Qila Didar Singh 5.66

Qalla Didar Singh, is a town of Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 32°8' N 74°1' E, west of Gujranwala city - the district capital. Its population was estimated to be 54,849 in 2005. Qila Didar Singh lies on the Gujranwala-Hafizabad Road, 17 km west of Gujranwala. The town's rice market is one of the largest in the Punjab. In 2007, Qila Didar Singh was administratively upgraded to City Town, one of four in the Gujranwala District.Affiliated with the University of the Punjab, there are two Govt colleges in town, one each for boys and girls, which offer BA and BSc degrees, among others. Qila Didar Singh is centre of education and shopping for nearby villages.HistoryThe origin of the town is related to a Sikh land owner called Didar Singh. When Didar Singh was married, his father gave him the lands surrounding the part of Qila Didar Singh that is currently known as "Old/Inside part of Qila". The name Qila implies a fort; this name originates in the fact that Didar Singh's family had a very large and tall mansion, which was surrounded by smaller houses. Because there was a wall surrounding the whole town with several gates, the town had the appearance of a fort.During the Indian rebellion of 1857, British troops during chase of the rebels, arrived at the Qila and surrounded it, believing it to be a fort. Representatives of the townpeople however managed to convince the troops that the town was not in fact a fortification.