Jalandhar and its many legends

Just as a man is known by the company he keeps, a city’s identity is known by the legends it has produced.

When one hears Malika Pukhraj sing ‘Abhi to main jawan hoon’, the mind immediately remembers its writer, poet Hafiz Jalandhari, who wrote this nazm. He lived in Jalndhar before he migrated to Pakistan. Legendary singer KL Saigal also lived and died in this city, while child prodigy, singer Master Madan was born here. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s family also lived in a suburb of the city called Basti Guzan before Partition, although Nusrat was born in Pakistan. Singers Hans Raj Hans and Daljit Dosanjh also belong to this city.

Jalandhar also boasts of the holding the oldest classical music festival, Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, every winter since 1875. It has been the launch pad of many maestros. It is perhaps the only festival where the music aficionados sit through the night in biting cold, wrapped in quilts and blankets, to listen to the heavenly ragas.

Well-known filmmaker BR Chopra, yesteryear actor Bharat Bhushan and actress Vimi also belonged to Jalandhar, as did many Bollywood film distributors.

Jalandhar has been home to many litterateurs like novelist Upender Nath Ashq, playwright Mohan Rakesh, poets Sudershan Fakir, Ibn-e-Insha, Nand Lal Noorpuri and Pash.

The city has also been a cradle of vernacular journalism as more than a dozen daily newspapers used to be published here during the 50s and 60s. Some of them are still being published.

Jalandhar has also been a sports nursery, especially for hockey players. The city produced two Indian hockey greats Ajitpal and Pargat Singh, who captained Indian team in Olympics. The city is also the country’s biggest manufacturer of sports goods.

Jalandhar is an ancient city named after the mythological demon Jalandhar. There is a temple for his wife Vrinda in the city, who is worshipped as Tulsi in many homes.

Jalandhar’s sons have represented the city even in the field of politics. Former Prime Minister IK Gujral and Pakistani ruler General Zia-ul-Haq also belonged to the city.

It is in no way hubris, but genuine pride that I have for this city of my birth.

Vinod Khanna, Mohali