SA Travel Diaries - Once a Princely State - Patiala by Yashika Kapila

By -


India has a vital place in world because of diverse reasons. India is the only country got freedom from British by Non-Violence. Mahatama Gandhi and our big freedom fighters fought for us and got freedom from British Government around 60+ years back. People from many cities and states of India participated in freedom fight. Patiala is the one city which got involved completely for liberty. This city is situated in Punjab’s south-eastern part. Patiala City is positioned near the fort Qila Mubarak.

Patiala was a Sikh princely state that lasted from 1714 to 1948. Not many know that Patiala state was established in 1763 by Baba Ala Singh, a Jat Sikh chieftain, who laid the foundation of the Patiala fort known as Qila Mubarak, around 'which the present city of Patiala is built.

(Qila Mubarak)

Quila Mubarak was first built as a mud fortress and later, it was reconstructed in baked bricks. 13 royal chambers with scenes from Hindu mythology painted in the Patiala art style.
Being 300-year-old building, the Quila is in a bad shape and has been damaged a lot. World Monuments Fund had listed Quila Mubarak in list of world’s 100 "most endangered monuments" in year 2004.

Restoration work of Quila has been undertaken by Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage, Archaeological Survey of India with the help of Punjab state and central govt. World Monuments Watch has also funded preservation of this monument.

(Sheesh Mahal, Patiala)

The Sheesh Mahal is the famous tourist place in Patiala. Maharaja Narinder Singh built this Mahal in 1847. The design and the decoration of the palace was chosen by Maharaja Narinder Singh to a large extent. One section of Sheesh Mahal is decorated with colored glass and mirror work and it is also known as ‘Palace of Mirrors’ Unfortunately the construction is going on from past 6 years so wasn't able to see the beauty of this place from inside. Upon asking, the security guard told us that the construction is gonna take 1.5 - 2 years more.

In my 2 days of stay in Patiala I was able to only cover the above two places. But this is not it, apart it, Patiala is famous for customary turban, paranda, patiala salwar (ladies trouser), special type of footwear and a special measure of liquor (Patiala peg). And fun fact: Rakesh Sharma the first astronaut from India was born in city Patiala.
To sum it up, Patiala is a great combination of Urban and Rural Punjab as it offers the best of both worlds. The city offers the urban lifestyle we demand nowadays along with the peace we crave for in metros.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Vav Factor: Sevasi Vav, Vadodra by Ramyani Sengupta

By -
Image
                    The Sevasi Vav, Vadodara           Click here for our Sevasi Vav Video In all of western India, you will be able to find stepwells, from the coasts of Karnataka, to the arid lands of Gujarat and Rajasthan. And then,  are  some in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, too. They provided travellers with a place to rest, and prevailed as a place to socialize, as well as acted as a medium for storing drinking water (there is no reason to boast about the advent of social networking for you in the 21st century–the wise Yodas from the past did this). More than 200 stepwells are expected to be located in Gujarat alone today–making it very easy to picture their figures in the past. Their water storage effectiveness has helped local residents survive for hundreds of years, in the semi-arid  climate  and  seasonal fluctu...
Read more

Pandavleni Caves and the Quest for Inscriptions by Ira Bhatnagar and Simran Kaur Saini

By -
Image
"We are not leaving this site until and unless we spot all the inscriptions that are there. We cover each cave that there is, okay? Even if our stomachs growl with hunger, and our feet hurt like anything." - Five Research Wing Members on a mission You are in the midst of a weeklong Prehistoric Archaeology workshop, toiling away in the blazing heat, mapping river routes and knapping stone tools. The echoes of prehistory follow you everywhere, yes, even during your tea breaks (The struggle is real *makes sad puppy eyes*). Each day starts with a burning fire within you to decode the enigma called Prehistory (after accomplishing the herculean task of waking up, of course), and by the end of it, leaves you with a fuzzier mind and an aching body that treats chai as ambrosia. Trust us, chai is the elixir for survival when on field. Seriously. Nevertheless, moving on. Finally, that one holiday arrives! A chance to let those poor muscles have some rest, to sleep like...
Read more

Understanding Coinage of the Past: Indo Greek Coins by Dr. Osmund Bopearachchi: A Lecture Review by Kajal Bawa

By -
Image
  Make mistakes but make mistakes intelligently. Already in awe of Prof. Bopearachchi from when he spoke to Speaking Archaeologically about the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, we were more than elated when he graciously agreed to give us two more lectures on the coinage of the past. Exploring Indo-Greek Coins in the first lecture , he showed that the reconstruction of the history of the Greeks in Bactria and India as well as their nomadic successors is entirely dependent upon coins and inscriptions. Only a few texts explore their history and these are scattered across Greek, Latin, Indian and Chinese texts.  What was most fascinating about the lecture was the approach Prof. Bopearachchi took towards studying coinage. I always assumed that studying coins would be limited to the coin itself- its shape, material, contents as that is how we had always studied it. This is important but my understanding was taken to the next level as Prof. Bopearachchi provided a context to this study. ...
Read more