Qila Mubarak is a fortress of Sikh architecture in

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubar ...

Punjab, India Punjab () is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states ...

. It was the residential palace of Maharaja of Patiala.

History

Qila Mubarak was first built as a 'Kachigarhi' (Mud fortress) by Sidhu Jat ruler Baba Ala Singh in 1763, who was the founder of the Patiala dynasty. Later, it was reconstructed in baked bricks. It is said that the original fort created in 1763 was an extension built on top of an already existing Mughal fortress built by governor Hussain Khan in Patiala. The interior portion of Qila, which is known as ''Qila Androon'' is built by Maharaja Amar Singh.

Quila Mubarak complex

The residential palace of Royal family of Patiala, Qila Mubarak complex is built in ground in the heart of the city. The whole complex contains ''Ran Baas'' (

Guest house A guest house (or guesthouse, also rest house) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), a guest house is a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the e ...

) and the ''Darbar Hall'' (Divan Khana) besides Qila Androon. There is also underground sewerage system in the Qila.

Quila Androon

Qila Androon has 13 royal chambers with scenes from

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

painted in the Patiala art style.

Museum of Armoury & Chandelier

The Darbar Hall contains rare

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

s, shields and maces,

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...

s of

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

, and sword of

Nadir Shah Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...

Restoration work

Being a 300-year-old building,The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Nation
/ref> the Qila is described as being in 'bad shape' and has been extensively damaged. The fortress is described by the World Monuments Fund as one of world's 100 "most endangered monuments" in year 2004. Restoration work of Qila has been undertaken by Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage, which has been financially assisted by the state and national governments

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

. The World Monuments Watch has also funded its preservation. Post restoration in 2021, Ran Baas, the former guest house for the Maharaja of Patiala was developed into a 28-room luxury boutique hotel by The Park Hotels group.Ran Baas The Palace Hotel
/ref>

References

External links

@Wikimapia
{{Forts_in_India Forts in Punjab, India Sikh architecture Tourist attractions in Patiala Patiala State Patiala Patiala Fort Patiala Fort