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Archive for the ‘Patiala’ Category

Patiala district is one of the famous princely states of erstwhile Punjab, with the administrative headquarters bearing the same name. It is rich with attractions that invite tourists throughout the year.Patiala is founded by the Baba Ala Singh in the year 1753 and within a very short period in the two centuries. This place has recorded an unparalleled achievement in the field of music as well as painting. The city has the nearest airport Chandigarh, at a distance of 63 kilometer. It has a nearest railway station Ambala, at a distance 55 kilometer. It is a capital of princely state Patiala and so have many magnificent forts to visit.

Places To Visit

Qila Mubarak

Qila Mubarak is one of the prominent tourist attractions of Patiala. Built in 1764, by Maharaja Ala Singh, the fort was originally made as a mud fort or kachi garhi. The Maharaja constructed the pacca qila after his conquest of Sirhind. He constructed the qila by using the octroi received from the merchandise passing through his territory of the GT Road.

Old Motibagh Palace

Old Motibagh palace is the palace built in the late 19th century and it is located in the southern outer area of the town, at a distance of 3 kilometer and at the end of Mall road. It is the largest homes in Asia. The grotesquely oversized rambling central building is surrounded by the lawns and trees.

It is combination of Mughal, European and Rajput styles. It has the National institute for sports as a part of this building. In all there are 15 dining halls and number of outbuildings.

Baradari Gardens

Baradari Gardens surround the Baradari Palace, located in the north of old Patiala City, just outside Sheranwala Gate. It was constructed by Maharaja Rajindera Singh and consists of rare plants and trees, dotted with impressive Colonial buildings and a statue of the founder. The prime attraction in the garden is the 19th century Fern House, along with quaint Rink Hall.

Introduction

Patiala is one of the places in Punjab where you can extract its traditional beauty. It is also one of the main tourist destinations in Punjab. The city is famous for its pagg, peg, paranda and Juti and is also known for its cultural heritage. The place lies between 29°49’ and 30°47’ north latitude, 75°58’ and 76°54′ east longitude. Patiala literally means the land of Baba Ala Singh who was the founder of the place. Patiala is also a home town for famous personalities like Rakesh sharma who was the first Indian in space, Jet airways Chairman Naresh Goyal and some the cricketers like Mohinder Amarnath, Navjot Sidhu, Rathinder Singh Sodhi etc. It is also the head quarters of Patiala District of Punjab.

While travelling to the city of Patiala, should first visit the Moti Bagh Palace, which is the most famous location in the city. This palace is vast and huge, and it is an architectural landmark constructed in the year 1847. The palace is so vast that even an amusement park is present in its back area.

You can also visit Qila Androon, which is a magnificent structure constructed under two very different schools of architecture. This is a highlight of all important monuments in the state of Punjab, because the sites in Punjab are all made of an architectural style that combines Mughal and Rajasthani elements.

How To Reach There

There are daily return air flights between Delhi and Amritsar, and Chandigarh and Delhi. Railway service connects Patiala with all important tourist places in Northern India. Good road network links Patiala with other destinations.

Patiala is about 100 kms from Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. It is about 250 kms from Delhi. The nearest towns from Patiala are Rajpura (30 kms away), Zirakpur (60 kms away) and Ambala Cantt (35 kms away).

For those who reach by road can come through the national highway connecting Delhi and Amritsar. It is just 250 kms away. You can also come via Ambala Cantt which takes about 5 hours. You can also come from Chandigarh via Zirakpur and Rajpura without touching Ambala Cantt. The nearest Railway Station is Patiala Railway Station and the trains are available from major cities of India to Patiala.

Places To Visit

The Quila Mubarak Complex in Patiala is a prime attraction for the tourists. These include the complexes of the palace of Quila Androon. This is situated on the heart of the city and is surrounded by 10 acres of ground. The guest house, darbar hall, shiva temple are some of attracting features to see in the complexes. Quila Androon is also famous for its rich architecture style developed by the Mughals. All the rooms inside this are intricately decorated. Many outsiders are visiting here to have close exposure to the Mughal architecture of the complex.

The Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala is also a famous place to visit. The construction of this palace was started during the reign of Maharaja Narinder Singh and was completed during the period of Bhupinder Singh in the early 90s. The palace is now a National Institute for sports. The palace is also surrounded by beautiful garden. This palace is a regular visiting place for the tourists.

Rang Mahal and Sheesh mahal is another attraction here. These are known for its frescoes which were made under the reign of Maharaja Narender Singh. The artists from Rajasthan, Pahari and Avadhi tradition has done most of these works. The place is also known for Divan khanna or simply Darbar halls which are used as a venue for the public meetings and to address the crowd. Now this has been changed to Museum with a rich collection of royal features. The swords of Nadir Shah are preserved here along with the dagger of Guru Gobind Singh. The Jalau khana, Sarda khana, Lassi khana are also some other interesting features.

Below are some places of interest in Patiala.

Moti Bagh Palace : The palace was founded in the early 20th century,Its construction was started during the reign of Maharaja Narinder Singh and it was completed under Maharaja Bhupinder Singh . The Old Moti Bagh Palace now encompasses the National Institute for Sports. The facade is adorned using Rajasthan-style jharokas and chhatris.The palace is located admist a beautiful garden with terraces, water channels and a Sheesh Mahal.

Sheesh Mahal : The Sheesh Mahal was located behind the Moti Bagh Palace to serve as a pleasure complex. The paintings in two of its well maintained , mirror-worked chambers are of Kangra and Rajasthani qalam.The paintings depict the poetic visions of Keshav, Surdas and Bihari.The Sheesh Mahal also encompasses a museum, an art gallery, and also the North Zone Cultural Centre set up by a society to preserve art.

Qila Androon : Androon is a single interconnected building,however it is considered as a series of palaces.The series of rooms form a cluster around the courtyard and each holds a name:Sheesh Mahal, Toshakhana, Jalau Khana, Chand Mahal, Rang Mahal, Treasury and Prison.In a tiny portion of the complex is a little British construction which displays Gothic arches and fire places carved out of marble.The entrance is through an imposing gate. The architectural style of this palace is a synthesis of late Mughal and Rajasthani.Burj Baba Ala Singh even today has a fire smoldering ever since the time of Baba Ala Singh, along with a flame brought by him from Jwalaji.

Lakshman Jhoola : Lakshman Jhoola is located across the small Lake in front of Sheesh Mahal.It is a magnificent suspension bridge.It forms a replica of the famous Lakshman Jhoola at Rishikesh and therefore is also named as Lachman Jhoola.It links the Sheesh Mahal with the Banasar Ghar on the other side of the lake. The Banasar Ghar now houses the North Zone Cultural Center.

Diwan Khana : This hall is used for holding important public occasions. The Darbar has been transformed into a museum exhibiting dazzling chandeliers and armor, including the sword and dagger of Guru Gobind Singh.It also displays Nadir Shah’s sword. The hall was built on a high platform over a network of tunnels . The delicately worked wood-and-glass doors open into a huge 15m-high chamber.The ceiling is hung with a fabled collection of chandeliers.At the far end of the chamber is a raised platform, where the Maharaja used to sit.

Patiala district is one of the famous princely states of erstwhile Punjab.It is surrounded by the districts of Fatehgarh Sahib & Rupnagar and Chandigarh in the north, Sangrur district in the west, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts in the east and Kaithal district in the south.Patiala is located on the National Highway #1 (Delhi-Amritsar) and is about 250 Km from Delhi.

Time To Visit

The summer season extends from March to June.The monsoon set in month of July and extends till the end of August.The winters are cool and pleasant.The best time to visit Patiala is from February to mid April.