathedar. He, along with 500 Sikhs, attained martyrdom at this place in a battle against British forces during the Anglo-Sikh Wars.

Dera Dargah Sharif Bakarpur
Dargah Sharif Bakarpur,Mohali

This shrine is situated in the village Bakarpur, in Aerocity, near Mohali Airport. This shrine is home of Ali and five Pirs. Sai Surinder Singh is currently the chief dera head of this Dargah.

Parks and gardens
  • Nature Park, Phase 8
  • Rose Garden, Phase 3B1
  • Bougainvillea Garden, Phase 4
  • Silvy Park, Phase 10
  • Valley Park, Phase 8
  • Ekta Park, Phase 7 (Near Chawla Chowk) Mohali
  • Kargil Park, Sector 71
  • Fountain Park, Sector 70
  • City park, sector 68

Markets and other places
  • Main Market, Phase - 7, SAS Nagar
  • Main Market, Phase - 4, SAS Nagar
  • Main Market, Phase - 3, SAS Nagar
  • Main Market, Phase - 1, SAS Nagar
  • Main Market, Phase - 5, SAS Nagar
  • Main Market, Phase - 10, SAS Nagar
  • Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, SAS Nagar
  • International Hockey Stadium, Phase-9
  • Gurudwara Amb Sahib, Phase - 8

Chowks of Mohali

The famous chowks of Mohali, which replicate one of the best features of the city are:

  • YPS Chowk
  • Diplast Chowk
  • Airport Chowk

Upcoming developing areas
  • Aerocity, Mohali
  • Aerotropolis, Mohali

Other Nearby Places

Education
Indian School of Business, Mohali, Punjab
Schools
  • Anee's School, Sector-69, Mohali[28]
  • Doon International School, Sector-69, Mohali[28]
  • Gian Jyoti Public School, Phase 2, Mohali[29]
  • Gurukul World School, Sector-69, Mohali[30]
  • Learning Paths School, Sector 67, Mohali[31]
  • Shivalik Public School, Mohali[29]
  • The British School, Sector 70
  • Yadavindra Public School, Sector 51, Mohali[32]
Universities
Science and Medical Colleges
Engineering colleges
Business Schools
Law Schools
Pharmacy

Healthcare
Main article: List of hospitals in Mohali

The city has several speciality hospitals. Government dispensaries also are present in some sectors. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences Of phase 6 is the oldest government hospital in the city and the new hospital is in Sector 66.

The city has many multi-facility private hospitals like the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Silver Oak Hospital, Ivy Hospital, Indus Super Speciality Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Cheema Medical Complex, Mukat Hospital and Heart Institute, Cosmo Hospital, Amar Hospital, Grecian Super Speciality Hospital, Sohana Hospital, Ace Heart and Vascular Institute, SGHS Hospitals, AM Hospital, ESI Hospital & Regional Spinal Injury Center (Sector 70). Pharmacies such as City Medicos have also situated near Fortis and Silver Oaks hospital.

See also

References
  1. "Amarjeet Singh Sidhu elected Mohali mayor". Hindustan Times. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  2. "Who's Who | District S.A.S Nagar, Government of Punjab | India". Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  4. "Capt calls Mohali the state capital, invites investment". Hindustan Times. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  5. "Mohali as next big IT hub: 'Mohali among top 10 Indian cities in IT". The Times of India. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  6. Punjabi Bureau of Investment Promotion. "SAS NAGAR". Invest Punjab. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  7. TNN (7 July 2016). "Greater Mohali Area Development Authority builds 5 new roads to International Airport". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  8. "Historical Background of Chandigarh" (PDF). Government of Chandigarh.
  9. Village Leadership: A Case Study of Village Mohali in Punjab: Harjinder Singh; Sterling Publishers, 1968
  10. Retrieved from Gurdwara Amb Sahib Archived 21 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine history
  11. "Chandigarh history". City Beautiful. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  12. "Chandigarh History". Chandigarh Guide. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  13. "About Chandigarh". Government of Chandigarh. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  14. Sharma, Sanjay (12 May 2014). "Displaced for making Chandigarh, their marginalization is still on". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  15. Corb's Capitol: a journey through Chandigarh's architecture: Sangeet Sharma: A3 foundation, 26 September 2010,
  16. Prashar, Abhijit (13 February 2012). "Mohali is now Ajitgarh". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  17. "Approved Master Plans: S.A.S Nagar" (PDF). SAS Nagar Master plan from Official Website. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  18. "Municipal Corporation Mohali". mcmohali.org. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  19. "Religion PCA - Mohali". census.gov.in. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  20. Deep, Jagdeep Singh (1 September 2015). "Mohali's first mayor: Kulwant Singh takes charge, promises bus service, transparency". The Indian Express. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  21. "the finest, most energy-efficient SEZ development in India". QuarkCity. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  22. "This stadium becomes hitech, international match can be organized soon". News Track. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  23. Singh, Preet Onkar (18 June 2018). "Down memory lane". India Today. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  24. Discover Punjab: Attractions of Punjab, Parminder Singh Grover Moga, Davinderjit Singh and Parminder Singh Grover,
  25. "Shri Shiv Mandir overview". Ixigo.
  26. Tripathi, Shishir (1 August 2013). "Tricity's biggest mall coming up in Mohali". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  27. "Nabha Sahib Gurdwara - Chandigarh Nadha Sahib Gurdwara - Gurudwara Nabha Sahib Near Chandigarh". Chandigarh.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  28. Nagarkoti, Rajinder (29 August 2013). "Religious fervour marks Janmashtami". The Tribune. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  29. "Shivalik Public School, Mohali". The Tribune. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  30. "Show-cause notices issued to 3 schools for demanding fee". The Tribune. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  31. "Migrant killed in accident". the Tribune. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  32. Victor, Hillary (26 May 2022). "YPS roundabout in Mohali becomes epicentre of protests". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  33. Victor, Hillary (27 September 2021). "Mohali medical college to begin admissions this year". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  34. "Punjab approves development of Amity University Campus in Mohali". Tribune. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  • Media related to Mohali at Wikimedia Commons
  • Mohali travel guide from Wikivoyage
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