Patiala Tourism, Punjab
About Patiala
Patiala is one of the famous princely cities of erstwhile Punjab situated in the Malwa region. Formerly known as ‘Ala De Patti’ (means ‘Pati (land) of Baba Ala Singh’), Patiala had been founded by the venerable saint- Baba Ala Singh around the year 1763 with the construction of Qila Mubarak. Located on the eastern branch of the Sirhind Canal, Patiala, a city of royal heritage and rich tradition, is famous for its grand fort, magnificent palaces and museums. Spread over an area of 3625 sq km, the city is surrounded by Ambala and Kurukshetra in the east, Sangrur district in the west, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar and Chandigarh in the north, and Kaithal district in the South. The river Ghaggar is the most important water channel of the district. Patiala has the proud distinction of having the National Institute of sports (NIS). Many administrative head offices of Punjab state like Punjab State Electricity Board, PWD, Public Service Commission, Punjab State Archives and Income Tax Department have been established in Patiala. The city is a trade centre for grain, cotton handicrafts, hardware, electric goods, textiles, shoes etc. as it has a well-developed infrastructure, which connects the place with different parts of the country. Patiala is in forefront from the education.
History of Patiala
The history of Patiala state starts off with the ancestor of the Sikh Patiala Royal House, Mohan Singh being harassed by neighboring Bhullars and Dhaliwals. Bhullars and Dhaliwals were defeated by the Guru's men, which allowed Mohan to establish the Village of Meharaj in 1627. Mohan and his eldest son Rup Chand were later killed in a fight against the Bhatti Rajputs. Then, Kala, Mohan's younger son of Mohan Singh, took the charge of province as well as guardianship of Rup Chand's sons- Phul and Sandali. When Kala died, Phul formed his own village (Phul) at a distance of 10 km away from Meharaj in 1663.