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PATIALA ATTRACTIONS |
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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| PATIALA EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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PATIALA CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| Quila Mubarak Complex |
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The Qila Mubarak complex stands in 10-acre ground in the heart of the city, and contains the main palace or Qila Androon (literally,'inner fort'), the guesthouse or Ran Baas and the Darbar Hall. Outside the Qila are the Darshani Gate, a Shiva temple, and bazaar shops which border the streets that run around the Qila and sell precious ornaments, colorful hand-woven fabrics, ‘jootis’ and bright ‘Parandis’. |
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| Sheesh Mahal |
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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 Rajasthani qalam, 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. |
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| Darbar Hall |
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Used for large audiences and important public occasions, the Darbar has been converted into a museum displaying dazzling chandeliers and armor, including the sword and dagger of Guru Gobind Singh and Nadir Shah's sword. The hall was built on a high plinth over a network of tunnels which were service conduits. The facade gives the impression of a double-storey building, with 'upper storey' windows and a balcony at the first floor level, but the delicately worked wood-and-glass doors open into a huge 15m-high chamber. |
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| Lachman Jhoola |
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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 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 and a hall for setting up exhibitions. |
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| Moti Bagh Palace |
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The next great architectural landmark is the Moti Bagh Palace constructed in 1847 by Maharaja Narendra Singh at a cost of Rs. 5 lakhs; Maharaja Narendra Singh was as great a builder as Swai Jai Singh of Jaipur. The Moti Bagh Palace was designed on the pattern of Shalimar Gardens of Lahore with terraces, water channels, Sheesh Mahal and beautiful garden. It is a four storeyed structure with massive stone-walls, arched openings, filtered and ornamental grills and crowning domes. The rear part of the palace has been developed into an amusement park, which offers many attractions to the young and the old alike. In the foreground of the Sheesh Mahal, there is a huge tank with two towers on both sides. Along with it is the suspended rope bridge popularly known as Lakshman Jhula, which connects the palace with the Bansar Ghar housing the Natural History Gallery. Here the stuffed animals and birds are displayed. The rest of the palace now houses the most prestigious Subhash Chander Bose National Institute of Sports.
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| Chandigarh |
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The city is considered to be a Mecca of modern architecture and planning all over the world. What makes Chandigarh extraordinary is the fact that within four decades, a barren landscape has been transformed into a modern and model human habitation. The making of a new city is like inventing a new tomorrow. And Chandigarh succeeds in ushering in a new dawn. The major attractions of this city are the Capitol Complex, Secretariat, Assembly, High Court, Open Hand, City Beautiful, Garden City, Piazza, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill, Martyr's Memorial, Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Leisure Valley, Rose Garden, Garden of Tranquility, Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals, Bougainvillea Garden, Botanical Garden, Garden of Aromatic Plants, Government Museum and Art Gallery, Museum of Evolution of Life, and International Dolls Museum. |
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| Kasauli |
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Kasauli is a small cantonment town in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The town is the home of the Kasauli Brewery, which is the highest brewery and distillery in the world. The cantonment was established in 1842 by the British colonial rulers as a hill station. Located 77 km from Shimla, 65 km from Chandigarh and 50 km from Panchkula, it still retains the old world charms and is a throwback to the past. |
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| Amritsar |
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Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India. It is an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travellers coming to India on the overland route from central Asia it soon became the centre of various commercial activities. There are various historical and religious sites - see Amritsar City Map. The most famous of them all in the Golden Temple which was founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas and completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. |
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| Ludhiana |
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Ludhiana the largest city in the Indian city of Punjab, with a population of over 1.5 million people. The city is over 500 years old, rich in history and is very popular with tourists, particularly as it has easy access by road and rail to other places such as Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Delhi, and Chandigarh. It is the major industrial center for the Punjab and is known as the "Manchester" of India because of its numerous manufacturing plants. Its an important hub for the knitwear and textile trades in adddition to being home to factories producing vehicles, machine tools, generators and more. |
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| Pinjore Gardens |
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When it comes to excursions around Patiala, Pinjore gardens deserve a special mention. Also known as Yadavindra Gardens, they are situated about 20 kms away from the city. The work of creating Pinjore gardens began in the seventeenth century. It covers a total area of 100 acres. Chandigarh Pinjore Garden serves as the venue for hosting the annual event of mango festival. The garden houses a mini zoo, historic places, Japanese garden, nursery and a number of picnic spots. According to the Hindu mythology, it is said that it is over here that Pandava brothers had rested during their exile. |
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN PATIALA |
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| Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib |
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Gurdwara Dukhnivaran was established to commemorate the memory of the visit of Guru Teg Bahadur. The village of Lehal donated the land and modest Gurdwara was built on the elevated site. Maharaja Yadvindra Singh who was a devout Sikh built the present building and sarovar. There is a strong belief that any person paying obeisance at this Gurdwara is by the grace of the Guru relieved of his sufferings, hence the name of the shrine. |
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| Kali Mandir |
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Situated opposite Baradari garden on the Mall Road of Patiala, this temple was built by the rulers of the Patiala State. Because of its beautiful wall paintings and icons the temple has been declared a national monument.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was inspired to build this temple and bring the 6-ft statue of Kali from Bengal to Patiala. This large complex attracts devotees, Hindu and Sikh, from distant places. A much older temple of Raj Rajeshwari is also situated in the center of this complex.
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| Punj Bali Gurdwara |
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Nawab Saif Khan, an admirer of Guru Teg Bahadur, Commemorated the guru's visit by building two gurudwaras, one inside the fort and the other across the road, now known as Panch Bali Gurudwara. |
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| Gurdwara Motibagh |
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This shrine is situated near the Old Motibagh Palace, former residence of the rulers of Patiala. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur, during his journey to Delhi for his supreme sacrifice, stayed here for a while, in 1675. It was then jungle country and no memorial was raised until Maharaja Narinder Singh of Patiala (1823-62), who had already built the Motibagh Palace, constructed this Gurdwara in 1852. The building stands on a high plinth and is approached by a flight of marble-topped steps leading to a porch on top of the base. The sanctum is a square room with a verandah around it. It has four doors, one on each side, but three of them are closed with screens of perforated red-stone slabs. The one open door has a white marble frame and wooden leaves covered with beautifully carved brass sheets.
The interior walls and the ceiling are richly decorated with filigree work and inset multicoloured glass pieces. On the first floor is a square room with a pinnacled lotus dome on top. For administration, the shrine is affiliated to Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Special religious gatherings and Guru ka Langar mark the anniversaries of the birth and martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur. On the latter occasion, a largely attended procession is led out from here. Marching through the city streets, it ends at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Extensive renovations have been carried out recently. |
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| Gurdwara Singh Sabha |
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Historic gurdwaras in the city and district of Patiala include the Gurdwara Singh Sabha. Devotees comes here to pray and seek peace. |
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