Historical buildings of Ferozepur in a shambles

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, January 21

With no efforts towards restoration, several legacy buildings of architectural and historical importance in Ferozepur are in a shambles.

One of these buildings is the old DRM office, constructed in 1862, when the divisional headquarters was set up here. Since the DRM office was shifted to a new complex, this building has been deserted. It has been a mute testimony to historical events including the mayhem of Partition. It was proposed to convert the building into a rail museum and a hotel. But in the absence of any efforts for its conservation, it is crumbling.

The historic Ferozepur Fort, akin to Fort Bourtange in the Netherlands, has been lying abandoned. This hexagonal-shaped fort, also known as Bastion Fort, was constructed by the British to defend the city in 1810. During the medieval period, this fort was given a star shape from the inside by the French Army Director of Engineering. After the demise of the last ruler, Rani Lachman Kaur, the fort was converted into a garrison by the British.

The old two-storey building in the heart of the city, which used to serve as a hideout for martyr Bhagat Singh and his comrades, is in bad shape even though it was declared a protected monument. It is believed that Bhagat Singh and his comrades used this building as a hideout to make bombs and evolve a strategy against British rule.

The old sessions court building, situated on the Mall Road, a piece of striking architecture has been decaying after the courts were shifted to a new building.

Another legacy building that is turning into a shambles is St Andrews Church, which was constructed in 1847. This church has a rare collection of artefacts and memorials dating back to the Sutlej Campaign and the First World War, including the Bible published in 1908 and a rare piano.

There are several other such buildings and monuments, such as the Mamdot Fort, Anglo-Sikh War Memorial, Wazir Ali Building and World War memorials, among others, that may become tourist attractions, if restored.

A social worker, Ranjan Sharma, said that if these buildings are restored, these may attract a lot of tourists while generating jobs for the local population. He added that it was disheartening to see these monuments in poor shape.