Chaheru
| Chiheru | |
|---|---|
| village | |
  Chiheru Location in Punjab, India | |
| Coordinates: 31°16′08″N 75°42′08″E / 31.2690°N 75.7021°ECoordinates: 31°16′08″N 75°42′08″E / 31.2690°N 75.7021°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Punjab |
| District | Kapurthala |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 2,458 |
| • Density | 410/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Punjabi |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 144402 |
| Area Code | 01824 |
| Vehicle registration | PB- |
Chiheru (a.k.a. Chaheru, or Cheheru) is a village in the District of Kapurthala, Punjab, India.[1] Nearest cities are Phagwara and Jalandhar. Neighbouring villages include Nanak Nagri, Maheru, Khajurla, Madhopur, Nangal Maja and Spror.
Location
Chiheru is located just off to the East side of the National Highway 1 (India) (a.k.a. Grand Trunk Road, GT Road), and the Indian Railways line, the major transportation artery North-South of India and between New Delhi and Amritsar. Chiheru is 390 km North of New Delhi, 118 km NW of Chandigarh, and 90 km SE of Amritsar. The two nearby cities Phagwara is 8 km SE and Jalandhar is 14 km NW. The nearest railway stations for local traffic are in Chiheru (station code=CEU), Phagwara (station code=PGW), and Jalandhar (station code=JUC/JRC).[2]
Layout
Chiheru is situated close to a large water creek, known as Chitti Bein, that overflows and flood the nearby areas, during the monsoon, from time to time. The first homes in Chiheru are built at a higher elevation in the middle of the village. The village is now sprawled with mostly new homes, on 100+ streets (a.k.a. Gallias), and is surrounded by agricultural land. Chiheru has a Government School, 3 Gurdwaras/temples, and a Post Office.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, by the Indian Government, Chiheru (#83) has 509 households, and a population of 2,458; 1248 males (51%), and 1210 females (49%).[3] Some of the permanent resident names are: Deo (a.k.a. Diu, Deu), Olak (a.k.a. Aulakh), Binning (a.k.a. Bring), Bhangu, Kular, Kang, Bains, Bassan, Bhogal, Uppal, Sandhu, Kaler, and others. Chaheru’s first residents were from the Deo clan. Originally Deo and Aulakh were brothers and two of five sons. They came from the Sankatra tribe, from the areas of Sankhatra narowal [4] & Zafarwal & District of Sialkot, Punjab, now in Pakistan.[5][6]
Education
In the early 1900s, the first public Elementary School (up to grade 5) was built by the Maharaja of Kapurthala Jagatjit Singh. In the mid 1960s, the original building was demolished and a new larger building constructed. In 1974 it was upgraded to Middle school (Grade 8) by the Punjab Government, within the District of Kapurthala (school district 303), and in 1994 further upgraded to High School (Grade 10) [7]
History
Chiheru is over 400 years old and was an established village when Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji passed through Chaheru whilst travelling from Kartarpur to Kiratpur Sahib and subsequently stopping at Palahi and Lakhpur, to commemorate a battle of 1635, between Sri Guru Hargobind Ji and the invading Mughal forces, led by Ahmad Khan. Guru Ji also visited Domeli, Hadiabad and Phagwara where Gurdwaras have been built in memory of the visit.
The Locals of Chiheru indicate that in the early eighteen hundreds a resident by the name of Jawahar Singh Deo had joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Army.
In 1911, the work on the Chiheru Train Station and the train line started, and in 1914 the line was opened for passenger traffic between Ludhiana and Jalandhar (a.k.a. Jullundur),through Chiheru, when the Sutlej River Bridge of 20 spans was completed.[8]
Up to the 1960s a water well in Chiheru, named “Bohri Khooi”, was the source for obtaining drinking water. This well was located where the present Langar Cooking building is constructed, next to the first Gurdwara, in front of the village. Subsequently Nalkas (manual water pumps) were installed in homes, and the water well was filled in.
Between 2012-2014, Chiheru’s underground Water Supply System, and a Sewage System were installed. The project was funded by the villagers (local and international), and managed by Dr. Gurdev Gill.[9] This in turn eliminated dirty water ponds known as “Shapads” and Residents believe Chaheru to be one of the cleanest villages in Punjab.
Gurdwaras (Temples)
The first Dharamshala (type of building) was located inside the village. In the late eighteen hundreds, a piece of land was donated by Bhai Ram Singh (Deo), and the first Gurdwara, named Badi Sangat, was built in front of the village. Chiheru's first Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Scriptures) was written by hand, in Chiheru. Subsequently, it was transferred to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Chiheru's land records in Punjabi indicate that in 1921, 10.5 acres of agricultural land was donated to the Badi Sangat gurdwara, by Maharaja Kapurthala, the Ruler at the time. This land is still owned by the gurdwara, it is located on GT Road, close to the underpass (a.k.a. pully), and is registered under the gurdwara’s agricultural Land Account (Khatoni# 935 & 949).[10]
The Badi Sangat gurdwara was rebuilt with bricks, a thara (a.k.a. tharha) (a large raised platform of masonry) was also constructed. This area with the gurdwara, school, and thara, act as the gathering place for religious and social functions and events. At one time it was used for holding old style gymnastics.
In the mid 1990s, the Badi Sangat gurdwara was demolished and a brand new gurdwara was built. Langar (Food) cooking hall was also constructed next to the gurdwara. At the same time, the second gurdwara, named Bhai Banda Singh, was built in the middle of the village, and the third gurdwara, named Ravidas Sabha, was built at the back of the village.
Chitti Bein Flood
The Chitti (White) Bein begins in Hoshiarpur district area, passes through all districts of Doaba, and drains into the Sutlej, near Harike in Amritsar District. Locals of Chiheru and Lakhpur recall the major flooding of 1947, when Chitti Bein breached its banks and the water came up to the level of the thara in front of the village, the lowest level, causing much devastation. It also flooded the surrounding areas within the Phagwara area. The Government had a camp next to the Chitti Bein, to house the transient people, from the Partition of India, and thousands of people drowned and died. So much damage was caused to the G.T. Road near Chiheru that a new section of the Road had to be constructed.
Agricultural Land Consolidation (Mrabe Bandi)
In 1948 a land consolidation act was created by the government, known as East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation and Prevention of Fragmentation) Act 1948,[11] and implemented in Chiheru between 1952-1953. Prior to the Act, the farmers owned non-contiguous land in various surrounding areas of the village, and in small units. New consolidations and contiguous land allowed the farmers to be more productive and have individual water wells for irrigation (a.k.a. Khoos). The Khoos were run by Ox and later converted to Tube wells as electricity became available. The consolidation was based on a price of 1 Rupee/Acre for the best location, and 1 Aana/Acre (1/16 of a Rupee), for not so best location. Gurdial Singh the Village accountant, a.k.a. Patwari, was in charge and administered the individual land holdings. At the same time the outer perimeter road of the village (a.k.a. Phirni) and the road to the Chiheru Train Station were constructed. The Phirni represents something known as the “Lal Lakir” (Red Line) that separates the village from its agricultural land.
Migration to Other Countries
The Locals indicate that within the 20th Century there has been much migration out of Chiheru.
In the early 1900s the first few residents of Chiheru immigrated to the USA; Masa Singh (Deo), and Attar Singh (Deo), but returned after some time. Some immigrated to Argentina;Laal Singh (Deo), Bishan Singh Bhangu, Diwan Singh Bhangu, and Fuman Singh (Deo). While others later continued to immigrate to the USA/Canada; Hazara Singh (Deo, Dhakiawala), Dalip Singh Bassan, Hazara Singh (Deo, Sangawala), and Shankar Singh (Deo, Sangawala). In 1922, the first woman from Chaheru, Mrs. Rattan Kaur (Piara Singh Bassan’s Aunt/a.k.a. Bhooaa) immigrated to Vancouver, Canada. It is said that it took her 6 months to get to Vancouver, in a ship, as recalled by the living family.[12] In 1931 Dhana Singh Bring immigrated to Canada. In 1951, he returned to India, and then in 1957 immigrated again to Canada, as indicated by the living family. One, Hazara Singh (Deo, Dhakiawala), returned to Chiheru from the USA. He was nicknamed “Au-rait” because he used the word “Alright” with every sentence. In the 1950s many Chiheru residents immigrated to the UK, as new commonwealth migrants, based on the British Nationality Act 1948, and some to Singapore and Malaysia (a.k.a. Malaya): Bakshish Singh (Deo, a.k.a. Sees), Santokh Singh (Deo), and Dhana Singh (Deo). Since that time Chiheru residents have continued to immigrate to the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Middle East countries. As a result, majority of the Deo, Olak, Binning, and Bring Clans live in other countries and are known as NRI.
Famous Viewpoints
Chiheru train station,[13] Chiheru GT Road Bridge across the train line, Chiheru Train Bridge, and GT Road Bridge across the Chitti Bein.[14] Beautiful tall 3-4 story buildings in the village with modern architecture that can be seen from GT Road, a kilometer away. Lovely Professional University on GT Road, next to the Chiheru train station.
References
- ↑ "Chaheru". wikimapia.org.
- ↑ "station codes".
- ↑ http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/final_pca.aspx
- ↑ "Sankhatra". wikimapia.org.
- ↑ "A glossary of tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West frontier province".
- ↑ Rose, H.A. (1911). Glossary of Tribes and Castes of the Punjab, Volume I, II. p. 233. ISBN 8175361522.
- ↑ "Chaheru High School".
- ↑ Punjab, the Crucial Decade.
- ↑ "Dr Gill Sewage System".
- ↑ "Punjab Land Records Society".
- ↑ "THE EAST PUNJAB HOLDINGS".
- ↑ "Sikh Canadian History". Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.
- ↑ "CEU/Chieru(2)". India Rail Info.
- ↑ "Road and Rail Bridge over Chitti Bein".
External links
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