Yamunanagar district

Yamunanagar is a district in the north-eastern part of the Indian state of Haryana. It lies along the right bank of the Yamuna river, which forms its eastern boundary with Uttar Pradesh. The district headquarters is the twin-city of Yamunanagar–Jagadhri, an industrial town known for its plywood, sugar, paper and metal-utensil industries.

Geography

The district occupies the Indo-Gangetic plain in its lower reaches and the Shivalik foothills in its northern fringe. The Yamuna enters the plains at Hathnikund in the district, where the Hathnikund Barrage diverts water into the Western Yamuna Canal and Eastern Yamuna Canal. The Somb is a seasonal tributary that drains the Shivalik slopes. Forested tracts of the Kalesar area in the north form part of the Kalesar National Park.

Administration

Yamunanagar district was carved out of the larger Ambala district on 1 November 1989. It is administered as part of the Ambala division of Haryana. The district is divided into sub-divisions and tehsils centred on Jagadhri, Bilaspur, Chhachhrauli and Radaur, with Yamunanagar–Jagadhri serving as the principal urban agglomeration.

History

The area has a long historical and archaeological record. Sugh (ancient Srughna), near Jagadhri, is identified with the city visited by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang in the 7th century and has yielded coins and pottery from the Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods. Adi Badri, in the Shivalik foothills, is traditionally regarded as the source of the now-vanished Saraswati river and contains old temples and excavation sites.

During the medieval period the tract was part of the Sirhind region and later came under Mughal and Sikh rule. The town of Jagadhri grew as a centre of brassware. Buria and Chhachhrauli were seats of small principalities; Chhachhrauli was the capital of the former Kalsia State, a Sikh princely state ruled by the Sandhu Jat dynasty until its merger with PEPSU and later integration into Punjab and Haryana.

Yamunanagar itself developed in the 20th century as a planned industrial town, originally known as Abdullapur, and grew rapidly after independence with the establishment of paper, sugar and timber-based industries.

Economy

The district is one of the most industrialised in Haryana. Key activities include:

• Plywood and timber processing — the Yamunanagar–Jagadhri belt is among India's largest plywood manufacturing clusters.
• Sugar — the cooperative Saraswati Sugar Mills at Yamunanagar is among the largest single-location sugar mills in India.
• Paper — the Ballarpur Industries unit at Yamunanagar has historically been a major paper producer.
• Metal utensils — Jagadhri is a traditional centre for brass and stainless-steel utensil manufacture.
• Power — the state-run thermal plant complex at Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant, Khedar, lies in the wider region; locally, the Western Yamuna Canal supports hydropower and irrigation.

Agriculture in the plains is dominated by wheat, rice, sugarcane and fodder, supported by canal irrigation from the Yamuna system.

Transport

Yamunanagar is served by the Jagadhri railway station and Yamunanagar–Jagadhri railway station on the Northern Railway, with connections towards Ambala, Saharanpur and Delhi. National Highway 344 passes through the district, linking it with Saharanpur and Panchkula. The nearest major airport is at Chandigarh.

Places of interest

• Adi Badri — temple complex and traditional source of the Saraswati.
• Kalesar National Park and Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Hathnikund Barrage on the Yamuna.
• Sugh (Amadalpur) — archaeological site.
• Chhachhrauli — former capital of Kalsia State, with old palaces and gurdwaras.
• Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir and old temples in Jagadhri.

Demographics and culture

Hindi is the official language, while Punjabi and Haryanvi are widely spoken. The district has significant Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities, reflecting its location on the historical frontier between Punjab and the Gangetic plain. Local fairs at Adi Badri, Kapal Mochan (a sacred bathing tank near Bilaspur associated with the Mahabharata tradition and visits by Sikh Gurus) and Panchmukhi Hanuman temple are notable cultural events.

Related topics

• Haryana
• Ambala division
• Yamuna
• Kalesar National Park
• Hathnikund Barrage
• Kalsia State
• Districts of Haryana

References

• Wikidata: Q1873644
• Government of Haryana, district portal for Yamunanagar.
• Census of India, district handbooks for Yamunanagar.