Firozpur district

This article is about the district. For its eponymous headquarters, see Firozpur.
Firozpur district
ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ
District

National Martyrs Memoral Hussainiwala close up
Located in the northwest part of the state
Location in Punjab, India
Coordinates: 30°56′24″N 74°37′12″E / 30.94000°N 74.62000°E / 30.94000; 74.62000Coordinates: 30°56′24″N 74°37′12″E / 30.94000°N 74.62000°E / 30.94000; 74.62000
Country  India
State Punjab
Named for Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Headquarters Firozpur
Government
 • Deputy commissioner D.P.S.Kharbanda
Area
 • Total 5,305 km2 (2,048 sq mi)
Population (2011)‡[›]
 • Total 2,029,074
 • Density 380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Punjabi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Literacy 69.80%
No. of villages 639
Lok Sabha constituency 1
Vidhan Sabha constituency 4
Major towns Firozpur, Makhu, Talwandi Bhai, Guru Har Sahai, Zira, Mamdot, Firozpur Cantt, Mallanwalla Khas, Moodkee, Ghall Khurd
Website www.ferozepur.nic.in

Firozpur district (Punjabi: ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ) is one of the twenty-two districts in the state of Punjab located in the North-West of the Republic of India. Firozpur district comprises an area of 5,305 km2 (2,048 sq miles). Prior to split of Firozpur district with the addition of Fazilka district, it comprised an area of 11,142 km2. The surface is level, with the exception of a few sand-hills in the south and south-east. The country consists of two distinct tracts that are liable to annual fertilizing inundations from the Sutlej, the only river, which runs along the north-western boundary. The principal crops are wheat, barley, millet, gram, pulses, oil seeds and cotton. The manufactures are of the humblest kind, consisting chiefly of cotton and wool-weaving and are confined entirely to the supply of local needs. The other important towns and areas of commerce are Zira, Dharmkot, Mallanwalla, Bharana and Talwandi Bhai. Owing principally to the dryness of its climate (apart from annual rains in July and August), Firozpur has the reputation of being an exceptionally healthy district. It has a large number of rice mills and used to be a big trading centre before the partition of India.

View of Sutlej in Ferozepur

Firozpur is the capital city of the district. It is situated inside ten gates -- Amritsari Gate, Wansi Gate, Makhu Gate, Zira Gate, Bagdadi Gate, Mori Gate, Delhi Gate, Magjani Gate, Multani Gate and Kasuri Gate. The Firozpur City adjoining Firozpur Cantonment combines with the city to give the district its most urban hub. It is one of the oldest cantonments in India.

History

Firozpur District was part of the Mamdot estate. The capital city, Firozpur, is believed to have been founded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq from which the district obtains its name. In 1838, as part of the first Anglo-Afghan war, troops of the British East India Company marched from Firozpur to Kabul. Seven years later during the Anglo-Sikh War the area was the scene of conflict between the Khalsa army and the British. It has always remained an important place throughout its existence. It has always remained as a border area, earlier between the Sikhs and the British and now between India and Pakistan.[1]

Ferozeshah, 22 December 1845 by Henry Martens

Location and Geography

The district is located next to and shares its border with Pakistan, the international border being to its west. It has the district of Tarn Taran to its north across Sutluj. On the east of Firozpur lies the district of Moga and to its south it shares border with Faridkot district. On the southwest lies newly created Fazilka district. On the north and notheast it is separated from Tarn Taran and Kapurthala districts by Satluj River. The River Sutluj runs through the district and moves over to the Pakistan side through the India-Pakistan border. There is a large lake made at the Hussainiwala head works from where the original Gang Canal emanates. On the northern side of the river lies the famous Samadhi of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sahdev, the renowned martyrs of the freedom struggle.

Firozpur has extremes of climate, with the summers being very hot and the winters very cold.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census the undivided Firozpur district had a population of 2,026,831.[2][3] This gives it a ranking of 230th in India (out of a total of 640).[3] The district has a population density of 380 inhabitants per square kilometre (980/sq mi).[3] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 16.08%.[3] Firozpur has a sex ratio of 893 females for every 1000 males,[3] and a literacy rate of 69.8%.[3] (This data is before the creation of Fazilka district)

Religion in Firozpur district[4]
Religion Percent
Sikhism
  
 53.76%
Hinduism
  
 44.67%
Christianity
  
 0.95%
Islam
  
 0.34%
Others
  
 0.28%

List of Villages in Firozpur

Administration

The district is administratively into the following tehsils:[2]

List of Sub-Tehsils of Firozpur

Blocks of District Firozpur

Vidhan Sabha Seats in Firozpur

Towns

Firozpur

The ancient and historical Firozpur City was founded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq of Tughlaq dynasty in 14th century. The city is located on the banks of Sutlej river. It is the largest city of the district. The city is located in 7 gates. The places of interest are National Martyrs Memoral, Indo-Pak border, Shaheed Bhagat Singh hideout building, Gurudwara Jamni Sahib, Dargah Sher Shah Wali., Anglo-Sikh War Memorial.The largest division of Northern Railway is Firozpur Division.It was established more than 150 years ago in 1862. It includes many prominent railway stations like Pathankot, Katra, Kangra Valley rail network etc. Nowadays If Ferozepur is recognised for somethings its enormous Firozpur Division. The headquarters of Firozpur district is located in Firozpur Cantonment. The Firozpur Cantonment is praised for its greenery, cleanliness and well build architecture. Both Firozpur City & Firozpur Cantonment are known as twin cities.

Zira

The Zira city is known for its beautiful jain Shwetambar temple.It is located on SH20.

Talwandi Bhai

Talwandi Bhai is situated on national highway no:15 and no:95. it was basically started its journey as grain market because it was centred between a large number of villages having rail and road transport facilities and now it has expanded as a multi-professional,agricultural,industrial hub.It is also famous for manufacturing of all types of tractor driven agricultural eqipments.

Harike

Harike Wetland also known as "Hari-ke-Pattan", with the Harike Lake in the deeper part of it, is the largest wetland in northern India in the border of Tarn Taran Sahib district and Ferozepur district [1] of the Punjab state in India.

The wetland and the lake were formed by constructing the headworks across the Sutlej river, in 1953. The headworks is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers. The rich biodiversity of the wetland which plays a vital role in maintaining the precious hydrological balance in the catchment with its vast concentration of migratory fauna of waterfowls including a number of globally threatened species (stated to be next only to the Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur) has been responsible for the recognition accorded to this wetland in 1990, by the Ramsar Convention, as one of the Ramasar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.

This man-made, riverine, lacustrine wetland spreads into the three districts of Taran Tarn, Ferozepur and Kapurthala in Punjab and covers an area of 4100 ha. Conservation of this Wetland has been given due importance, since 1987–88, both by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India and the Punjab State Government (through its several agencies), and over the years several studies and management programmes have been implemented.

Guru Har sahai

Guru Har Sahai is famous for Pothimala building.It lies on Muktsar road.

Pothi mala Guru Hara Sahai

.

Makhu

Makhu town is located near to “Amritsar-Faridkot road on NH 15, and SH 19. People get down at Makhu Junction and then head towards Amritsar as there is no rail link between Amritsar and Ferozepur. It is very close to Harike Pattan where origination of Rajasthan canal begins.

Moodkee

The Battle of Mudki was fought on 18 December 1845, between the forces of the East India Company and part of the Khalsa, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. The British army won an untidy encounter battle, suffering heavy casualties.

References

External links

 Pakistan Taran Taran district Kapurthala district
Jalandhar district
Moga district
   Firozpur district  
Fazilka district Faridkot district
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