Fatehgarh Churian


Fatehgarh Churian is a city located in Punjab, India. It is a municipal council of the Gurdaspur district. The city lays 15 kilometres from the Pakistani border. It is located 485 kilometres to the north of New Delhi, India.

Demographics

As of 2011, the total population of Fatehgarh Churian was 13,070, with 6,881 males and 6,189 females. Of these people, 42.10% are Hindu, 41.10% are Sikh, 16.6% are Christian and 0.20% are of other religion. The population of children aged 0-6 is 1,351, which is 10.34% of the town's total population. The literacy rate of Fatehgarh Churian is 85.46%, which is higher than the state average which is 75.84%. The male literacy rate is 89.09% while the female literacy rate is 81.46%.

History

Prior to the 18th century, Fatehgarh Churian was a Bandesha-dominated area. During the 18th century, the Khaniya Misl, which was founded by Jai Singh, established themselves in Sangatpura, a village from Fatehgarh Churian. After that, they took control of the whole area from Bandeshas. Rani Sada Kaur, who married into Sukerchakia Misl, had her headquarters in Fatehgarh Churian. Her daughter Mehtab Kaur was married to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who was instrumental in Ranjit Singh's rise to power.
Kharak Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was married to Chand Kaur, daughter of Sardar Fateh Singh in this village. Rani Chand Kaur built an attractive temple called Panj Mandir with a Pucca tank, which still stands. The 180-year-old temple carries the legacy of Punjab in the form of unique frescoes adorning monuments that, due to the neglect of the authorities, is losing its former glory. After the visit of two-member ASI teams in 2011 and sanction of 3 crores for restoration, it is still waiting for action. It is said there was a pucca tunnel linking the temple and the fort, which was built for the convenience of Rani Chand Kaur to go to the temple every day for worship.
Before 1947, the town had a Muslim population that included Shias and Sunnis; this is evident from the numerous old mosques that were converted into Gurudwaras. The Sunni and Shia Muslims were roughly in equal numbers. After the partition of India, several Hindu and Sikh migrants from newly formed Pakistan settled here.

Description

Fatehgarh Churian is situated on the boundary between Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts; it is the last village in Gurdaspur district and is closer to Amritsar than to Gurdaspur. It is well-connected to other towns by the road network and is surrounded by Amritsar, Batala, Ajnala, and Dera Baba Nanak. It is on the railway line between Amritsar and Dera Baba Nanak.
Fatehgarh Churian is divided into thirteen different wards. The demographics of the area are roughly 40% Hindu, 35% Sikh, and 25% Christian.

Notable places

Religious places in Fatehgarh Churian are Gagranwala Mandir, Tahli Sahib Gurudwara, Panj Mandir, Githi Das Mandir, Talab Wala Mandir, Gurudwara Takhia Wala, and many churches. St. Francis Convent School is one of the biggest institutions this town has for quality education. In addition to these, Puran Shah's Haveli is another landmark of the town.
Most of the religious days are celebrated by the people of town collectively as a community. Many local clubs and religious societies also help in the celebrations. Organizing Sant Samelans, gatherings of seers and saints, and Shoba Yatras are now traditions of the town. It has a few historic sanctums nearby, such as Dhianpur Dhaam, Ramdass, and Chola Sahib. The River Ravi is also close by.