Qila Mubarak is a fortress of

Sikh architecture Sikh architecture is a style of architecture that was developed under Sikh Empire during 18th and 19th century in the Punjab region. Due to its progressive style, it is constantly evolving into many newly developing branches with new contempora ...

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern 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'' (the 'Fortunate Castle') construct ...

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

History

Qila Mubarak was first built as a 'Kachigarhi' (Mud fortress) by Sidhu Jat ruler

Baba Ala Singh Ala Singh Sidhu-Brar (1691–1765) was the first king of the princely state of Patiala. He was born in 1691 at Phul, in present-day Bathinda district of the Punjab, in Jat sikh family to Chaudhary Ram Singh of Phulkian Misl. His father had six c ...

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 (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use ...

) 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 is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and ...

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 ...

sword A sword is an 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 blade with a pointed ti ...

s, shields and maces,

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

s of

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sin ...

, and sword of

Nadir Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian ...

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 World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

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 Alexand ...

. The

World Monuments Watch World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and traini ...

has also funded its preservation.

References

External links

@Wikimapia
{{coord missing, Punjab (India) Forts in Punjab, India Sikh architecture Tourist attractions in Patiala