Ambala, Haryana
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Ambala () is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and a
municipal corporation Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally o ...
in
Ambala district Ambala district is one of the 22 districts of Haryana state in the country of India with Ambala town serving as the administrative headquarters of the district. District Ambala lies on the North-Eastern edge of Haryana and borders Punjab and Hima ...
in the state of
Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, located on the border with the Indian state of
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
and in proximity to both states capital
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
. Politically, Ambala has two sub-areas:
Ambala Cantonment Ambala Cantonment is a cantonment town in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India. It is 200 km north of Delhi and 55 km southwest of Chandigarh. This cantonment was established in the year 1843 and is an important centre for m ...
(also known as Ambala Cantt) and Ambala City, eight kilometres apart, therefore, it is also known as "Twin City." It has a large
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
and
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
presence within its cantonment area. It is located 200 km (124 mi) to the north of
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, India's capital, and has been identified as a counter-magnet city for the National Capital Region to develop as an alternative center of growth to Delhi. Ambala separates the Ganges river network from the Indus river network and is surrounded by two rivers –
Ghaggar The Ghaggar-Hakra River () is an intermittent river in India and Pakistan that flows only during the monsoon season. The river is known as Ghaggar before the Ottu barrage at , and as Hakra downstream of the barrage in the Thar Desert. In pr ...
and Tangri – to the north and to the south. Due to its geographical location, the Ambala district plays an important role in local tourism, being located south of
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
, north of
Kurukshetra Kurukshetra () is a city and administrative headquarters of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita". Legends According to the Puranas ...
, southwest of
Shimla Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...
, north of
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
and southeast of
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
.


History


Etymology

The town is said to derive its name from Amba
Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
who supposedly founded it during the 14th century CE. According to another version, it is named after the goddess "Bhawani Amba," whose Temple still exists in Ambala city.Haryana Gazateer
Revenue Dept of Haryana, Capter-V.
The English spelling Umballa has sometimes been used; this spelling was used by
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...
in his 1901 novel '' Kim''.


Classical era

Archaeological Surveyor C.J Rodgers found
Indo-Parthian Kingdom The Indo-Parthian kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the Indian ...
coins as well as coins of
Hunas Hunas or Huna (Middle Brahmi script: ''Hūṇā'') was the name given by the ancient Indians to a group of Central Asian tribes who, via the Khyber Pass, entered the Indian subcontinent at the end of the 5th or early 6th century. The Hunas occu ...
,
Mihirakula Mihirakula (Gupta script: , ''Mi-hi-ra-ku-la'', Chinese: 摩酰逻矩罗 ''Mo-hi-lo-kiu-lo''), sometimes referred to as Mihiragula or Mahiragula, was the second and last Alchon Huns, Alchon Hun king of northwestern region of the Indian subcont ...
and
Toramana Toramana also called Toramana Shahi Jauvla ( Gupta script: 𑀢𑁄𑀭𑀫𑀸𑀡 ''To-ra-mā-ṇa'', ruled circa 493-515 CE) was a king of the Alchon Huns who ruled in northern India in the late 5th and the early 6th century CE. Toramana co ...
which indicated that after the disintegration of the
Mauryan empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...
, the area was taken over by
Indo-Parthians The Indo-Parthian kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the Indian s ...
and later incorporated into the domain of the Hunas.


Late medieval era

In 1709, Battle of Ambala was fought, and
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
captured Ambala from
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
. It was under the rule of
Gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...
Jats The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in ...
from 1748 to 1825. It was also the capital of
Nishanwalia Misl The Nishanwalia Misl, also spelt as Nishananvali Misl, was a Sikhs, Sikh Sikh Confederacy, misl. The Misl was founded by Dasaundha Singh, Dasaundha Singh Shergill a leader of Nihang, Tarna Dal. The misl was ruled by the Shergill Jat Sikh, Jat ...
. For some time it had been under the rule of Jawahir Singh of Mustafabad, a descendant of Desu Singh Randhawa.


British colonial era


The Ambala Cantonment


=Ambala Army Base

= Ambala Army Cantonment was established in 1843 after the British were forced to leave its
Karnal Karnal () is a city located in the state of Haryana, India and is the administrative headquarters of Karnal District. The city is well connected as it lies on National Highway 01, in the south of the city lies the cities of Panipat and Sonipa ...
Cantonment following the malaria epidemic of 1841–42 in as there were not any known effective means to control malaria epidemic in those days. The cantonment houses the '2 Corps', one of the three Strike Corps of the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
.


=Ambala Air Force Base

= Ambala Air Force Base is one of the oldest and largest airbases that were inherited from the British by the IAF. It was from this airbase that
Spitfires The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...
and Harvards flown by Instructors of the Advanced Flying Training School took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948. Subsequently, Ambala was the front line airfield for many years. It was home to various aircraft that were inducted into the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
.
Vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
, Ouragans,
Hunters Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
, etc. all flew from this base. The airbase was briefly attacked in 1965 by B-57 bombers of the
Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
. Today, the Airbase houses the '7 Wing' with squadrons of
Jaguars The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat species in the Americas an ...
and
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB, Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames in ...
Bisons. A unit of the French-made
Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French Twinjet, twin-engine, Canard (aeronautics), canard delta wing, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft designed and ...
will also be based at Ambala airbase.


=European Cemetery

=
Ambala Cantonment Ambala Cantonment is a cantonment town in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India. It is 200 km north of Delhi and 55 km southwest of Chandigarh. This cantonment was established in the year 1843 and is an important centre for m ...
is the location of historic
European Cemetery The European Cemetery or Ambala Christian Cemetery is a state protected monument at Ambala district in Haryana. The occupancy right and management of the Cemetery is with the British High Commission. There are 66 graves of martyrs of World War ...
. It is 200 km north of Delhi and 55 km southwest of
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
.


= 1857 War Memorial

= First War of Independence Memorial or 1857 War Memorial, completed in 2023 at the cost of Rs300 crore in the honour of Indian rebels of 1857 First War of Independence, is spread over 22 acres on NH-44. The war was started at Ambala on 10 May 1857 by the Indian sepoys of
5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...
& 60th regiments of
Bengal Native Infantry The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing in ...
stationed at Ambala Cantonment. After the war was over, the execution of Baba Mohar Singh on 5 June 1857 at Ambala Cantonment was the first recorded execution of a captured Indian rebel by the British colonial regime. Ambala rebellion was led by Ananti Mishra, Parmeshwar Pandey, Beni Prasad, Sheikh Faiz Ul-Khan, Bikhan Khan who moved towards
Red Fort The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...
in Delhi via Bilaspur,
Sadhaura Sadhaura is a town, near Yamunanagar city with Municipal Committee in Yamunanagar district in the Indian state of Haryana. The city of Yamunanagar, it is of great historic significance. Sadhaura is very old town many historical temples/Dargah ...
,
Yamunanagar Yamunanagar () is a city and a municipal corporation in Yamunanagar district in the Indian state of Haryana. This town is known for the cluster of plywood units and paper factories. It provides timber to larger industries. The older town is ...
and
Saharanpur Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the public administration, administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district. Saharanpur city's name was given after the Sain ...
. After the war was over, the British authorities burnt the villages of Bilaspur and Sadhaura as punishment for providing aid to the rebels. The 5th & 60th Regiments of the
Bengal Native Infantry The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing in ...
were also disbanded. The memorial has four sections, an administrative building, second a museum building, third a library and food court, and the fourth is an open air theatre.


Formation of Ambala district

Ambala was given the status of a district in 1847, formed by the merging of the jagir estates of hitherto independent chieftains whose territories had lapsed or had been confiscated by the British Indian Government. In its 160 years of existence as a district, Ambala has witnessed many changes in its boundaries. Previously, it extended across
tehsils A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ce ...
of Ambala,
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
,
Jagadhri Jagadhri is a city and a municipal council in the Yamunanagar district of the Indian state of Haryana. The town is adjacent to the city of Yamunanagar, around 90 km from Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern ...
, Pipli, Kharar,
Ropar Rupnagar (; formerly known as Ropar) is a city and a municipal council in Rupnagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. Rupnagar is a newly created fifth Divisional Headquarters of Punjab comprising Rupnagar, Mohali, and its adjoining distr ...
and
Nalagarh Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh. Hist ...
. Kalka-cum-Kurari State,
Pinjore Pinjore is a town in Panchkula district in the Indian state of Haryana. This residential 'township', located close to Panchkula, Chandigarh, is set over 1,800 feet above the sea level in a valley, overlooking the Sivalik Hills. Pinjore is kn ...
, Mani Majra,
Kasauli Kasauli is a town and cantonment, located in the Solan district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The cantonment was established by the British Raj in 1842 as a Colonial hill station,Sharma, Ambika"Architecture of Kasauli churches" ''The ...
&
Sanawar The Lawrence School, Sanawar, is the oldest Private school, private boarding school in Himachal Pradesh, which is located in Kasauli near Solan, Solan city. Established in 1847, its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most pre ...
were also merged later into the district at different times.


1857 rebellion

For their participation in first war of independence, the
Chaudhary Chowdhury (also: Choudhuri, Chaudhuri, Choudhury, Chaudhri, Chaudhary) is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an adaption from Sanskrit. During the Mughal rule, it was a title awarded to eminen ...
s and
Lambardar Numbardar or Lambardar (, , , ) was the village headman responsible for tax collection in the village during the British Raj. They were appointed under the Mahalwari system. Etymology The compound word ''numberdar'' is composed of the English wo ...
s of villages who participated in rebellion were also deprived of their land and property, including 368 people of
Hisar Hissar () means fort or castle in Arabic, with variants adopted into Persian (hesar, hessar) and Turkish (hisar). Hissar, Hisar and Hesar may refer to: Places Asia (South and Central) India *Hisar (city), a city in Haryana **Hisar Airport in Hi ...
and
Gurugram Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest o ...
were hanged or transported for life, and fine was imposed on the people of
Thanesar Thanesar (IAST: Sthāṇvīśvara) is a historic city and Hindu pilgrimage sites, Hindu pilgrimage centre in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, India. It is located approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi. The city Kurukshetra's area merge ...
(Rs 235,000), Ambala (Rs. 253,541) and
Rohtak Rohtak () is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies north-west of New Delhi and south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9 (old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the Nationa ...
(Rs. 63,000 mostly on
Ranghar Ranghar are a community of Muslim Rajputs in the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh; and in Sindh ( Muhajirs) and Punjab in Pakistan. History and origin The Ranghar were classified as an "agricultura ...
s,
Shaikh Shaikh usually refers to: * Sheikh, as an alternate Romanization; a term for elders, tribal leaders, and royalty in Arabic-influenced cultures It may also refer to: Communities * Shaikhs in South Asia, a social and ethnic grouping in South Asia ...
s and Muslim Kasai).Satish Chandra Mittal, 1986
Haryana, a Historical Perspective
p58.


Post-independence


Hanging of Nathuram Godse

In November 1949, Mahatma Gandhi's assassin
Nathuram Godse Nathuram Vinayak Godse (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) () was an Indian Hindu nationalist and political activist who was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. He shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range at a multi-faith praye ...
was hanged at Ambala Central Jail along with
Narayan Apte Narayan Dattatraya Apte (1911 – 15 November 1949) was an Indian assassin and recruiting officer for the Royal Indian Air Force. He was executed by hanging for planning the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Family Apte was born in a Chitpa ...
, a co-conspirator.


Geography


Climate

The climate is a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Koppen: Cwa), with the monsoon season being noticeably rainier than the rest of the year, along with being much hotter and more humid than the winter, which is mild/cold and dry.


Demographics

India census, Ambala UA had a population of 207,934 consisting of 112,840 males and 95,094 females, a ratio of 843. There were 20,687 children 0–6 and Ambala had an average literacy rate of 89.31%, with 91.76% of males and 86.41% of females literate.


Economy


Cloth Market

The Cloth Market is considered to be the largest textile market in this region. The market is known for catering to wedding related shopping. The most commonly bought items are
saree A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-stit ...
s and
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
clothing.


Transport

Ambala is connected to all of the other major cities of
north India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
. It is a big interchange for various commuters for all neighbouring states. National Highway
NH 44 National Highway 44 (NH 44) is a major north–south National Highway in India and is the longest in the country. It passes through the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh ...
popularly known as
GT road Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sadak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It r ...
earlier known as NH 1 passes through Ambala and connects it to National capital Delhi,
Panipat Panipat () is an industrial , located 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-44 in Panipat district, Haryana, India. It is famous for three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761. The city is also known as ...
,
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
and
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
. NH 152 connects it to state capital Chandigarh, Kaithal. Apart from the Interstate service, Ambala also houses one of the oldest local bus services in Haryana, which is run by both Haryana roadways and private companies. Other means of local transportation include
auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...
s and
cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers on a vehicle for hire, for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bi ...
s.


Roadways

Bus service is the major means of public transport in this district. Ambala depot came into being on 1 August 1950. The office of the General Manager has situated on the premises of the depot workshop at Ambala City. Ambala depot has a sub depot at Naraingarh. Presently, Haryana Roadways, Ambala has 200 buses, which carry about 34.88 Lac's passengers daily and cover a distance of about 19000 km daily. Out of these, total distance covered on interstate routes is and are operated within
Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
every day. New Bus Stand at Ambala Cantt was inaugurated on 12 July 1999 and the total land of bus stand is . Bus stands in this district exist at Ambala City, Naraingarh and Barara as well. A sub-depot-level workshop has also been provided at Naraingarh. 'Yatri Niwas' exists on the campus of Ambala Cantt. bus stand for the convenience of the commuters who wish to stay for the night. Besides, the Haryana Roadways buses, the government has issued permits to private operators on local routes. Presently 60 such buses are plying in Ambala district. The bus stand is very near to Ambala Cantt Jn. (Railway station). Most of the buses plying on GT road (NH1) stop in front of the Railway station.


Railways

Ambala is a divisional headquarters of the Northern Railway Zone and is an important railway junction. Ambala Cantt station is among the top 100 booking stations in India. The city is served by three railway stations: * Ambala Cantt MB(Junction on Delhi-Kalka line and Moradabad-Ambala line/ Ambala-Attari line) * Ambala City BC(On Ambala-Attari line) * Dhulkot KT(on Delhi-Kalka line) The Ambala Cantonment railway station was founded on the junction of the Delhi-Kalka and
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
-
Saharanpur Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the public administration, administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district. Saharanpur city's name was given after the Sain ...
lines. The historic Delhi-Panipat-Ambala-Kalka railway line dates back to 1889 while the Ludhiana-Saharanpur line was built in 1870. Situated north of Delhi, this town is well connected by the rail and road network. Ambala cantt railway station is main station of the city and is well connected with major cities of India. Kalka-Shimla Railway, which is a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
, also comes under Ambala division.
Ambala Cantonment railway station Ambala Cantonment Junction railway station (abbreviated as Ambala Cantt)(station code: UMB) is a major junction station at the junction of Delhi–Kalka line and Moradabad–Ambala line cum Ambala–Attari line Ambala –Bathinda line and Amb ...
serves maximum
Shatabdi Express Shatabdi Express () are a series of fast passenger trains operated by Indian Railways. Shatabdi Express are day trains and mostly return to their origin station the same day. The trains run at a maximum permissible speed of depending on the ...
after
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
. Ambala railway station was mentioned in the famous story ' The Woman on Platform 8' by
Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Indian author. His first novel, ''The Room on the Roof'', published in 1956, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels which includes 69 books ...
, although in reality there is no platform 8 in Ambala Cantt.


Education

Ambala has a large number of schools and colleges. Notable colleges are as follows: *
Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican Co ...
*
D.A.V. College (Lahore), Ambala City D.A.V. College (Lahore), Ambala City is a college in Ambala, Haryana, India. It was started in 1886 in Lahore, Punjab Province (British India). After partition it moved to present campus of Ambala in 1948. It is affiliated to Kurukshetra University ...
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E-Max School of Engineering and Applied Research Education Maximum School of Engineering and Applied Research is an institute of higher education in Ambala, Haryana, India. It was established in 2009 by the Asa Ram Aggarwal Society of Education and Research and is affiliated to Kurukshetra Uni ...
* Government Polytechnic College, Ambala *
Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, is a private deemed university at Mullana near Ambala in the state of Haryana, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the Lis ...
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Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur (MMU Sadopur) is a private university at Sadopur, Ambala district, near the city of Ambala, in the state of Haryana, India. It was established by the Maharishi Markandeshwar University under the prov ...
* Philadelphia Hospital & School of Nursing, Ambala *
Sanatan Dharma College Sanatan Dharma College commonly known as S.D. College, is a graduate and post graduate college, established in 1916 and situated in Ambala Cantonment, India on the Ambala-Jagadhri highway. Originally established in Lahore, the college was re ...
(S.D. College) *
Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management and Technology Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management and Technology (AIMT), in Ambala was established in 1996 to provide modern Quality Management Education to students. AIMT is affiliated to Kurukshetra University, and is approved by the All India Counc ...


Notable people

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Zohrabai Ambalewali Zohrabai Ambalewali (1918 – 21 February 1990) was an Indian classical singer and playback singer in Hindi cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. She was considered one of the most popular female playback singers of early and mid 1940s. She is best k ...
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Hansraj Behl Hansraj Behl (19 November 1916 – 20 May 1984) was an Indian music composer, who composed music both for Hindi and Punjabi films. Hansraj is now widely considered to be a well-respected composer who created his own trends. Early life and ...
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Urvashi Butalia Urvashi Butalia (born 1952) is an Indian feminist writer, publisher and activist. She is known for her work in the women's movement of India, as well as for authoring books such as ''The Other Side of Silence: Voices from and the Partition of I ...
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Simi Chahal Simarpreet Kaur "Simi" Chahal is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Punjabi films. Life and career Born Simarpreet Kaur Chahal and hailing from Ambala, she first stepped into the entertainment industry in 2014 where she appeared i ...
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Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla Mehta ( Chawla; born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and vivacious on-screen ...
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Parineeti Chopra Parineeti Chopra (; born 22 October 1987) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. Chopra is a recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Parineeti Chopra, several accolades, including a Filmfare Awar ...
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Swadesh Deepak Swadesh Deepak (born 1943) is an Indian playwright, novelist and short-story writer. Deepak has been active on the Hindi literary scene since the mid-1960s and is best known for ''Court Martial,'' a 1991 play. Deepak's most recent book is ''Main ...
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Navneet Kaur Dhillon Navneet Kaur Dhillon is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who represented India at Miss World 2013. She was the winner of Pond's 50th edition of Femina Miss World India 2013 that was held in Mumbai on 24 March 2013. She w ...
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Sanjeev Kapoor {{Infobox chef , name = Sanjeev Kapoor , image = Sanjeev kapoor at the Launch of new restaurant 'Arola' at J W Marriott.jpg , image_size = , caption = Kapoor in 2016 , birth_date = {{Birth date and age, df= ...
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Manpreet Kaur Manpreet Kaur (born 6 July 1990) is an Indian professional Olympic shot putter. Born in Ambala, her gold-medal winning performance of 18.86m at the 2017 Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China turned out to be a world-leading throw, taking her to the ...
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Nasir Kazmi Nasir Raza Kazmi ( was an Urdu poet from Pakistan. Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Punjab, Presidencies and provinces of British India, British India. Kazmi used simple words in his poetry, including "Chand", "Raat", "Baarish", "M ...
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Sucheta Kripalani Sucheta Kripalani (''née'' Majumdar) (; 25 June 1908 – 1 December 1974) was an Indian politician and independence activist. She was India's first female Chief Minister, serving as the head of the Uttar Pradesh government from 1963 to 1967. ...
* Shalabh Kumar *
Selja Kumari Selja Kumari (born 24 September 1962) is an Indian politician and a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament. She is a member of the Indian National Congress and has served as the union minister of state (independent charge ...
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Talib Dehlavi Talib Dehlavi (born Sheshchandra Saxena, 12 February 1910 – 16 February 1975, ) was an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist and translator from Delhi. Early life and education Talib Dehlavi, born Sheshchandra Saxena, was born on 12 February 1910 in Amb ...
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Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963, he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring that had divulged British secr ...
* Ash K. Prakash *
Om Puri Om Prakash Puri, (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films, as well as ind ...
* Saghar Siddiqui *
Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Sanjiv Sam Gambhir (November 23, 1962 – July 18, 2020) was an American physician–scientist. He was the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor in Cancer Research, Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, ...
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Sushma Swaraj Sushma Swaraj (''née'' Sharma; 14 February 1952 – 6 August 2019; ) was an Indian lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the 5th Chief Minister of Delhi, and also the Minister of External Affairs of India in the first Narendra Modi ...
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Zeba Shaheen Bano (born 10 September 1945), known professionally as Zeba (), is a Pakistani former actress. She was one of the top stars of the Pakistani film industry in the 1960s and the early 1970s. She was voted among 25 of the greatest acto ...


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Ambala district Ambala district Haryana Populated places established in the 14th century