About Ludhiana
Ludhiana, the site of a great battle in the First Sikh War (1845) is
now Punjab's biggest metropolitan city. This city situated on the banks
of the Sutlej River, was founded in 1480 by Lodhi princess from Delhi.
It is a major textile and light engineering centre. Its hosiery goods
are in great demand in all the markets of the east and the west. It
exports woolen garments, machine tools, dyes, cycle parts, mopeds,
sewing machines and motor parts to all over the world. For its
production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also known as the Manchester of
India. The worlds largest bicycle manufacturer, Hero Cycles, which
produces nearly three million bicycles annually, is based here. The
rich agricultural area around it supports a large grain market.
Christian Medical College Hospital, established in 1894, was the first
school of medicine in Asia. The city was the site of a great battle
during the first Sikh wars. It was also an important center during the
struggle for freedom, and is associated with names like Lala Lajpat
Rai, Sardar Kartar Singh, Baba Santa Singh and Maulana Habibur Rehman.
The famous Punjab Agricultural University is situated on the outskirts
of Ludhiana. It has a large grain market and is famous for rural
Olympics.