Patiala () is a city in southeastern
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 ...
, northwestern
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 ...
. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of
Patiala district
Patiala district is one of the twenty three districts in the state of Punjab in north-west India.
Location
Patiala district lies between 38 47’ and 39 41’ north latitude, 115 58’ and 116 54' east longitude, in the southeast part of th ...
. Patiala is located around the ''
Qila Mubarak'' (the 'Blessed Castle') constructed by a chieftain
Ala Singh
Ala Singh (1691–1765) was the founder and first ruler of Patiala State, Patiala. Singh was born into the Sikhs, Sikh Phulkian dynasty, rising to power through key battles in his early life, Singh expanded his territory in Punjab, India, Punjab ...
, who founded the royal dynasty of
Patiala State
Patiala State was a kingdom and princely state in Presidencies and provinces of British India, British India, and one of the Phulkian States, that Instrument of Accession, acceded to the Dominion of India, Union of India upon Indian independence ...
in 1763, and after whom the city is named.
In popular culture, the city remains famous for its traditional ''
Patiala shahi''
turban
A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...
(a type of headgear), ''
paranda'' (a tasselled tag for braiding hair), ''Patiala salwar'' (a type of female trousers), ''
jutti'' (a type of footwear) and
Patiala peg
The Patiala peg is a peg of whisky in which the amount is decided based on the height between the top of the index and base of the little fingers when held parallel to one another, against the side of the standard 26.5 oz (750ml) glass bottle. ...
(a measure of liquor). Patiala is also known as the Royal City and the Beautiful City.
Etymology
The name ''Patiala'' may mean either "great land" or "land of
Ala Singh
Ala Singh (1691–1765) was the founder and first ruler of Patiala State, Patiala. Singh was born into the Sikhs, Sikh Phulkian dynasty, rising to power through key battles in his early life, Singh expanded his territory in Punjab, India, Punjab ...
", the city's founder.
History
Patiala city was established in 1763 by
Ala Singh
Ala Singh (1691–1765) was the founder and first ruler of Patiala State, Patiala. Singh was born into the Sikhs, Sikh Phulkian dynasty, rising to power through key battles in his early life, Singh expanded his territory in Punjab, India, Punjab ...
, a
Jat Sikh
Jat Sikh or Jatt Sikh (Gurmukhi: ਜੱਟ ਸਿੱਖ) is an ethnoreligious group, a subgroup of the Jat people whose traditional religion is Sikhism, originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the dominant communities in Pu ...
chieftain, who laid the foundation of the Patiala fort known as
Qila Mubarak, around which the present city of Patiala is built. After the
Third Battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the invading army of the Durrani Empire. The battle took place in and around the city of Panipat, approximately north of Delhi. The Afghan (ethnonym), Af ...
in 1761 in which the
Marathas
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
was defeated by the
Afghans
Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...
, the writ of the Afghans prevailed throughout
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 ...
. It is at this stage that the rulers of Patiala began to acquire ensigns of royalty. The Patiala state saw more than forty years of a ceaseless power struggle with the
Afghan
Afghan or Afgan may refer to:
Related to Afghanistan
*Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Afghan Empire, or the Saddozai Kingdom, was an Afghanistan, Afghan empire founded by the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns under Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, which spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian ...
,
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
and the
Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the East India Company, Br ...
of
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
.
In 1808, the Raja of Patiala entered into a treaty with the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
against
Sikh
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 ''Si ...
ruler
Maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839.
Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...
of Lahore in 1808, thus becoming collaborator in the grand empire-building process by the British in the sub-continent of India. Patiala became a
17-gun salute state during the
British Raj
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
. The rulers of Patiala such as Karam Singh, Narinder Singh,
Mahendra Singh,
Rajinder Singh,
Bhupinder Singh, and
Yadvindra Singh were treated with respect and dignity by the British.
The city of Patiala was designed and developed according to a plan akin to that of
temple architecture, the first settlers of Patiala were the
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
of
Sirhind
Sirhind is a Twin cities, twin city of Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, India, Punjab, India. It is hosts the municipal council of Fatehgarh Sahib district.
Demographics
In the 2011 census of India, 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of ...
, who opened their business establishments outside the Darshani Gate.
Geography
Patiala is located at . It has an average elevation of . During the short existence of
PEPSU, Patiala served as its capital city.
Climate
Patiala has 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 ...
(Cwa), with a noticeable increase in rainfall during the summer
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
, but it is very light during other times of the year. Winters are cold and dry, and summers are very hot, humid and rainy.
Patiala has been ranked 27th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.
Demographics
According to a 2021 estimate, Patiala UA had a population of 820,000 and Patiala city 763,280.
Males constituted 54% of the population, and females 46%. Patiala had an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 64.9%. In Patiala, 10% of the population was under 5 years of age.
Religion
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
is the largest religion in Patiala city, with a significant
Sikh
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 ''Si ...
minority.
Government and politics
Civic administration
Patiala Municipal Corporation
The Patiala Municipal Corporation is a '' nagar nigam'' (municipal corporation) which administers the city of Patiala, Punjab. It has 60 members elected with a first-past-the-post voting system and 3 ex-officio members which are MLAs for Patiala ...
(PMC) is the local body responsible for governing, developing and managing the city. PMC is further divided into 60 municipal wards.
Patiala Development Authority (PDA) is an agency responsible for the planning and development of the greater Patiala Metropolitan Area, which is revising the Patiala Master Plan and Building Bylaws. Patiala Development Department, a special department of the Government of Punjab, has been recently formed for overall development.
Patiala consists of three assembly constituencies: Patiala Urban, Patiala Rural, and Sanaur.
District administration
The
Deputy Commissioner
A deputy commissioner is a police, income tax or administrative official in many countries. The rank is commonplace in police forces of Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, usually ranking below the Commissioner.
Australia
In all Aust ...
, an officer belonging to the
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...
, is the overall in-charge of the General Administration in the
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
. He is assisted by a number of officers belonging to the Punjab Civil Service and other Punjab state services.
The brand-new Mini Secretariat on Nabha Road, which houses all the major offices including that of the DC and the SSP, was completed in record time, owing to the initiative of the member of parliament of Patiala and local administration.
In India, an Inspector General (IG) of Police is a two-star rank of the Indian Police Service. The ranks above this are Additional Director General (Addl. DG) and Director General (DG) of police. In Patiala, joint commissioners are at the rank of DIG and only additional commissioners are at the rank of IG.
The
Senior Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Empire.
Along with the Indian Admini ...
, is responsible for maintaining law and order and related issues in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Punjab Police Service and other Punjab Police officials.
The Divisional Forest Officer, an officer belonging to the
Indian Forest Service
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is the premier forest service of India. .The IFS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) & the Indian Police Service (IPS). It was constituted in the year 1966 un ...
, is responsible for the management of the Forests, Environment and Wild-Life in the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Punjab Forest Service and other Punjab Forest officials and Punjab Wild-Life officials.
Sectoral development is looked after by the district head officer of each development department such as PWD, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers are from Punjab state services.
Notable sites
Kali Devi Mandir
Kali Devi Temple is a
Hindu temple
A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...
dedicated to
Maa Kaali. The temple was built by the Sikh ruler of the Patiala State,
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
Sir Bhupinder Singh (12 October 1891 – 23 March 1938) was the Maharaja of Patiala and a cricket player. Singh's reign as Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala State, Patiala, in British India, lasted from 1900 to 1938. He was a member of ...
, who financed the building of the temple in his capital and oversaw its installation in 1936. Legend has it that the Maharaja built the temple to protect the city from flooding and performed annual sacrifice at the temple. Bhupinder Singh ruled the princely state of Patiala from 1900 to 1938. He brought the 6-ft statue of Divine Mother Kali and Paawan Jyoti from Bengal to Patiala and offered the first
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
(sacrifice) of a water buffalo to the temple. Because of the temple's beautiful structure, it has been declared a national monument.
A much older temple of Raj Rajeshwari is also situated in the center of the complex. The temple is situated opposite the Baradari garden at Mall Road. Devotees offer mustard oil, daal (lentils), sweets, coconuts, bangles, and chunnis, goats, hens, and
liquor
Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...
to the Divine Mother.
Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib

According to local tradition, supported by an old handwritten document preserved in the Gurdwara, Bhag Ram, a Jhivar of
Lehal, waited upon the ninth Guru of Sikhs
Guru Tegh Bahadur during his sojourn at Saifabad (now Bahadurgarh). He requested that the Guru visit and bless his village so that its inhabitants could be rid of a severe and mysterious sickness that had been their bane for a long time.
The
Guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
visited Lehal on Magh sudi 5, 1728 Bikram/24 January 1672 and stayed under a
banyan tree
A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a Ficus, fig that develops accessory trunks from Aerial root#"Stranglers" (prop-root), adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees ...
by the side of a pond. The sickness in the village subsided. The site where Guru Tegh Bahadur had sat came to be known as
Dukh Nivaran, literally meaning eradicator of suffering. Devotees have faith in the healing qualities of water in the Sarovar attached to the shrine. It is still believed that any illness can be cured by 'ishnaan' on five consecutive
Panchami
Panchami () is the fifth day ( tithi) of the fortnight (paksha) in the Hindu lunar calendar.
Festivals
* Naga Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus in most parts of India. It is celebrated in the Shravana month. On this day, adhere ...
.
Bahadurgarh Fort
The Bahadurgarh Fort is 6 kilometers away from Patiala city. It is situated on Patiala-Chandigarh road. The fort was constructed by
Mughal Nawab Saif Khan in 1658 A.D. where
Guru Teg Bahadur visited him and later renovated by a Sikh ruler Maharaja Karam Singh in 1837. The construction of the entire fort was completed in eight years. A sum of ten lakh (one million) rupees ($11,672 USD) was spent on its construction. It covers an area of . The fort is enclosed within two rounded walls and a moat. The circumference of the fort is slightly over two kilometers.
[Patiala's Mughal era fort to get Rs 4.3cr facelift](_blank)
Times of India
''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
, 1 Jan 2015.
The name Bahadurgarh fort was given by Maharaja Karam Singh as a tribute to the Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur who stayed here for three months and nine days before leaving for Delhi where he was executed by
Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
in 1675 CE.
The fort consists of a historical Gurdwara Sahib (a Sikh temple) named Gurdwara Sahib Patshai Nauvin. Tourists visit the Gurudwara on the occasion of the festival of Baisakhi on 13 April every year.
Qila Mubarak complex
The Qila Mubarak complex stands on a 10-acre ground in the heart of the city and contains the main palace or Qila Androon (literally, 'inner fort'), the
guesthouse or Ran Baas and the Darbar Hall. Outside the Qila are the Darshani Gate, a Shiva temple, and bazaar shops which border the streets that run around the Qila and sell precious ornaments, colourful hand-woven fabrics, '
jootis' and bright 'Paradis'.
It was the principal residence of the Patiala royals until the construction of Old Moti Bagh Palace.
In a tiny portion of the complex is a little British construction with Gothic arches, fireplaces made of marble, and built-in toilets perched on the Mughal Rajasthani roof. Every year it is decorated beautifully for the Heritage Festival.
Sheesh Mahal
A part of the Old Moti Bagh Palace built in the 19th century by the Maharajas is the famous Sheesh Mahal, literally meaning the Palace of Mirrors. The mahal contains a large number of frescoes, most of which were made under His Highness Maharaja Narinder Singh. Lakshman Jhula, a bridge built across the lake, is a famous attraction. A museum housing the largest collection of medals from the world collected by
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
Sir Bhupinder Singh (12 October 1891 – 23 March 1938) was the Maharaja of Patiala and a cricket player. Singh's reign as Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala State, Patiala, in British India, lasted from 1900 to 1938. He was a member of ...
is located here.
Baradari Gardens

The Baradari Gardens, the garden with 12 gates, are in the north of old Patiala city, just outside Sheranwala Gate. The garden complex, set up during the reign of Maharaja Rajindera Singh, has extensive vegetation of rare trees, shrubs, and flowers dotted with impressive Colonial buildings and a marble statue of Maharaja Rajindera Singh. It was built as a royal residence with a cricket stadium, a skating rink, and a small palace set in its heart named Rajindera Kothi. The gardens include a museum building with collections of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.
After extensive restoration, it opened as a heritage hotel run by
Neemrana Hotels group in 2009. It is Punjab's first heritage hotel. It is near Press Club Patiala which was established in 2006 and is now headed by Parveen Komal, president.
Press Club Patiala is situated at Barandari Garden Near 20 No. Railway Crossing. Headed by Mr. Parveen Komal President www.pressclubpatiala.com. It was established by Captain Amrinder Singh Chief Minister Of Punjab in 2006.
12 Royal Gates of Patiala
* Darshani Gate - Main entrance of Quilla Mubarak
* Sanouri Gate
* Lahori Gate
* Sherawala Gate
* Sunami Gate
* Sirhindi Gate
* Ghalori Gate
* Safabadi Gate
* Top Khana Gate
* Nabha Gate
* Samania Gate
* Rajindera Gate
National Institute of Sports
Founded in 1961,
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) is Asia's largest sports institute. The institute was renamed Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in January 1973.

NIS is housed in the Old Moti Bagh palace of the erstwhile royal family of Patiala, which was purchased by the government of India after Indian Independence. Today, several sports memorabilia, like a has (doughnut-shaped exercise disc), weighing 95 kg, used by the Great Gama for squats, Major Dhyan Chand's gold medal from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, and PT Usha's 1986 Seoul Asiad shoes, are housed at the National Institute of Sports Museum.
Patiala Central State Library

Patiala Central State Library is one of the oldest libraries in the state. It was opened in 1956. It is named after the former Punjab Chief Minister Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir. The library has a rare collection of books. There are more than 135,000 books in the library. Out of it, more than 15,000 books are archival books and 3,000 rare manuscripts.
Transportation
Patiala is connected to
NH-44 Grand Trunk 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 ...
and
NH-7 which help connect it with larger cities like Delhi.
Patiala has a well-established railway network.
Patiala station, around 4 km from the city centre, connects Patiala to a variety of cities and regions.
Trains that stop at Patiala include:
* Shatabdi Express, to Delhi via Ambala.
* Intercity Express, to Amritsar, Chandigarh, and other cities.
Patiala has a small domestic airport,
Patiala Airport located about 5 km from the city center. This airport handles limited air traffic, mainly for general aviation, and doesn't operate regular commercial flights.
The nearest international airport is
Chandigarh Airport with both domestic and international flights connecting to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Dubai.
Culture and traditions

Patiala's sway over the Malwa area extended beyond merely political influence. Patiala was equally the set of religious and cultural life. Educationally, Patiala was at the forefront. Patiala was the first town in this part of the country to have a degree college – the
Mohindra College
Established in 1875, Government Mohindra College Patiala, Punjab, India is the oldest institution of contemporary higher learning in Northern India.
Mohindra College was the first institution in Punjab to receive A++ grade from the Nationa ...
– in 1870.
Patiala has seen the evolution of a distinct style of architecture. Borrowing from the
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 ...
style, its beauty and elegance are molded according to the local traditions.
With the active patronage of the Maharajas of Patiala, a well-established style of
Hindustan
''Hindūstān'' ( English: /ˈhɪndustæn/ or /ˈhɪndustɑn/, ; ) was a historical region, polity, and a name for India, historically used simultaneously for northern Indian subcontinent and the entire subcontinent, used in the modern day ...
I music called the "
Patiala gharana" came into existence and has held its own up to the present times. This school of music has had several famous musicians, many of whom came to Patiala after the disintegration of the
Mughal Court at
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
in the 18th century. At the turn of the century, Ustad Ali Bux was the most renowned exponent of this Gharana. Later, his sons Ustad
Akhtar Hussain Khan and
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 23 April 1968) was a Pakistani vocalist, from the Kasur Patiala Gharana. achieved worldwide fame and brought glory to the Patiala Gharana.
After the partition of British India, the Muslim community was massacred or forced to flee the city en masse to
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. At the same time, many
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
and
Sikh
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 ''Si ...
refugees migrated from Pakistan and settled on the Muslim properties in Patiala. The then Maharaja of Patiala,
His Highness Yadavindra Singh,
Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain Indian provinces and states.
Background
The British Indian Empire, which incl ...
of
PEPSU with his wife
Her Highness Maharani Mohinder Kaur organized a large number of camps and worked tirelessly for the people.
Education

Since
Indian independence in 1947, Patiala has emerged as a major education centre in the state of Punjab. The city houses the
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology,
LM Thapar School of Management,
Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University,
Punjab Sports University,
Punjabi University
Punjabi University is a collegiate state public university located in Patiala, Punjab, India, Punjab, India. It was established on 30 April 1962 and is only the second university in the world to be named after a language, after Hebrew Universit ...
,
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law,
General Shivdev Singh Diwan Gurbachan Singh Khalsa College,
Government Mohindra College
Established in 1875, Government Mohindra College Patiala, Punjab, India is the oldest institution of contemporary higher learning in Northern India.
Mohindra College was the first institution in Punjab to receive A++ grade from the National ...
,
Aryans College of Law,
Multani Mal Modi College,
Government Medical College, Patiala,
Thapar Polytechnic College, and
Govt. Bikram College of Commerce, one of the premier commerce colleges in northern India.
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala is a sports hub of north India.
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala was the first national law school of the north region established under the Punjab Government Act of 2006.
List of universities in Patiala:
Notable schools:
*
The British Co-Ed High School
The British Co-Ed High School is a private school in Patiala, Punjab, India, Punjab, India. It is affiliated to the ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board of education. It is a day school founded in 1986 by Mrs. Rosa Alicia Kuch ...
*
Our Lady of Fatima Convent Sec. School, Patiala
*
Guru Nanak Foundation Public School, Patiala
*
Meritorious School Patiala
*
Scholar Fields Public School, Patiala
*
St. Peter's Academy, Patiala
*
Yadavindra Public School, Patiala (YPS Patiala)
Sports
Patiala is home to numerous inter-state sporting teams in tournaments like Black Elephants. The city has facilities for cricket, swimming, shooting, skating and hockey. The city has stadiums such as Dhruv Pandove Ground, Raja Bhalinder Stadium, Yadavindra Sports Stadium (YPS) and
National Institute of Sports.
The latest addition to sports is the state-of-the-art shotgun shooting ranges housing New Moti Bagh Gun Club in village Maine. Founded by the royal family of Patiala, these ranges are home to the Indian Shotgun Shooting team who routinely trains here. It has recently hosted the 2nd Asian Shotgun Championship.
Notable people
Suburbs of Patiala
*
Nabha (Municipal Council)
*
Rajpura (Municipal Council)
*
Samana (Municipal Council)
See also
*
Patiala and East Punjab States Union
The Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was a States and union territories of India, state of India, uniting eight princely states between 1948 and 1956. The capital and principal city was Patiala. The state covered an area of 26,208 ...
*
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 ...
*
Mohali
Mohali, officially Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar or Ajitgarh, is a planned city in the Mohali district in Punjab, India, Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the M ...
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Panchkula
Panchkula (ISO: ''Paṁcakulā'') is a city and district headquarter in the Panchkula district in Haryana, India. It is a satellite town of the state capital Chandigarh. Panchkula is a border city with Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh ...
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Rajpura
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Fatehgarh Sahib
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Bassi Pathana
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Mandi Gobindgarh
Mandi Gobindgarh is a town and municipal committee in Fatehgarh Sahib district in the state of Punjab in North India. It is also referred to as the "Steel City of Punjab or "Loha Mandi" due to its large number of steel factories.
History
Acc ...
Notes
References
External links
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Official website of Patiala
{{Authority control
Former capital cities in India