Hussainiwala Border is located 11 kilometres from the village of Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district in the Indian state of Punjab. The border is situated near the banks of Sutlej River and it is in the village of Ganda Singh Wala on the Pakistani side. The border attracts a large number of audiences during its retreat ceremony that lasts for almost 40 minutes and it is being carried out every evening in a similar manner to that at Wagah Border in Amritsar.

The check post is located 100 meters from the zero line on the Indian side, while on the Pakistani side it is 600 meters away. The national flag hoisting ceremony between the two countries takes place during day time on both sides of the line.

History

Hussainiwala Border served as the major road crossing between Indian and Pakistan till 1970. At that time, it acted as a trade route for truckers, mainly to import Kandahari Angoor (dehydrated grapes) as well as other fruits and food products from Pakistan and Afghanistan. After its closure in 1970, the authorities raised a proposal in 2005 to reopen the border but nothing much has been done until now and it is still closed.

The area was governed by Pakistan until 1962, after which Indian managed to get control of the area in return of 12 villages near head Sulemanki (Fazilka). The memorials of Shahid Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev are installed just 1 kilometre on the Indian side.

Retreat Ceremony

A retreat ceremony takes places between the border forces of India and Pakistan every evening. The ceremony involves the de-hoisting of the national flags of both countries with full honour and respect on both sides.

This border was not performing any such ceremony till 1970, but it was during that time when Inspector General BSF Ashwani Kumar Sharma proposed to conduct the joint retreat ceremony and since then, it has become a tradition that’s unique in itself.

Despite all political tensions between the two countries, the retreat ceremony provides a rare opportunity for the people of both countries to communicate and come face to face with each other. The ceremony attracts a lot of tourists from all over the country, and it has one advantage over Wagah Border that people can see the live action from very close here.

National Martyr's Memorial

Apart from having a national border, Hussainiwala is also famous as it is the cremation site of three of India's most famous freedom fighters – Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar. After the three fighters were awarded death sentence, their bodies were brought here for cremation.

The National Martyr's Memorial was then established to commemorate the lives of these three dynamic freedom fighters. When the area was under the control of Pakistan till 1962, it did very little to raise any monuments in the memory of these great martyrs of India who sacrificed their lives to gain freedom for both countries. But when India gained its control, it constructed monuments of these martyrs.

How to Reach

Hussainiwala has decent transport connectivity with the rest of India. The city can be accessed through different modes of transportation, including rail, road and air. Ferozepur is connected to some major railway stations in India, and its nearest and main station is Ferozepur Cant. Amritsar and Ludhiana are the closest airports, which are served by airlines such as SpiceJet, Indian Airlines and Jet Airways. Meanwhile, the area can also be reached through cars and taxis as it is located 116 kilometres from Amritsar, 125 kilometres from Jalandhar, 130 kilometres from Ludhiana and 222 kilometres from Chandigarh.

Where to Stay

This place has many options of stay. One can either stay at Hussainiwala or other major cities of Punjab such as Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh. All of these are located close to Hussainiwala.

Visitors from all over the country can avail the options of budget and luxury hotels as well as other rented apartments available at affordable rates and with decent amenities. If possible, try to make advance bookings in order to stay at your preferred location and to make your trip hassle free.

Other Attractions

Hussainiwala and Ferozepur have played a significant role in the history of India. The area also has several other attractions for its visitors, such as Anglo-Sikh War Memorial, Barki Memorial, Sargarhi Memorial and Harike Wetland. Meanwhile, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is constructing a viewers’ gallery in Hussainiwala, which will be similar to the one at Wagah but will be much larger in area. The gallery’s foundation stone was laid by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in October 2010 and the completion is scheduled by the end of 2013. The gallery has been designed to accommodate a total of 1,800 people simultaneously. The main aim behind the construction is to boost tourism in the area.