Mandi Gobindgarh
|
Mandi Gobindgarh Steel Town |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Nickname(s): Mandi | |
 Mandi Gobindgarh
Mandi Gobindgarh
|
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| Coordinates: 30°25′N 76°11′E / 30.41°N 76.18°ECoordinates: 30°25′N 76°11′E / 30.41°N 76.18°E | |
| Country |
 India
|
| State | Punjab |
| District | Fatehgarh Sahib |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 73,130 |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 147301 |
| Telephone code | 01765 |
| Vehicle registration | PB 23 |
| Sex ratio | 878/1000 ♂/♀ |
Mandi Gobindgarh is a town and a municipal committee in Fatehgarh Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab. It is occasionally referred to as Steel Town or "Loha Mandi" ("Iron Market") on account of its large number of steel factories.
According to local knowledge (and authenticated by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)), the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, stayed along the bank of Lake Barhi Dhab for 40 days in 1646. He was accompanied by his followers and warriors. A skirmish developed between his men and a contingent of Mughal forces. Their weapons sustained damage. The Guru's men pleaded before him that they could not continue to fight, as there was no available steel in the area to repair their weapons. Guru Hargobind replied, "Someday this place will be a large steel-producing center in the country. Why do you say no steel is available to repair your weapons?" Henceforth, Barhi Dhab was known as "Gobindgarh," named after Guru Hargobind Ji. To date, a Gurudwara remains situated near the town's railway station to commemorate Guru Hargobind in his holy memory.
Industrialization in Mandi Gobindgarh began at the start of the 20th century. In 1902, the Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha, where Gobindgarh then lay, ordered the building of industrial units in the town. Maharaja Partap Singh conducted further industrial development.
In 1928, Gobindgarh was declared a free trade zone for steel. As a centre for steel, the town experienced growth. The land was made available to local blacksmiths at nominal rates in early 1940, leading to the establishment of a number of workshops on both sides of the G.T.Road at Gobindgarh.
Mandi Gobindgarh began as a walled town with four gates, which neighboured Modi Mills, Munilal Om Prakash, the main post office (present to this day), and Krishna Mandir. All gates were closed by sunset. In 1950, the gates were demolished.
As of 2001[update] India census, Gobindgarh had a population of 55,416. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Gobindgarh has an average literacy rate of 69%, considerably higher than the national average of 59.5% (72% for males and 67% for females). 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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