Borawal

Borawal also in records written as Borewal is a village in Budhlada tehsil of Mansa district in the Indian state of Punjab. It is on Budhlada - Bhikhi road. The village has a very large pond, three gurdwaras, and C-pet camp. Welfare clubs such as U Meed and Saheed Udam Singh are present.

History
Borawal is considered to be one of the oldest villages in Punjab. According to historians, Borawal came into existence in the early or mid-thirteenth century. Pt. Kartar Singh Dakha wrote in 1945 that "In the town of Borawal in Patiala Raaj, there lives the Braveheart Sekhon people from 700 years ago" (ਕਸਬਾ ਬੋੜਾਵਾਲ ਜੋ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਟਿਆਲੇ ਰਾਜ। ਬਸੈ ਸਾਤ ਸੌ ਬਰਸ ਤੇ ਸਭ ਸੇਖਮ ਸਿਰਤਾਜ।।).

Demographics
Borawal has a population of 3950 of which 2112 are males and 1838 are females, as per Population Census 2011. In Borawal village, 403 children aged under 6 live, making up 10.20% of the total. The average sex ratio is 870 which is lower than the Punjab state average of 895. The child sex ratio for the Borawal as per the census is 824, lower than the Punjab average of 846.

Borawal village has a lower literacy rate than Punjab. In 2011, the literacy rate was 55.79% compared to 75.84% of Punjab. Male literacy stands at 59.65% while female literacy rate is 51.39%.

Governance
Borawal village is administrated by Sarpanch (head of village), who is the elected representative of the village.

Culture
Borawal is known for its rich cultural and religious heritage.

Education
Government primary school in the village was constructed and started in 1955 and master Mehar Chand from Budhlada was the first teacher. For a few years earlier to it a single teacher taught students in Dharmshala near the Mitha Khooh and before that education was given by some pundits or dera pujaries in the village or one had to go to nearby towns for education. The school was upgraded from time to time and is now High School. Its buildings and grounds cover the two old Deras, and deep pond which was filled mainly by levelling the Deras.

Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Dharam Singh Sekhon
Located about one and half kilometer from the Bus Stand and almost equidistance from Borawal, Gurne Kalan and Biroke Khurad is a historical Sikh Gurdwara named Dharmeana (ਧਰਮੇਆਣਾ) It is built on the place where Shaheed Baba Dharam Singh Sekhon fought with the slaughterers of cows, in spite of cutting down his head. He continued swaying his sword and remained in the saddle of his horse he was riding even when his head dropped to the ground at this place. The horse returned towards the village and his torso dropped near the village, about one and half kilometer from where he was fighting. This place is named Baba Marh (ਬਾਬਾ ਮੱੜ੍ਹ) and a gurudwara has been built here too.

Darwaza Baar
It is one of four gates that were used to protect the town from foreign invaders. It is the one remaining.

Haveli Of Maharaja Hira Singh
The haveli of Maharaja Hira Singh, the ruler of Nabha state in Punjab, was located in the middle of Borawal but is now in shambles. Borawal was the maternal ancestral village of Maharaja Hira Singh who ascended the Nabha throne in the absence of any direct descendant of Raja Bhagwan Singh who died young from tuberculosis in 1871. Many persons from Borawal were then employed in Nabha State by Hira Singh.

Khaara Khoo and Mittha Khoo
Two wells (Punjabi: ਖੂਹ) are located there. The Khaara Khoo (ਖਾਰਾ ਖੂਹ) is saline, and the Mittha Khoo (ਮਿੱਠਾ ਖੂਹ) has drinkable water. These preserved wells are no longer in use.