Created on 24 November 1995, Moga became the seventeenth district of Punjab; it was carved out from the district of Faridkot. Moga has Faridkot to its left and Ludhiana bounds it in the east. Firozepur marks the northern boundary of the district and to its south are the districts of Bathinda and Sangrur. It is located between the coordinates 75 degrees 15’ to 75 degrees 25’ East and 30 degrees 35’ to 31 degrees 15’ north. The district covers an area of 2230 square kilometers and it is divided into three tehesils (divisions) – Bhagapurana, Moga and Nihal Singh Walah – for administrative purposes. As per the census 2001, it has a population of 886,313 of which 63.94% is literate.
The economy of Moga is primarily agriculture-based but there are some notable industries in the districts too and perhaps the most famous is a plant being operated by the Nestlé since 1961. Besides that, the district also holds a number of noteworthy places for a visitor and some of them are listed below:
Dhudike: This village is the birthplace of famous freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai and a memorial has been built in the village in commemoration of that great man. The village is 3 kilometers from the Ajitwal Railway Station on the railway line connecting Ludhiana to Firozepur.
Gurudwara Mehdiana Sahib: The gurudwara (Sikh temple) is the place which is said to have fascinated the tenth guru so much during one of his journeys that he decided to spend a few days at here. The gurudwara is also known as the ‘School of Sikh History’. The gurudwara is surrounded by a number of sculptures and statues illustrating the Sikh architecture.
Gurudwara Lohgarh Sahib: The gurudwara is located in the village of Dina about 15 kilometers from the town of Nihal Singh Walah. A choudary (rich man) of the village Dina sheltered the tenth guru Gobind Singh on his way to Muktsar. He was summoned by the authorities who considered the tenth guru a fugitive and the gurudwara is built in the memory of this incident.
Gurudwara Nanaksar Sahib: Located about 32 kilometers from the Moga City in the village of Takhtupura, the gurudwara is unique in the sense that it has been visited by three Sikh gurus namely Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Har Gobind and Guru Gobind Singh. The gurudwara has three separate shrines to mark this event.
Gurudwara Sahib Patshahi Dasvin: The gurudwara has a sarovar (sacred pond) in which, it is believed, and the tenth guru Gobind Singh took a bath in 1705. The gurudwara was built in 1962 by Saint Darbara Singh of Lapon.
