Like Ganda in Haryana, state too has strange village names

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 26

Just like Ganda village in Haryana which was recently renamed Ajit Nagar, there are a number of villages in Punjab with strange names such as Billimar, Kala Bakra, Jhotianwali, Kattianwali, Sappanwali, Gidderanwali, Moranwali, Kirianwala, etc.

Residents of these villages say they have to face embarrassment sometimes because of these villages are named after animals. A youth of Kattianwali village in Muktsar district said, “We, being the residents of the village, like its name but when we tell others, they laugh. When I got admission in a college in Chandigarh, my classmates laughed at my village’s name.”

Similarly, an advocate from Sappanwali village said, “There may be some historical importance behind the name of our village but whenever we tell people that we belong to Sappanwali village, people not just laugh but also start asking some weird questions. My sister works in a multinational company and she has never revealed the name of our village to her colleagues.”

Notably, some residents of Kuttianwali village in Muktsar district had approached Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. They requested him to change the name of their village, which was thereafter renamed Sheranwala in 2014.

Nishan Singh, sarpanch of Sheranwala village, had at that time said, “The village name was weird and especially the women objected to it. However, it took us 20 years to get the village name changed.”

It is further learnt that a majority of the residents of these villages were not even aware about the history behind their village names.

The list of villages having funny names includes Jhotianwali, Sappanwali, Gidderanwali, Korianwali, Beganwali, Killianwali, Kirianwala and Amir Khas in Fazilka district; Billimar and Phide in Ferozepur; Chhapianwali, Kattianwali, Kolianwali, Chibbranwali, Kabarwala, Raniwala, Bhangchari and Lande Rode in Muktsar district; Moranwali in Faridkot district; Lande and Rode in Moga district; Giddar and Bhagi Bandar in Bathinda district; Kala Bakra in Jalandhar district; Muchhal in Amritsar district; Kubba in Ludhiana district; Munda and Kuttiwala in Tarntaran district.

Sumeet Jarangal, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, said, “We have got an application from an individual of Khane Ki Dhabh village requesting us to rename the village as Harkirat Singh Ki Dhabh (his relative, a former Chairman of Market Committee, Malout). I have asked the SDM Malout to submit a report in this regard. Thereafter, we will see the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry and decide whether it can be recommended or not.”