Mohali

Mohali, today officially known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar), is a new city with an old rural background. Before it became an urban centre, the area consisted of Punjabi villages such as Mohali village, Sohana, Mataur, Kumbra and Kharar belt, falling historically under the princely states and later under British-era Punjab districts. Life here was mainly agricultural, with wheat, maize and mustard fields dominating the landscape.

After Independence, when Chandigarh was chosen as the new capital of Punjab, rapid growth around it created pressure for more organised housing and industry. In the 1960s–70s, the Punjab Government began developing a planned township south-west of Chandigarh as an urban extension, using numbered sectors that continued Chandigarh’s grid. The area started being called Mohali after the original village, while its official name, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, was adopted to honour the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, martyred in the battles against the Mughals.

Over the late 20th and early 21st century, Mohali transformed into a major industrial, IT and residential hub, sharing the “Tricity” identity with Chandigarh and Panchkula. It gained national visibility with the PCA/IS Bindra cricket stadium, large housing sectors, universities and tech parks, evolving from quiet farmland into one of urban Punjab’s most dynamic modern cities.