The district is named after Jalandhar, a
demon king, who finds a mention in the Puranas and Mahabharta.
According to another legend, Jalandhar was the capital of the kingdom of
lav, son of Rama. According to yet another version Jalandhar is said to
have derived its name from the vernacular term `Jalandhar’ means area
inside the water, i.e. tract laying between the two rivers Satluj and
Beas, still another name of Jalandhar had been Trigartta, as it was
waters by three rivers, Satluj, Beas and Ravi.
Jalandhar is located on the intensively
irrigated plain between the Beas and Sutlej rivers. The city, which has
major road and rail connections, is a market for agricultural products.
Manufactures include textiles, leather goods, wood products, and
sporting goods. Jalandhar was the capital of Punjab from India's
independence (1947) until Chandigarh was built in 1953.Jalandhar is
situated at 710 31’ East and 300 33’ North at a distance of 146 kms from
state capital Chandigarh. It is at a distance of 350 Kms from Delhi on
Delhi-Amritsar Highway. It is surrounded by Ludhiana district in East,
Kapurthala in West, Hosiharpur in North and Ferozepur in South. It is
well connected by road and train. Nearest Airport is RajaSansi Airport,
Amritsar at a distance of 90 kms.
According to 2001 Census provisional, the
area of Jalandhar District is 3,401 sq. km According to 2001 Census
provisional figures, the total population of the district was 19,53,508
persons (10,26,535 males and 9,26,973 Females).
Administrative Division of the District
The Jalandhar District consist of 5
tehsils/subdivisions viz. Jalandhar-I, Jalandhar II, Nakodar, Phillaur
and Shahkot. Besides, there are 5 sub-tehsils, viz. Adampur, Bhogpur,
Kartarpur, Goryan and Nurmahal. The district is divided into 10
development blocks, viz, Jalandhar East, Jalandhar West, Bhogpur,
Adampur, Nakodar, Shahkot, Phillaur, Nurmahal, Lohian and Rurka Kalan.
According to 2000-2001 figures of District Statistical Office, the
district has 956 inhabited villages.
The climate of this district is on the whole
dry except during the brief south-west monsoon season. The year may be
divided into four seasons. The cold season is from the middle of
November to early part of March. The succeeding period upto the end of
June in the summer season, July, August and first half of September
constitute the South-West monsoon season. The period from middle
September to the middle of November is the post monsoon or transition
period. Although tehsil Phagwara is in the Kapurthala District, for the
description of climate the same has been included in the Jalandhar
district.
The average annual rainfall in the district
is 703.0 mm. The rainfall in the district in general increases from the
south-west towards the north-east and varies from 551.3 mm at Nakodar to
892.3 mm at Adampur (Aera-obsy). About 70 per cent of the annual normal
rainfall in the district is received during the period July to
September, July being the rainiest month. Some rainfall is received
mostly as thunder showers in June and in association with passing
western disturbances in the cold season. The variation in the rainfall
from year to year in the district is appreciable. In the 80 year, 1901
to 1980, the highest annual rainfall amounting to 181 per cent of the
normal occurred in 1917. The lowest annual rainfall which was 55 per
cent of the normal occurred in the year 1905. In the same period, the
annual rainfall in the district was less than 80 per cent of the normal
in 22 years.
On an average, there are 36 rainy days (i.e. days
with rainfall of 2.5 mm or more) in a year in the district. The number
varies from 30 at Phagwara to 45 at Adampur (Aera-obsy). The heaviest
rainfall in 24 hours recorded at any station in the district was 304.8
mm at Jalandhar on 18 August 1878.
There is a meteorological observation in the
District of Jalandhar. But it has started functioning very recently. So
description follows is based on the records of the observatories in the
neighboring district where similar climate conditions prevail. After
February, temperature begin to rise rapidly. June is generally the
hottest month with the mean daily temperature at about 41oC and the mean
daily minimum at about 27oC. Scorching dust laden winds blow on many
days in the summer season and the day temperatures on individual days
may reach above 450C. Afternoon thundershowers which occur on some days
during the summer bring welcome relief though only temporarily. With the
onset of monsoon by about the end of June or early in July, the day
temperature drop down appreciably. But the nights continue to be a warm
during the summer. Due to increase moisture in the monsoon air, the
weather is often sultry and uncomfortable, in between these rains. After
about mid-September when the monsoon withdraws temperatures decrease,
the drop in the night temperature being rapid. January is generally the
coldest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at about 19oC and
the mean daily minimum at about 6oC. During the winter season. Cold
waves effect the district in the rear of western disturbances and the
minimum temperature occasionally drops down below the freezing point of
water.
During the brief south-west monsoon months
and for spells of a day or two in association with the passing western
disturbances high humidity prevails in the district. In the rest of the
year, the humidity is low. The driest port of the year is the summer
season when in the afternoons the relative humidity is 30 percent or
less.
The skies are heavily clouded and over cast
on a few days during the south-west monsoon and for spells of a day or
two in association with passing western disturbances during the cold
season. During the rest of the year, the skies are mostly clear or
lightly clouded.
Winds are generally light in the district.
In the south-west monsoon season, winds from direction, between
north-east and south-east, are common but on many days in the afternoons
westerly to north-westerly winds predominate, except in the latter half
of summer, when easterlies and south easterlies blow on some days.
