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PUNJAB’S PRIDE
Baba Ala Singh’s PatialaJaswant Singh Puri
Baba Ala Singh, the founder of
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
Captain Amarinder Singh, Moreover, there are a number of well-known schools that are affiliated to CBSE and ICSE and a few of them are: Our Lady of Fatima, Saint Peters’ Academy, Shivalik Public School with Synthetic Grass Playground (the only one of its kind by New Zealand Company), Buddha Dal Public School, Guru Nanak Foundation Public School etc. Yadvindra Public School, a venture of Maharaja Yadvindra Singh, British School and Kaintal School are affiliated to I.C.S.E. Govt. Mohindra College
Kali Devi Temple
The Royal City of Patiala has a
number of religious and cultural
tourist attractions. There is Shri
Kali Devi Temple dedicated to Maa
Kali that was built by Maharaja
Bhupindera Singh. He brought the
six feet statue of Divine Kali and
Paawan Jyoti from Bengal to Patiala with full honour and
devotion. It has been declared as
a National Monument. All sects of
people pay their obeisance here.
An old temple of Raj Rajeshwari is
also situated in the centre of this
complex. Gurudwara Shri Dukhniwaran Sahib Bahadurgarh Fort Gurudwara Moti Bagh is situated on the outskirts of the city. Guru Teg Bahadur visited the place on his way towards Delhi who came to Saifabad (Bahadurgarh) on the humble request of a great worshipper and devotee of Guru Sahib. Guru Ji stayed here for three months and meditated inside the fort. Bahadurgarh Fort well-known for its old glory and splendour, is situated on Patiala – Punjabi University road. It was constructed by Nawab Saif Ali Khan in 1658 A.D. where Guru Teg Bahadur visited him. It was renovated by Maharaja Karam Singh in 1837. It is a huge fort with an area of 2 km2. The fort has the resplendency to carry its name in the honour of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib who stayed here for three months for meditation. The Quila Mubarak is located in the heart of the city spread over 10 acres of vast land. It contains the inner fort and the Darbar Hall. The Quila has many shops within its vicinity including Darshani Gate and Shiva temple. There is a Baba Ala Singh Burge where the flame is burning day and night since the days of Baba Ala Singh which he brought from Jwala Ji. Previously, it was the residence of Patiala royals until the construction of Old Moti Bagh Palace. Sheesh Mahal is another landmark. It was built in the nineteenth century by the Maharajas. It contains a lot of frescoes most of which were built under the rule of His Highness Maharaja Narinder Singh. An artistic museum adds to its grandeur which consists a large number of antiques collection with the benevolence of His Highness Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. The Bahadari Gardens are matchless in artistic sense and grace. Earlier, it had 12 gates as the meaning of ‘Baradari’ stands for twelve. These gardens are located in the north of Patiala which were setup during the reign of Maharaja Rajinder Singh. These wonderful gardens are decked with rare plants and flowers. The gardens have also the privilege to have Dhrove Pandove Cricket Stadium and a Skating Hall. There is a heritage hotel by Neemrana Hotels group that was opened in 2009. It is situated near Press Club, Patiala. Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, the only one of its kind, is situated here which is the largest sports institute in Asia. It is housed in Old Moti Bagh Palace. It was purchased by the Government of India after independence. It houses several sports memorables like the gold medal of Major Dhayan Chand of the Amsterdom Olympics of 1928 and Asiad Shoes of P.T. Usha of the Seoul Asiad of 1986. The royal city has also the excellence of having many playgrounds like the Raja Bhalindra Sports Complex popularly known as Polo Ground on Lower Mall. It has an indoor stadium with sports facilities. The credit goes to e a r s t w h i l e Maharajas and royal lineage of the city. A few words about Adalat Bazar, Sadar Bazar etc are a must that speak of its old stateliness. The Punjabi Jutti, ‘Parandas’, and Shahi Salwar are the most popular trends which make this city great. The Patiala Shahi Turban is an added attraction. Patiala is also well equipped with medical facilities where private hospitals with modern facilities have come up. Multipurpose hospitals and specialist clinics have risen in a good number to look after the citizens of Patiala for their sound health and cheerful disposition.
Preneet Kaur North Zone Cultural Centre and Languages Department are also housed here. Gurmukh Singh Musafir Central Library is unique for its collection of books. Omaxe Centre on the Mall, with art-deco designed cinemas and the upcoming Rajindra Lake do deserve appreciation. Patiala Peg, however, should not lag behind which is a measure of alcohol. It is usually three or four times to the regular size of whisky which is 30 ml. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh was its inventor when an Irish team had visited to play Polo match that was served large pegs. |