The Indus Queen was built during the rule of Sir Sadiq Abbasi,the Nawab of Bahawalpur, for the royal family to cruise through River Sutlej when it used to be full of water.
The ship was made during British control in 1867 and was owned by the Nawab of Bahawalpur. The three-story ship facilitated the guests of the Nawab and had kitchens for preparing food for 400 guests.
Subh Sadiq, the Nawab of Bahawalpur, gifted the ship to the followers of Kot Mithan and Rohi’s Sufi poet Khwaja Ghulam Fareed in 1917. Later, the ship was assigned to the transportation of devotees. Indus Queen was also the exclusive transport for Zaireen to travel between Chachraan Sharif and Kot Mithan Sharif through the majestic River Indus. Residents say that hundreds of people from both sides of the River traveled on the ship daily.
There were separate partitions for male and female passengers. The site attracts thousands of followers each year. Around five decades ago, Sutlej Queen caught fire and then parked at the bank of River Indus.
If you are more of a visual person, then please watch the following video, which summarizes my Indus Queen trip:
Efforts to restore the Indus Queen
A project was considered by the District Government Rajanpur and TDCP to restore and enhance the old ship to transform it into a floating restaurant and use it to provide a joy-ride facility to boost tourism. The proposals were proclaimed in 2012 and 2017, but the process could not be concluded.
Experts from the Karachi shipyard recommended its rehabilitation at the site and replacing its older and slower diesel engines with new engines. However, the project has remained neglected since then after the experts sent Indus Queen rehabilitation cost estimates to the district government.
Fixtures and some parts of the ship have also been stolen. The reparation of this historic ship will promote tourism in the area. Still, it will also provide recreational facilities for the millions of followers of Khwaja Fareed visiting the site.
The floods of 2010 also caused significant damage to the ship. The Indus Queen Ship is now under the control of the Highways Department Punjab.
Location
When moving towards Rajanpur to Benazir Bridge, a road turns right from Benazir Bridge. Thus, just after one kilometer, one can easily reach the Indus Queen located on the bank of the Indus River in Kot Mithan tehsil of Rajanpur district.
Hopefully, this blog will inspire you to visit Indus Queen. Also, if you have any questions on Punjab or my traveling experience on bicycles/motorbikes, please comment below or email me, and I’ll try to reply to you as soon.
