If you love history, Ferozepur holds a treasure trove of stories waiting to unfold before your eyes. Located on the banks of the Sutlej River and bordering Pakistan, the city is aptly called ‘Shaheedo ki Dharti’ (Land of Martyrs). The city holds a deep-rooted significance in the Indian freedom struggle and it was the sons of the place who are revered for the sacrifices they’ve made for the nation. In that regard, Ferozepur has monuments and memorials sprinkled generously everywhere you look, and if you visit the city with the intention of sightseeing, your days will largely be spent visiting these commemorative structures.
Here are some of the top things to see in Ferozepur:
Visit the memorials at Hussainwala Border – There are a couple of things you can do at Hussainwala Border. You can visit the memorial of 3 Indian martyrs – Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. Upon their execution in Lahore, their bodies were brought to Ferozepur and cremated in the dead of night, and the monument pays tribute to their revolutionary spirit. A few steps away is a train compartment that plays a movie depicting the history of Ferozepur. If you have the time, it may be interesting to watch. I didn’t quite like it as the tourists filled up the compartment and treated it as a real train journey – opening packs of chips, and juices and talking to each other throughout.
Retreat Ceremony at Hussainwala Border – Come sundown, the sound of the gentle breeze and birdsong is interrupted by thunderous applause and the clacking of heavy army boots. Since Hussainwala shares a border with Pakistan, at 4 PM the Retreat Ceremony is performed where Border Security Forces. of both nations showcase a display of strength and bravado, much to the delight of the audience. The atmosphere is filled with patriotic fervour before the 45-minute show ends with the lowering of both national flags for the night. Remember to go by 3:30 PM for good seats, however, if I may add, the sun will be right in front of you, obstructing your view of the Pakistan side. The Beating Retreat ceremony is far larger and grander at the Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar, so if you have to pick one place to experience it, I’d suggest the latter.
Saragarhi Memorial Gurudwara – This simple, white gurudwara was built in memory of 21 Sikh soldiers who died while bravely fighting off thousands of Afghans in the Battle of Saragarhi, 1897. The gurudwara is located in the middle of a beautiful park and is flanked by two canyons. The architecture is quite different from other gurudwaras I’ve seen.
Barki Memorial – Situated in the same garden complex as the Saragarhi Memorial Gurdwara, this pillar was built in memory of the soldiers of the 7 Infantry Division who died in battle in 1965. The war and their martyrdom paved the way for the fall of Barki a town situated at a distance of 15 miles South East of Lahore.
Other cool things you can do in Ferozepur
Here are a few more things you can do that I skipped. You can check out Bhagat Singh’s hideout which is located at Turi Bazaar. It was here that the revolutionaries held secret meetings and devised plots against the British. You can also visit Ferozepur Cantonment, which was built over 60+ acres and it was here that the British built the largest garrison in India.
Besides these, tourists can also check out places close by within a 100-km radius such as the Hari Ke Bird Sanctuary, Pothimala at Guru Har Sahai, and Hanuman Mandir in Fazilka. For shopaholics, Sadar Bazaar is a supposed to be a wonderful place to shop for Indian wear featuring Karachi and Phulkari work.
Getting there and the best time to visit
Like the rest of Punjab, the best time to visit Ferozepur is between October to March, which is winter time. The cooler temperatures during the mornings and evenings make sightseeing ideal. When it comes to travel, getting to Ferozepur is easy. The nearest airport is Amritsar, which is 130 km away. From here, you can hire a cab or catch a bus and make the 2-hour journey in comfort. Ferozepur is well connected by trains and you can make a 7-hour train journey from Delhi or a 2-hour train journey from Amritsar. Fun fact – Ferozepur is the last stop for the Northern Railways.
Where to stay in Ferozepur
Finding accommodation in Ferozepur was quite an ordeal. Not only is the accommodation of extremely low quality, but the good hotels do not offer accommodation to single women or unmarried couples. In fact, they don’t even bother asking you your status before looking you up and down and turning up their noses saying”‘no rooms available.” The rules hotels follow here seem to have been put in place before the monuments in the city – positively archaic! After visiting more than 10 hotels to be told that there were no rooms available, we finally caught on and found a hotel in the next village, Moga. Called Kingdom Hotel, our stay offered extremely spacious, clean rooms, wonderful food, and good service. The only downside was having to drive 45 minutes to Ferozepur one-way, but oh well.
Restaurants in Ferozepur
I only ate at one restaurant in Ferozepur and it was called Mehmaan. We ordered a couple of their specials and while I don’t remember the names of the dishes, I relished the food.
How many days do you need in Ferozepur?
If you have the time to slow travel in Ferozepur, I’m sure it will reveal much more than the limited ‘things to do’ that Google or my blog talks about. The nature of this geo-political city and the fact that it dates back centuries to a time when the city was encircled with a boundary wall and dotted with gates/entry points will definitely reveal more once you scratch the surface. For me, I found a day sufficient to pop in and out of memorials, especially since I could not find accommodation in Ferozepur and had to drive a long distance to my hotel to catch up on work commitments. I arrived in Ferozepur on the afternoon of Day 1, had a late lunch, visited a couple of memorials, and spent the evening looking for hotels. On Day 2, I returned to see a few more places of interest, attended the retreat ceremony, and zipped off to my next destination – Patiala.
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