Firozpur district General information
The District Ferozepur is situated at India Pakistan baorder, at the east side Faridkot district, Moga district and at the south side Muktsar District is situated. On the north east the River Sutlej generally separates it from the FIROZPUR and Kapurthala districts and on the south west side the Ganganagar district of state Rajasthan touches the boundaries of Ferozepur. The united stream of the Sutlej and Beas generally separates it from the Amritsar district in the north-west, and farther down from the Pakistan with the exception of some areas on each side of the river.
History
Ferozepore is an ancient city situated close to the present day Indo-Pakistan border. It is believed to have been founded by Ferozeshah Tughluq in the 14th century. Another version claims that it was founded by a Bhatti chief called Feroze Khan. However, the first version is more widely accepted as Ferozeshah Tughluq had a passion for building new cities and renaming old ones especially after his own name. He claimed, "Among the many gifts which God bestowed upon me, His humble servant, was a desire to erect public buildings. So I built many mosques, colleges and monasteries, that the learned and the elders, the devout and the holy, might worship God in these edifices and aid the kind builder with their prayers."
Ferozepore's strategic position in the northwest of the country has resulted in its being part of many military expenditions in the area. During the first Anglo-Sikh war in 1845, it due to the negligence of the British commander at Ferozepore that the Khalsa was able to cross the Sutlej unopposed. When Lord Hardinge declared war on the Sikhs, the first battle was fought at Mudki, 20 miles south-east of Ferozepore. In 1838, Ferozepore was the centre from where British troops advanced to Kabul during the rist Anglo-Afghan war.
Three heroic martyrs of India's freedom struggle Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associates Shaheed Rajguru and Shaheed Sukhdev have their final resting place on the banks of the river Sutlej in Ferozepur. On March 23, 1931, despite popular protest, these three heros were executed in Lahore and were stealthily cremated in the dead of night near Ferozepore. They were killed for raising the flag of revolutionary terrorism against the British, displaying their deep patriotism and defiance for the foreign rulers till the very end.
Today, a Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial marks the spot and every year on March 23, thousands of people gather to pay homage of these noble heroes. Ferozepore has another historical memorial, the Saragarhi Gurudwara, commemorating the sacrifice of 21 Sikh soldiers who perished at Saragarhi in Baluchistan. On 12 September, every year, people gather here to pay tribute to the heroic soldiers and celebrate Saragarhi Day. The memorial service also provides an occasion for exservicemen to have a reunion
Physiography
The total geographical area of the district is 5303 sq. km out of which 3258.78 sq. km fall under Bet area and 196.63 sq. km fall under Border area.
The topography of the district is even. It is a plane of alluvial formation sloping gently @ 2ft. per mile form the North East to the South West. The district is divided into three main belts running somewhat parallel to the course of river Sutlej. On South West side, the bet area called "Hittar" having land alluvial dark and gray clay intermixed with straits of sand. On the South East side, the Rohi and Mukhi Plains have light and sandy soil and brackish water in wells. The district has two types of soil namely chestnut brown (Alluvial)-69% and desert soil (31%)
Climate
The climate of Ferozepur district is, on the whole, dry and is characterised by very hot summer, a short rainy season and a bracing with winter. The year may be divided into four seasons. The cold season is from November to March, followed by the summer season which lasts up to about end of June. The period from July to the middle of September constitutes the south-westerly monsoon season. The latter half of September and October may be termed as the post-monsoon or the transition period.
From about the end of March, the temperature increases rapidly till June which is generally the hottest month and on individual days, the maximum temperature may be about 47?C. However, with the onset of the monsoon by about end of June or early July, there is an appreciable drop in day temperature but the weather remains oppressive due to the increased moisture in July and August. By about the second week of September both day band night temperatures begin to fall, the drop in the night temperature being more than the day temperature. After October, both the day and night temperatures decrease rapidly till January, which happens to be the coldest month when the minimum temperature occasionally drops to about a degree of two below the freezing point of water.
The rainfall in the district generally increases from the south-west towards the north east. About 70 percent of the annual rainfall in the district is received during the period from July to September, July and August being the rainiest months. Some rainfall occurs during the pre-monsoon months, mostly in the form of thunder showers. In the winter season, some rainfall occurs under the influence of westerly disturbances. However, the variation in the rainfall from year to year is large. The following table give monthly rainfall based on average of 10 years, 1991-2000 for the district.
Education
The key schools in the city and the adjoining Cantonment are :-
1. Dasmesh Sr Sec Public School, City
2. D.C. Model Senior Secondary School - Cantt
3. Manavta Public Sr.Sec School Firozpur City
4. D.C. Model School- City
5. Dev Samaj Model School - City
6. Army Public School - Cantt
7. Kendriya Vidyalaya - Cantt.
8. B.S.M. Sr. Secondary School - City,
9. S D Higher Secondary School - City
10. Arya Girls Higher Secondary School - City
11. D.A.V. Public School - City
12. H. M. Senior Secondary School - City
13. St Joseph's Convent School
14. C.K Sr. Sec. School - City
15. Hans Raj Vidya Mandir - City
16. Sai Public School - City
17. Manav mandir senior sec.school
Colleges in area :-
1. RSD College - City
2. Dev Samaj College for Women - City
3. Guru Nanak Dev College - Cantt
4. DAV College for Girls - Cantt
5. Dev samaj college of education
6. mohan's manav mandir college
Professional College:-
1. Shahid Bhagat Singh College of Engineering & Technology
2. Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences & Research
3. Government Polytechnic College
4. Government Industrial Training Institute
Places of interest
1. National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala
2. Saragarhi Memorial FZR
3. Barki Memorial 2 Kms
4. Anglo Sikh War Memorial at Ferozeshah
5. Pothi Mala at Guruharsahai
6. Hari ke Bird Sanctuary
7. Jain Mandir Zira
8. Hanuman Mandir Fazilka
9. Gurudawara Zamini Sahib Bajidpur
10. Boparai Rifle Range Khane Ke Ahel