Talhan 4.16

Talhan is a village in Jalandhar district, near the Jalandhar Cantonment, in Punjab, India.DemographicsAccording to the 2001 Census, Talhan has a population of 2,946 people. The village has 369acre.Baba Shaheed Nihal SinghTalhan is famous for its Shaheedi Jor Mela which is held annually in the memory of Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh. The mela is a big attraction in Jalandhar. The 58th Jor Mela was held on 20–21 June 2009.Baba Nihal Singh belonged to the neighbouring village of Dakoha. Baba Nihal Singh made pulleys for drinking water wells. He served the people by installing the pulleys at the base of the well. Local people believe that as the Baba was divine, no matter which water well Baba installed a pulley, the water wells never dried up and the water remained sweet.On one occasion, the Baba met with a fatal accident, whilst installing a pulley and the Baba became a martyr whilst serving the people.The people of Talhan constructed a shrine (Samadh) in Talhan. The shrine was looked after by the Baba Nihal Singh's associate, Harnam Singh. After Harnam Singh's death, the followers cremated him next to the Baba's Samadhi.The two shrines have now become a grand Gurudwara. An annual Mela is held to mark the death anniversary ("Barsi") of the Baba. This Mela is a grand event in Jalandhar.There are sports events like Kabbadi, volleyball and tug-of-war. Gatka(Sikh martial arts) displays are held.The Gurudwara runs a fully modernised charitable hospital and has recently acquired a Doppler Scan Machine for colour scans.ReligionTalhan has a mixed population of Sikhs and Hindus. The village also has one Muslim family whose Iqbal Bibi is the sole caretaker of the "mazaar" (dargah) of Pir Baba Fateh Shah Qadir. The "mazaar" is located in the north-west of Talhan and is about a kilometre from Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh. The "mazaar" includes three graves, a “tomb” and the care taker is Baba Paramjit Bains. The village participates in the annual urs or Mela where Qawwali's and folk singers perform.