Kalanaur, Punjab, India

Kalanaur is a City in Kalanaur Tehsil in Gurdaspur District of Punjab State, India. It is located 27 km towards west from District headquarters Gurdaspur. It is a Tehsil headquarter. The town has historical significance as Mughal Emperor Akbar, was enthroned in a garden near the Kalanaur by Bairam Khan.DemographicsAs per the 2001 census of India, Kalanaur has a population of 12,915. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Those under 6 years of age constitute 13% of the population. The average literacy rate is 65%, which is higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is at 69%, and female literacy at 61%.GeographyKalanaur is located at. It has an average elevation of 243 metres (797 feet). The town is situated about 25 km to the west of Gurdaspur city, on the banks of the Kiran, a minor rivulet that merges into the Ravi river.HistoryAccording to Imperial Gazetteer of India, Kalanaur was founded by two Muslim brothers named Kala and Noor. According to the historian Mohammad Latif, the town was founded by the Noor tribe of Rajputs who probably migrated from South India.It is also possible that the town took its name from the Kaleshwar temple, consecrated to Shiva, which stands within a local fort.Kalanaur existed much before 13th century. It is probably late 7th or early 8th century that Raja Nakay Rao established its rule over the territory. Later, the Raja of Kalanaur Raja Saheb Rao Sena was one of the 150 Rajas who had participated in both the battles of 1191 & 1192 at Tarain (Thanessar) alongside Prithviraj Chauhan against Mohammad Ghour. He adopted religion of Islam after the defeat and Prithviraj Chauhan was captured and killed by Mohammad Ghour under captivity. They migrated to the hills near Peer Panchaal after becoming Muslims as other Rajputs broke relations with this family.