Machhiwara

Machhiwara
—  city  —
Machhiwara Location of Machhiwara in Punjab and India
Coordinates	30°55′N 76°12′E
Country	India
State	Punjab
District(s)	Ludhiana
Population	18,363 (2001)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 262 metres (860 ft)

Machhiwara (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ: ਮਾਛੀਵਾੜਾ) is a village and a nagar panchayat in the Ludhiana district of the Indian state of Punjab. Machhiwara is famous for Gurudwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib named after the Guru's feet that are compared to the lotus flower. When Emperor Aurangzeb's army attacked the fortress of Chamkaur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singhji successfully resisted their onslaught and slipped away into the forests of Machhiwara. The Mughal forces got wind of his whereabouts and Guru Gobind Singhji was saved by two of his Muslim devotees who disguised him as their Muslim prophet. The place where the Guruji rested is where the Gurudwara stands today.

This town was owned by Rana Udho Singh Ghorewaha who received Rahon as a Jagir from Akbar the Great in return for his capturing of the rebel General Bairam Khan. This town and many surrounding it were owned by Ghorewaha Rajputs.

Geography

Machhiwara is located at 30.91°N 76.2°E / 30.91; 76.2. It has an average elevation of 262 metres (859 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Machhiwara had a population of 18,363. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. The major Jat clan in the town is Dhaliwal, and Waraich. Machhiwara has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 64%, and female literacy is 56%. In Machhiwara, 14% of the population is under 8 years of age. The rural area of Machhiwara are settled aboard in Canada, and United States.