Faridkotਫ਼ਰੀਦਕੋਟ

A city named for a Sufi saint

Faridkot (ਫ਼ਰੀਦਕੋਟ) is a city in the south-western part of Punjab, India, and the headquarters of Faridkot district. The city is named in honour of Baba Farid, the revered 13th-century Sufi saint whose shrine stands at Pakpattan in present-day Pakistan.

The town was founded in the 13th century as Mokalhar by Raja Mokalsi, the grandson of Rai Munj, a Bhatti chief of Bhatnair in Rajasthan. According to popular folklore, the Raja renamed Mokalhar to Faridkot after Baba Farid visited the town — possibly after an incident in which the saint was briefly detained and then released by the Raja’s soldiers. It remained the capital during the reign of Mokalsi’s sons Jairsi and Wairsi.

Capital of a princely state

The foundation of the modern city as a princely state was laid in 1763 by Hamir Singh. From 1807 to 1809 the city was briefly under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, before being restored to the reigning Brar family through British intervention. The city continued as the capital of Faridkot State under British suzerainty until 1947.

After independence it became part of the Patiala & East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) in 1948. Faridkot was carved out as a separate district on 7 August 1972 from Bathinda and Ferozepur districts, and in November 1995 the district was trifurcated when Muktsar and Moga became independent districts. Today Faridkot also serves as the headquarters of the Faridkot Division, established in 1995 and covering the Faridkot, Bathinda and Mansa districts.

Qila Mubarak: the fort of Faridkot

The city’s landmark is Qila Mubarak, or Faridkot Fort — a historic fortress spread over ten acres and associated with the princely state of Faridkot. Originally constructed by Raja Mokalsi, it was renovated and extended by successive rulers: Hamir Singh reconstructed it in 1775, and Raja Bikram Singh and Raja Balbir Singh built the present main structure in 1890.

The fort’s Sheesh Mahal is famed for its concave and convex glasswork and mirror work, with murals painted by Pahari artists around 1875–1900 — including frescoes of Krishna, from whom the Faridkot rulers traced their ancestry. After the death of Raja Harinder Singh, the last ruler of Faridkot State, a decades-long legal dispute over the fort’s ownership was settled in 2022 in favour of the two former princesses of Faridkot State, Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur.

Aagman Purab: the festival of Baba Farid’s arrival

Every year Faridkot holds a three-day festival from 21 to 23 September to commemorate the arrival of Baba Farid in the city. On 23 September a grand parade departs from Tilla Baba Farid and reaches Godari Sahib, drawing devotees from across the region.

Education, transport and today

The city houses Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, the premier medical university of Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital was established in 1978, while Government Brajindra College was set up in 1942 and the Desh Bhagat Pandit Chetan Dev Government College of Education in 1945 by the Faridkot royalty.

Faridkot is well connected by road through National Highway 54, and Faridkot railway station lies on the Bathinda–Firozpur line. As of the 2011 census the city had a population of 87,695.

Why is Faridkot named after Baba Farid?

Folklore holds that Raja Mokalsi renamed his town Mokalhar to Faridkot after a visit by the 13th-century Sufi saint Baba Farid, honouring the saint whose shrine is at Pakpattan in Pakistan.

When is Aagman Purab celebrated in Faridkot?

Aagman Purab is celebrated for three days every year from 21 to 23 September, ending with a grand parade from Tilla Baba Farid to Godari Sahib on 23 September.