About Patiala City
Places to see in Patiala
Patiala is the erstwhile princely state of Punjab, which is situated in the Malwa region. The city covers a total area of 365 s km. It is a judicious synthesis of a brilliant spectrum of Rajput, Mughal and Punjabi cultures and a fine blend of modernity and tradition. It was MaharajBhupinder Singh (1900-1930) who gave Patiala state a prominent place in the politicial map of India. Through Historians have tried to trace the origin of patiala to Rig Vedic literature, the town, as it stands today,was founded by Baba Ala Singh. It was founded with the construction of Qila Mubarak in 1763.Administratively, Patiala district can be sub divided into 5 tehsils, 3 subs –tehsils and 8 blocks. It forms a part of the Indo-Gangetic plain and consists of the three types of region –The Upland Plain, The Cho Infested Foothill Plain and theFlood plain of the Ghaggar River. There is a complex drainage system running through the district, consisting of canal and rivers. The river Ghaggar is the most important water channel of the distict.Apart from the natural drainage line, the district also has three important canals, the bharkra main line canal,theNawana Branch and ghaggar link. These canals provide the much needed irrigation water to the district.
Places to Visit
Qila Mubarak
Built in 1764, by Maharaja Amar Singh, the fort has two portions. Qila Androon is the inner fort and Qila Mubarak, the outer. The gate of Qila Androon is done in lime plaster with geometrical and floral designs on it. Inside the fort are two painted chambers illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology and portraits of Sikh Gurus in Patiala style. Also a part of the fort is a museum of chandeliers and famous weapons.
Moti Bagh Palace
Started during the reign of Maharaja Narinder Singh, it was completed under Maharaja Bhupinder Singh in the early 20th century. The Old Moti Bagh Palace now houses the National Institute for Sports. The facade has Rajasthan-style jharokas and chhatris, and the palace is set in a beautiful garden with terraces, water channels and a Sheesh Mahal.
Sheesh Mahal
The Sheesh Mahal was built behind the main Moti Bagh Palace to serve as a pleasure complex.The paintings in two of its well maintained, mirror-worked chambers are of Kangra and Rajasthaniqalam, depicting the poetic visions of Keshav, Surdas and Bihari. The Sheesh Mahal now houses a museum, an art gallery, the famed medal gallery and also the North Zone Cultural Centre.
Gurudwara Dukhniwaran Sahib
The villagers of Lehal donated land for the modest Gurudwara built on this elevated site, said to have been visited by Guru TegBahadur. The legend is that anyone who prays at this Gurudwara is relieved of his suffering ('dukhniwaran'). A new bigger building is now being constructed.
Lachman Jhoola
Across the small Lake in front of Sheesh Mahal is a magnificent suspension bridge which being a replica of the famous Lakshman Jhoola at Rishikesh, is also named as LachmanJhoola. It links the Sheesh Mahal with the BanasarGhar on the other side of the lake. The BanasarGhar now houses the North Zone Cultural Center and a hall for setting up exhibitions.
Distance from nearby major places:
Patiala nearby places
| Amritsar | 233kms |
| Chandigarh | 70kms |
| Pathankot | 264kms |
| Gurdaspur | 268kms |
| Ludhiana | 93kms |
| Jalandhar | 154kms |
| Hoshiarpur | 155kms |
| Faridkot | 189kms |
| Kapurthala | 175kms |
| Moga | 148kms |
| Sangrur | 56kms |
| Fatehgarh Sahib | 38kms |
| Shimla | 172kms |
| Manali | 341kms |
| Dharamshala | 278kms |
| Dalhousie | 357kms |
| Jammu | 371kms |
| Delhi | 227kms |
Main Links
Travel Information
Exploring Punjab - Vacations
Punjab's Forestry and Wildlife
The Unique eco-system of the Shivaliks is spread over a geographical area 9448.97 Sq. km, and lies in the north-eatern part of the state extending from north-west to south-east along the Himachal Pradesh Border. It is spread across the eastern part of the districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Rupnagar