Saharanpur

The city itself was founded during the time of the Mughal Empire , but traces of human habitation in the Doab Valley, where it is located, can be traced back to 2000 BC. e.

During the reign of shams ad-din Iltutmish (1211-36), the region is part of the Delhi Sultanate . When, in 1340, one of the subsequent rulers of the sultanate, Muhammad bin Tugluk, undertook a campaign to suppress the uprising of the rulers of Sivilik , he, according to local tradition, learned about the presence of the holy Sufi on the banks of the Paondkhoy River. After visiting this sage, who called himself Shah Haran Chishti, Muhammad ordered to name this area in its part, “Shah Kharanpur”. The tomb of the saint is located in the oldest quarter of the city.

The Mughal emperor Akbar I the Great bestowed the locality of Rajah Shah Ran Veer Singh, a noble Jain at his court who laid the foundation of a modern city on the site of the army’s cantonment. The city was surrounded by a wall and had four gates: Sarai, Mali, Buria and Lakhi. The ruins of the old fort Shah Ran Veer Singh can still be seen in the Chaundharian area. He also built a large Jany temple ^[1] .

The Saharanpur Botanical Garden, known as the Company Garden, is one of the oldest in India and was founded no later than 1750. In 1817, it was acquired by the British East India Company . In 1887, when the Botanical Survey of India reformed the country's botanical sciences, Saharanpur became a center for research on North Indian flora. It is believed that in terms of its contribution to science and the economy, the garden is in second place in the country after the Calcutta Garden ^{[2] [3]} .

Other places of interest in the city are the Ambedkar Memorial, founded by Mayavati, the head of Uttar Pradesh, and the wood carving market, which presents beautiful pieces of urban art, exported and sold around the world. Every year in September, the city hosts the historical socio-religious festival Gughal Mela, which attracts people of all religions.

According to the 2001 Indian Census, 452,925 people lived in Saharanpur, 53% of whom were men and 47% were women. With a literacy rate of 78%, the city was included in the number of cities with a high literacy rate exceeding the national one (59%). Among men, the literacy rate was 88%, among women - 70%. 14% of the population were children up to and including 6 years of age ^[4] .

According to 2013 data, the population is 543,641 people ^[5] .

The dynamics of the population of the city by years:

The city is famous for its woodworking industry, processing of agricultural products, including basmati rice and mango , textile enterprises, sugar, paper and tobacco products.

The city is connected to other major cities of India by rail. It is an important hub of the Northern Railway Zone , a division of Indian Railways . The city has Saharanpur-Junction stations (located in the city center) and Tapri on Paper Mill Road.

12 km from the city is the Indian Air Force Base Sarsawa, which, at present, is not used for regular civilian flights, but such plans exist. Bus service has been established with neighboring cities and other major cities such as Delhi , Merath and Dehradun .

• Saharanpur County Official Website