The locals call the place the Land of 40 Liberated and this ‘Land of 40 Liberated’ is situated in the southwest of the state of Punjab. Muktsar district was carved out of the district of Firozpur and declared an independent district in November 1995. For administrative purposes, the district is divided into four tehesils (divisions) and four sub-tehesils (sub-divisions). Muktsar covers an area of 2615 square kilometres and accounts for 5.19% landmass of Punjab. As per the Census 2001, the population of the district is 7, 77,493 and out of which around 50.57% people are literate.
Etymology and history
The district gets its name from its administrative headquarters; the Muktsar City. Muktsar, historically speaking, is a city of grave importance to the Sikhs. It is because the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, fought his last battle with the Mughals here. The tenth guru was taking shelter in the Anandpur Sahib Fort in Muktsar when the Mughal army besieged the fort. It was then that a group of 40 Sikhs left the fort, deserting the tenth guru to face the Mughal army. But it didn’t take long before this disgrace of the act overcame their conscious and they decided to return to the fort to back the Guru fight the Mughal army. When they returned to the fort, the Guru gave them the title of muktas which means ‘liberated’. So enthusiastic were they when the Guru forgave their mistake, Sikh historians narrate, that only these 40 soldiers held the whole Mughal army of several thousands out of the fort for a whole day; although they were all killed by the evening the battle outside the fort had given the ample time to the Guru to escape to a safe location.
Geography and Climate
The district lies between the coordinates 30◦ 69’ and 29◦ 87’ North and 74◦ 21’ and 74◦ 86’ West. It borders the districts of Firozpur to the West and Bathinda in the East and to its south are the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Haryana.
The Himalayan Mountains in the North and the Thar Desert in the South determine the climatic conditions of the district; the temperature varies from 45C in the summers to the 2C in the winters. The climate of the district is considered ‘weak aridic’ and the rainy season or the monsoons last for three months beginning from June each year and lasting till September.
Demographics and Economy
As per the Census 2001, the district is abode to around eight lakh people, three quarters of which live in the rural areas. The population density of 297 persons per square kilometre is the lowest in Punjab and there are merely 891 women for every 1000 men in the state.
The economy of the district is mainly agriculture-based with almost two-fifth of the population engaged in agriculture-related activities. Muktsar is situated in the cotton belt of Punjab; other widely sown crops are paddy, wheat, oilseeds, sugarcane, vegetables and pulses. Being basically an agricultural district, even the industry that has come up in the district is either based on agricultural crops or to fulfil the needs of farmers. The government is trying to industrialise the district and two focal points aimed at attracting industry have been established near the Muktsar City.
Tourism
The Maghi Fair : The fair is held each year on 14 January to commemorate the sacrifice of the 40 Liberated Ones’ in the city of Muktsar. It is major tourist attraction and people from far off places come to witness how the city revels in the memory of 40 martyrs.
Angooran Wali Maseet : The name literally means a ‘The Grape Mosque’. It is located near the Muktsar city railway station and the mosque is famous for its architectural beauty.
Sarai Naga or Naga Inn: It is situated on the Muktsar-Kotakpura Highway about 15 km from the city of Muktsar. The second Sikh guru, Angad Dev, was born in this inn.
Mukta Minar or the Liberated Tower : This complex has been built to commemorate the martyrdom of the 40 warriors and it is one of the main attractions in the district. It is located near the district headquarters in the Muktsar City.
