Fazilka

Fazilka ਫਾਜ਼ਿਲਕਾ
city
Fazilka Location in Punjab, India
Coordinates: 30°24′11″N 74°01′30″E / 30.403°N 74.025°E / 30.403; 74.025Coordinates: 30°24′11″N 74°01′30″E / 30.403°N 74.025°E / 30.403; 74.025
Country	India
State	Punjab
District	Fazilka
Elevation	177 m (581 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	67,424
Languages
• Official	Punjabi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	152123
Telephone code	01638
Vehicle registration	Pb-22
Precipitation	923.9 millimetres (36.37 in)

Population history of Fazilka

Fazilka is a city and a municipal council in Punjab, India. In 2011, it was made the headquarters of the newly created Fazilka district.

History

The municipality was formed via Punjab Government notification no. 486, dated 10 December 1885. The town was added to the Ferozepur district in 1884. On 27 July 2011, Fazilka was declared a District by Government of Punjab vide their Gazette Notification No. 1/1/2011-RE-II(I)/14554 dated July 27, 2011.

Fazilka is a town on Indo-Pak border that suffered some of the maximum problems due to drawing of Radcliffe line at the time of Partition in 1947. This one line divides Natural resources, many houses and people. River Satluj which was common source of water is now acting as line of division between two countries.

Before partition, 50% Fazilka population comprises Muslim, and all of them left India and reached Pakistan in 1947. Most of the village around Fazilka belongs to Muslim families, mainly Bodla, Watto, Sahoo Rajpoot and Chistis's clans. People from Fazilka visit Pakistan, Katasraj - a Hindu Holy city in Pakistan almost every year in the month of August.

People from Fazilka

The late Gazal singer, Mehndi Hassan, took his music training from Fazilka.

Recent visit of Pakistan's ministry of states, frontiers and Kashmir affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, who originally hails from Fazilka visited his ancestral village Mauzam. He named his younger son after his village Name.

Demographics and geography

As of 2001 India census,^[1] Fazilka had a population of 67,424. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Fazilka has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 62%. In Fazilka, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Graduate level courses are available at M.R. Govt. College. Some private institutes give opportunities for diploma and degree level computer courses. Courses are also available for a Bachelor of Education degree. There is one Industrial Training Institute that provides vocational courses. Some private institutes also provide vocational courses.

Colleges

1. Rahat Institute of Computer Managament
2. Sangam Institute of Management & Technology, Fazilka
3. Geeta Institute of Management & Technology, Fazilka
4. M.R. Govt. College
5. Industrial Training Institute
6. Jyoti B.Ed College
7. D.A.V. College of Education
8. Sant Kabir Polytechnic college
9. Bhagwan Parshuram Art & Craft I.T.I.
10. Ch M.R.S Memorial Institute of IT & Management
11. Swami vivekanand ITC
12. Guru Harkrishan Art & Craft College.
13. Guru Harkrishan I.T.I Near Baba Ram Dev Mandir Alam Shah Road Fazilka
14. Guru Harkrishan Technical College Fazilka.
15. L M B(Lala Murari Lal Bhusri)College Of Ayurvedic Pharmacy Alam Shah Road Fazilka.
16. Smt Bimla Devi Bhusri Charitable & Welfare Educational Institute Fazilka

Secondary schools

1. Kendriya Vidyalaya BSF Rampura, Fazilka
2. Saraswati Vidya Mandir School
3. Guru Gobind singh Public sen sec school Arniwala S.S
4. Godwin Public School
5. Shivalik Public School
6. Swami Daya Nand Model School
7. Holy Heart Public School
8. New Gurukul Vidya Mandir Public School
9. Govt. Modal Senior Secondary School
10. Atam Vallab Public School
11. Army Public Schools
12. Smt. Karma Bai, D.A.V School
13. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Computer Center For Higher Studies
14. S.D. Senior Secondary School
15. D.A.V. Senior Secondary School
16. Sanskrit Vidhyalaya
17. S.D. Girls Senior Secondary School
18. Govt. Girls Senior Secondary School
19. Islamia School (Before Partition)
20. Sarv Hitkari Vidya Mandir
21. D.A.V D.C Modal Senior Secondary School
22. Govt. Primary School No. 1, 2, and 3
23. Satsang Elementary Primary School
24. Jain School
25. Govt. Boy Sen. Sec. School
26. Arya Kanya Putri Pathshala
27. Chanakya Model School
28. Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School, Kaurianwali
29. Holy Heart Day Boarding School
30. Rainbow Day Boarding Public School
31. Amrit Model School
32. Sikh Kanya Putri Pathshala
33. Holy Child Public School
34. Sacred Heart Convent School
35. Shree Ram Public School
36. Comfy International Convent School
37. Shaheed Udham singh Public Sen.Sec. Schol, Chak Ban wala

Economy

Fazilka's Punjabi Tilla Jutti

The economy of the Fazilka is based on agriculture. Before partition, it was a major wool market. Traders used to export wool to Britain via the ports at Karachi in Sindh. By 2007, wool production had decreased to about 10% of the production before partition. The area around the town grows high quality cereals (wheat, rice, and others). A hybrid variety of citrus fruit known as 'Kino' is grown in this region. The surrounding areas also produce guava and cotton.

The town is home to heritage cottage industries such as the production of woven strings (Waan) fabricated from Sarkanda grass acquired from the bank of the river Sutlej. This is a labour intensive low profit cottage industry.

Fairs and festivals

The Fazilka region observes almost all important major festivals of India, including Diwali, Dushehra, Holi, and Gurpurab. Apart from these major festivals, Fazilka hosts the following:

• Vijay Diwas Celebration at Asafwala War Memorial on 17 December is held jointly by Indian Army and the War Memorial Trust
• Village Ban Wala Mela
• Village Lakhe Kadayian Wala Mela is held twice a year, including one on the first day of Desi Month Sawan every year, to celebrate the start of the monsoon season
• Peer Guraya Mela, Nayi Abadi Fazilka
• 15 August and 26 January: Celebration at Sadqui Check Post, Indo-Pakistan Border
• Fazilka Heritage Festival, Mehak Sarhad Di to celebrate and promote the art, culture, and food of the Fazilka region by the Graduates Welfare Association
• Anand Utsav-Environment Festival, held by the Graduates Welfare Association

₦ Baba Bhuman Shah Satsang, May's second Sunday of Every year, in village Chak Ban wala bodla, (Kamboj's Capital.)

Daily joint Indo-Pak retreat ceremony of BSF and Pak Rangers being performed at Sadqi border in evening.

Languages and dialects

The Fazilians have ethnic groups hailing from Southern Punjab,Saraiki, Rajasthan, Malwa, and Sahiwal with their own specific dialects. The major dialects include the following:^[2]

• Saraiki and Lehndi, spoken by Rai Sikhs, Kambojas and migrants from Sahiwal (Pakistan)
• Mahajani, spoken by migrants from deep Sindh and Southern Punjab
• Malwai, spoken by settlers from the erstwhile Faridkot state
• Theth Punjabi, spoken by migrants from Majha and Doaba

Regional dance

Fazilka is known for a style of jhumar dance propagated by the late Baba Pokhar Singh (1916–2002). Pokhar Singh's family had migrated from the Montgomery district of Western Punjab, and they claimed to represent the "Ravi" style of jhumar. However, Fazilka had its own style of jhummar (which they refer to as the "Satluj" style). Therefore, at least two regional styles were mixed in everyday life, and in his jhummar routine (which was basically the same each time, and which family and friends still perform today), Pokhar identified several other regional actions.^[3] Moreover the Bollywood personalities such as Malayika Arora Khan and Mandira Bedi belong to Fazilka.^[4]

Transportation

Railways

The first railway line through the town was set up in 1898 on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of the accession of Queen Victoria. Fazilka was connected by railway to McLeodganj (now in Pakistan and renamed Mandi Sadiqganj) on the route to Bahawalnagar and then to Bahawalpur. Fazilka was connected by railway to Amruka (now in Pakistan) through Chaanwala. The tracks from Fazilka to McLeod Ganj and from Fazilka to Chaanwala are now closed, perhaps uprooted.

Fazilka railway station is connected to Ferozepur and Bhatinda junctions of Northern Railways. A new 43 km long railway line to Abohar towards the south has been constructed to shorten the distance to Bikaner by over 100 km. Trains on the new railway line to Abohar started in July 2012 and an express train started between Sri Ganganagar and Firozpur via Abohar and Fazilka in November 2012 on this track.^[5]

Roads

National Highway 10 passes through Fazilka and connects to Delhi via Hissar and Rohtak. The State highway runs from Fazilka to Ferozepur and from Fazilka to Malout And Both Road are very clean. Fazilka to Abohar.

Air

Amritsar International Airport and Ludhiana Domestic Airport are the nearest airports about 220 km away.

Intra-city-Ecocabs

Fazilka does not have a public bus transport system. Rickshaws are the available means of transport within the city.^[6] These rickshaws are now dispatched by telephone by the Fazilka Ecocab Call Centre.^[7]

Maps

Map of Fazilka

Temples

Fazilka has seven main Hindu temples: Hanuman Temple, Shiv Temple, Parnami Mandir, Ram Mandir, Dayra Baba Balbantgiri Temple, and the Shiv Temple of Kusht Ashram (in Leper colony). The most recent temple is the Shiv Temple of Kusht Ashram, built in 2005 by the Dhawan Family in dedication to the 70th anniversary of the late Dr. Ved Parkash and Lal Devi Dhawan. It is located in the Leper colony based on the vision of the Dhawan family to enable worship by Lepers, who are traditionally shunned from worship at Hindu temples. Now one more temple has become very famous in short period of time, name is Shree Bala Ji Dhaam. The beautiful statue of Lord Hanuman Ji is placed there and inspired by Salasar Dham (Rajasthan).

Landmarks

Clock towers were placed at the city centres in Fazilka and Lyallpur (Now known as Faisalabad). Both city centres were designed by Captain Poham Young, to imitate the Union Flag when seen from above, with eight roads to the main markets radiating from a centre with a large clock tower. The cities of Fazilka and Lyallpur both came into existence between 1840 and 1880. Layallpur Clock Tower was built by the British Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Sir James Broadwood Lyall, for whom it was originally named Lyallpur. Fazilka Clock Tower was built in the memory of a famous philanthropist of Fazilka, Ram Narayan Periwal, by Rai Sahab Madan Gopal Periwal and Shopat Rai Periwal. The Fazilka clock tower, at an approximate height of 95 feet (29 m), is the tallest clock tower in North India. Fazilka Clock Tower was made by contractor Sh. Narain Singh under the supervision of Mohd. Ch Abdul Shakoor Kareem Malak, who was the sardar of the region. It was inaugurated by Mr. M.R. Sachdev, ESQ, ICS, the then Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur on June 6, 1939 in the presence of Sheepseks Asquire ICS DC Jalandhar and Rai Sahab Lala Vidyadhar PCS SDO of Fazilka. The tower was designed by Architect S.D. Wasan. Fazilka and Faislabad Clock towers were both inaugurated on the same day. Previously it was maintained by the Periwal Trust but since 1991, the Municipal Council of Fazilka has been responsible.^[8] The Fazilka Clock Tower was one of the first brick and masonry buildings in Punjab. A picture of Fazilka Clock Tower may be viewed in the Picture gallery of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chandigarh.^[9]

In 1940, A philanthropist Munshi Ram Aggarwal instituted M.R. college for the education of the youngsters of the region. Now it has been taken over by the Punjab Government and renamed M.R. Govt. College.

The Asafwala 1971 Indo-Pak War Memorial was inaugurated by Late President of India Giani Zail Singh. This monument is a tribute to all Indian army soldiers who laid down their lives to save our City. This is under 4 JATT Regiment, who played important role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

The Fazilka TV Tower is a 304.8 metres (1,000 ft) tall free-standing lattice tower situated at Abohar Road. It broadcasts the signal of Jalandar Doordarshan and Delhi Doordarshan.

Retreat ceremony at Sadqi border is one of the main attraction in this area.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fazilka.