PHOTOS

Ambala
About Ambala
The district headquarter is situated in Ambala City. Other towns are Ambala Cantt., Barara, Naggal, Mulana, Saha and Shahzadpur. The total area of Ambala district is 1569 sq km and its population is 11,06,000. It is famous for its big army cantonment, air force base and a very busy railway junction.
There are a number of stories regarding the name 'Ambala'. According to one, this town was founded in the 14th century by one Amba Rajput. According to another the town is named after the Goddess Bhawani Amba. Yet another stories claims that the town was originally called Amb Wala (place of Mangoes), and over time this got corrupted into the present name of Ambala.

In 1841, after an outbreak of malaria, the British abandoned the cantonment at Karnal. In its place a large cantonment was founded in Ambala in 1843. Ambala district is famous for its industries, especially that of scientific instruments, metal casting, kitchen mixer grinders and submersible motor pumps.

Ambala lies on the North-Eastern edge of Haryana between 27-39"-45' North latitude and 74-33"-53' to 76-36"-52' East longitude. It is bounded by the district Yamunanagar to the South-East. To its South lies Kurukshetra district while in its west is situated Patiala and Ropar districts of Punjab and Chandigarh (UT). Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh bounds the district in the North-East. The height from the sea level is 900 feet.

Attraction of the Ambala City

Ambala Shrines
There are many shrines in and around Ambala City, including Bhawani Amba Temple (named after the goddess Bhawani). Ambala is home to many Gurdwaras (Sikh temples), some of which have historical importance. The Badshahi Bag Gurudwara, Sis Ganj Gurudwara, Manji Sahib Gurudwara, Labhuwala Talaah, and Sangat Sahib Gurdwara are the historical gurudwaras here. These are associated with Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Hargobind respectively. There are also the popular Muslim shrines of Lakhi Shah and Taqwal Shah, Saint Paul's Church and a British, Christian cemetery. Patel Park in Ambala Cantt and City Park in Ambala City have beautiful gardens.
 
Paget Park
Located in the north of the city is a pleasant open space known as the Paget Park. It has the shell of the St John's Cathedral, designed in the 14th century Gothic style, which was bombed in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.
 
Gupta Iron Pillar
The famous Gupta iron pillar which now stands tall at the Qutub Minar in Delhi originally belonged to Ambala; it was lifted from here by the Muslim rulers to its present position). But the Rang Mahal at Buria nearby is a handsome palace with stone arches and pillars with beautiful carvings, erected during Shah Jahans reign.