Indus Queen

Indus Queen on the bank of the Indus River
History
Pakistan
Name	Indus Queen
Owner	Nawab of Bahawalpur (1867–1917), Gifted to Khwaja Ghulam Farid (1917–1947), Pakistan (1947–present)
Operator	Bahawalpur Royal Service
Port of registry	Bahawalpur State and Pakistan
Route	Sutlej River and Indus River (Bahawalpur to Mithankot route)
Ordered	1866
Builder	Thomas Reid & Sons, Paisley, Scotland
Laid down	c. 1866
Launched	1867
Christened	Sutlej Queen (original name)
Acquired	Gifted to Khawaja Ghulam Farid in 1917
Maiden voyage	1867
In service	1867–c. 1990s
Out of service	Late 1990s
Fate	Damaged by fire and abandoned near Kot Mithan
Status	Derelict[1]
General characteristics
Class & type	River paddle steamer
Length	Estimated 100 ft (30 m)
Beam	Unknown
Decks	3
Installed power	Originally steam-powered
Propulsion	Paddle wheels (steam engine removed)
Capacity	Approx. 400 passengers
Notes	Included separate decks for men and women and onboard kitchen facilities. Shifted from Sutlej to Indus River after 1958. Once considered a symbol of Bahawalpur's royal heritage.

Indus Queen, originally named Sutlej Queen, was a three-decked royal steamer built in 1867 by Thomas Reid and Sons of Scotland for the Nawab of Bahawalpur during the British Raj period. Designed to host up to 400 guests, it featured separate male and female sections, and onboard kitchens. The vessel served as a royal pleasure craft on the Sutlej River.

After the Indus Waters Treaty caused the Sutlej to dry up, the vessel was transferred to the Indus River, renamed Indus Queen, and gifted to followers of the Sufi saint Khwaja Ghulam Farid in 1917. It ferried pilgrims between Chachran Sharif and Kot Mithan, serving the community until the 1990s.^[2][3]

Constructed during British rule, the ship was lavishly decorated and commissioned by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi IV as Sutlej Queen. It became Indus Queen after relocation due to changes in river flow, continuing as a ferry for pilgrims and travellers. A fire in the 1990s ended its operational life, and by the 2010s it lay stranded in silt at Kot Mithan, near Mithankot in Rajanpur District.^[4] Efforts to restore the vessel or convert it into a floating museum or tourist site were proposed in 2012 and again in 2017, including engine replacement and rehabilitation at Mithankot. These initiatives stalled due to high costs.^[5][6]

As of 2025, the original remains in derelict condition; proposals for moving it to Bahawalpur's museum are under consideration. At present, the original hull of Indus Queen remains abandoned and corroding at the riverbank near Kot Mithan. Local reports describe missing fixtures, extensive rust, and partial burial in river silt. Heritage groups warn that without intervention, the structural integrity may be lost forever.^[7][1]

In 2021, Bahawalpur Cantonment Board and heritage advocates commissioned a replica of Indus Queen at Noor Mahal, now open to visitors three evenings a week, sometimes with light-and-sound shows and dining facilities. This replica acts as a cultural landmark preserving the memory of the original steamer.^[8]

Legal petitions filed with the Lahore High Court in 2020 urged government officials to rehabilitate the original wreck and display it as a heritage monument. Preservation remains under debate between government agencies, heritage groups, and local committees.^[9]

• Noor Mahal
• Gulzar Mahal
• Titanic