Kot Kapura is a historic city in

Faridkot district Faridkot district is one of the 23 districts in the state of Punjab, India with Faridkot city as the district headquarters. Etymology The district is named after its headquarters, Faridkot city, which in turn is named in the honor of Baba F ...

, some 50 km from

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth l ...

, 40 km from Moga and 30 km from

Muktsar Sri Muktsar Sahib (/ʃriː ˈmʊktsər saːhɪb/) (often referred to as Muktsar (/ˈmʊktsər/)) is a historical city and district headquarters in Punjab, India. The 2011 Census of India put the total population of Sri Muktsar Sahib municipality ...

in the state of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is the largest city in the

Faridkot District Faridkot district is one of the 23 districts in the state of Punjab, India with Faridkot city as the district headquarters. Etymology The district is named after its headquarters, Faridkot city, which in turn is named in the honor of Baba F ...

and has a large cotton market. It takes around 15 minutes by bus from Faridkot, 4 hours by road from

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...

and 2 hours from

Ludhiana Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 Indian census, 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the ...

, and 8 hours from

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

by train to reach the city. It is a central city on route to Ganganagar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Firozpur, etc. Kot Kapura takes its name from its founder, Nawab Kapur Singh, and the word 'Kot', meaning a small fort – literally the 'Fort of Kapura'. The city is known for its "Dhodha Sweet" and "Atta Chicken" both of which are exported outside India. Kot Kapura, like many other small cities in India, is undergoing modernization. Shastri Market or Maheshwari Street established by Bansi Dhar Maheshwari (1875-1935) is one of the most populous and largest markets in Punjab. Kot Kapura has also been called the 'City of White Gold' due to its cotton market, which was once the largest cotton market in Asia. The city is famous for sweet called Dhodha and savoury dish named Atta Chicken. Kot Kapura was famous for its ever-closed railway crossing gate on the Kot Kapura–Muktsar highway. However, a flyover has saved the town from this notorious landmark.

History

Bhallan Brar, founder of the Faridkot principality, was an ardent follower of

Guru Har Gobind Gurū Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644), revered as the ''sixth Nānak'', was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of e ...

, the 6th

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

Guru. He helped Guru Har Gobind Ji in the Battle of Mehraj, but died issueless in 1643. He was succeeded by his nephew, Kapura, who founded the town of Kot Kapura in 1661.

Nawab Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian language, Persian, Punjabi language, Punjabi , Sindhi language, Sindhi, Urd ...

Kapura was the

chaudhry Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an adaption from Sanskrit. During the Mughal rule, it was a title awarded to eminent people, while during British rule, the term was associated ...

of eighty-four villages.

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, en route from

Machhiwara Sri Machhiwara Sahib is one of the developing cities in the Ludhiana district of the Indian state of Punjab. Machhiwara is famous for Gurudwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib associated with Guru Gobind Singh ji and named after the Guru's feet that are ...

, after staying at

Dina Dina ( ar, دينا, he, דִּינָה, also spelled Dinah, Dena, Deena) is a female given name. Women * Dina bint Abdul-Hamid (1929–2019), Queen consort of Jordan, first wife of King Hussein * Princess Dina Mired of Jordan (born 1965), Princ ...

and after short stopovers at various other places, reached Kot Kapura and asked Nawab Kapura Brar for his fort to fight the pursuing Mughal army. Kapura was a Sikh, but did not want to earn the ire of the Mughals by helping Guru Gobind Singh openly in his war with them; otherwise, the famous last battle of

(Khidrane Di Dhaab; now a historic town) between Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal army would have been fought at Kot Kapura. However, Nawab refused the fort to the guru. He was eventually hanged by

Isa Khan Main Isa Khan Main, also written Mabin or Mohin, was a Punjabi Muslim warlord of the cis-Sutlej territory in the Mughal empire. He is credited with the killing of the Mughal prince Azam Shah during the Battle of Jajau, and for establishing an independen ...

, a Punjabi Muslim warlord.

Climate

The climate of the Kotkapura is, on the whole, dry and is characterized by a very hot summer, a short rainy season, and a cold winters. Average annual rainfall is in a range of . Summer temperatures can be as high as ; and winter temperatures as low as . The weather is generally dry but will be highly humid from mid May to end of August due to farmers irrigating the fields. There is no meteorological observatory in the district. Some rainfall occurs during the pre-monsoon months, mostly in the form of thunder-showers and in the cold season. The skies are mostly clear or lightly clouded during the whole year. Winds are generally light in the area, and are northerly to north-westerly, at times south-easterly, throughout the year. But, during the summer and monsoon seasons winds from directions between north-east and south-east blow on many days. The climate is mainly dry, characterized by a very hot summer, a short rainy season and a bracing winter.

Demographics

The city is home to about 92 thousand people out of which 53% are Male and 47% are female. Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in the city with some people speaking Hindi and its dialects. Hindus contribute 52% of the total population and are the largest religious community followed by Sikhs which contribute 47% to the total population. Literacy Rate of the city is around 77%

Environment and Health

A South African Board Certified Candidate Clinical Metal Toxicologist, Carin Smit, visiting Faridkot city in

Punjab, India Punjab (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Himachal ...

, instrumental in having hair and urine samples taken (2008/9) of 149/53 children respectively, who affected with birth abnormalities including physical deformities, neurological and mental disorders. These samples were shipped to Microtrace Mineral Lab, Germany. At the onset of the action research project, it was expected that heavy metal / chemistry toxicity might be implicated as reasons why these children were so badly affected. Surprisingly, high levels of uranium were found in 88% of the samples, and in the case of one child, the levels were more than 60 times the maximum safe limit. A study, carried out amongst mentally retarded children in the

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...

region of Punjab, revealed 87% of children below 12 years and 82% beyond that age having uranium levels high enough to cause diseases, also uranium levels in samples of three kids from Kotkapura and Faridkot were 62, 44 and 27 times higher than normal. An investigation carried out ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' newspaper, in 2009, revealed the possible that cause of contamination of soil and ground water in

region of Punjab, to be the

fly ash Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired ...

from coal burnt at

thermal power A thermal power station is a type of power station in which heat energy In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary ...

plants, which contains high levels of

uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

and

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

as the region has state's two biggest coal-fired power stations. Unscientific farming practices, that emerged after the introduction of

Green Revolution The Green Revolution, also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period of technology transfer initiatives that saw greatly increased crop yields and agricultural production. These changes in agriculture began in developed countrie ...

, are also alleged to be a reason for growing incidence of not just cancer but also, high rates of spontaneous abortions, reproductive ailments, genetic deformities,

anaemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...

diarrhoea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

, vomiting, fluorosis and a host of skin ailments including rashes and boils. A 2007 epidemiological study found that the surface waters of

Malwa region Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...

are contaminated with

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...

cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

chromium Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal. Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and hardne ...

selenium Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...

and

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

primarily due to the discharge of untreated waste water from surrounding industries. With increasing poisoning of the soil, the region once hailed as the home to the

Green revolution The Green Revolution, also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period of technology transfer initiatives that saw greatly increased crop yields and agricultural production. These changes in agriculture began in developed countrie ...

, now due to excessive use of chemical fertilizer, is being termed the "Other

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

", and "even credit-takers of the Revolution have begun to admit they had been wrong, now that they see wastelands and lives lost to farmer suicides in this 'granary of India'".

Transport

Railways

Kotkapura Junction railway station Kotkapura Junction (station code: KKP) is a railway station located in Faridkot district in the Indian state of Punjab and serves Kotkapura city. Kotkapura station falls under Firozpur railway division of Northern Railway zone of Indian Railw ...

serves the city as its Railway Station. It is connected with the cities of

Ferozepur Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who d ...

Fazilka Fazilka, also known as Bangla, is a city and a municipal council in Fazilka district of Punjab, India. In 2011, it was made the headquarter of the newly created Fazilka district. The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAPI) project originating in Tu ...

and

through railway lines. Many long route trains pass through Kotkapura on its way.

Roadways

Kotkapura Bus Stand is hub for buses to the nearby cities. The Punjab Roadways (Punbus) and PRTC and other Private Companies buses connects this city to other major cities of Punjab like

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

Jallandhar Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...

among others.

Cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...

and E-Rickshaws are the major form of transport within the city. State Highway 16 which connects Moga and

Malout Malout is a town, just outside of Muktsar Sahib city in the Muktsar district of the Indian state of Punjab. It is in the southern Punjab "cotton belt", where production per kilometer is one of the highest in India. Malout is on NH-354 and NH- ...

passes through the city.

Air

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport is an international airport serving Amritsar, Punjab, India, located 11 km (7 mi) north-west from the city centre. It is named after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and the founder of Amritsar. The ...

in Amritsar and

domestic airport are the nearest, about 90 km away.

Education

Schools

City has major schools with boards

Punjab School Education Board Punjab School Education Board (abbreviated P.S.E.B.) is a school board based in Mohali, Punjab, India. It was founded in 1969 under a legislative act of the Government of Punjab to administer the curriculum taught in public schools in the Punjab ...

and

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

. Few schools also offers

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...

(ICSE) education. Major Schools includes

DAV Public School The D.B.V. College Managing Committee, familiarly known as DAVDholakpurMC, is a non-governmental educational organisation in Antarctica and overseas with over 900 schools. 75 colleges and a university. It is based on the ideals of Maharishi Da ...

and Dasmesh Public School which are some of the oldest schools in the city offering CBSE education. City also has separate Government schools for boys (Dr Hari Singh Sewak Sen. Sec. School) and girls (Dr. Chanda Singh Marwah Govt. Sr. Sec. School), which provide sports facilities as well as education. * Dr Hari SINGH Sewek Sen. Sec. School, Kotkapura * Dasmesh Global School, Anand Nagar, Kotkapura * West Point School, Sandhwan Danewala Road, Kotkapura * Sada Ram Bansal Senior Secondary School, Jaitu Road, Kotkapura * Rishi Senior Secondary School, Kotkapura * Gandhi Model Senior Secondary School, Kotkapura * Pristine Vibe School, Hira Singh Nagar, Kotkapura * Ashoka Model Sen. Sec. School, Kotkapura * Sunrise Kids School, Faridkot Road, Kotkapura * Kidzee Preschool, Near Sangam Palace, Faridkot Road, Kot Kapura * Dreamland Public School, Sikhan Wala Road, Kotkapura * Laxmi Model Middle School, Near Old Fort, Kotkapura * Guru Nanak Mission Senior Secondary School, Kotkapura. * Dr. Chanda Singh Marwah Govt. Sen. Sec. School (Girls) * D.C.M International School, BahmanWala Road, Kotkapura * D.A.V Public School, Sikhawala Road, Kotkapura * Dasmesh Public School, Partap Nagar, Kotkapura * Gandhi Memorial High School, Kotkapura * Oxbridge World School, Kotkapura * Bhardwaj High School, Kotkapura * Fable Public School, Jaitu Road, Kotkapura * Satnam public School, Dwareana road, Kotkapura

Colleges

Colleges in the city offers education ranging from Nursing to Commerce and from Arts to Engineering.

Malwa College of Nursing Malwa College of Nursing was established in Nov 2000 by Dr. Ravinder Singh. It is named after Malwa, a region of Punjab and headquartered in Kotkapura in the district of Faridkot in the state of Punjab . Malwa College of Nursing is recogniz ...

is a reputed college in the state offering degrees in Nursing and acquires its name from

region in Punjab. * Shaheed Bhagat Singh Govt. College, Bathinda Road, Kotkapura * Malwa College of Nursing. * Malwa Degree College. * Malwa Group of Institutions. * Madav Kirpa Public College. * Baba Farid Medical Institute for Nursing. * Baba Farid College of Nursing. * Baba Saikh Farid School of Nursing. * Akal Sahaye College of Education. * Baba Farid Institute Private ITI. * Gurukul College for Women. * Gurukul School of Nursing. * Govt. Polytechnic College. * Malwa College of Education.

Places To Visit

* Fun Plaza * Durga Mandir * Gurdwara Godavari Sar Patshahi * Shiv Gufa Mandir * Shri Radha Krishna Mandir * Fort of Kot Kapura * Gurudwara Patshahi Dasvin istorical Gurudwara: Guru Gobind Singh Ji visited this place* Shri Guru Ravidas Mandir

References

Cities and towns in Faridkot district {{Faridkot district