Patiala, 69 kms from Chandigarh, is the fourth largest town in Punjab. It was founded in 1752 by Baba Ala Singh.
Some 6 bus short of Patiala town, on the drive from Chandigarh, one can see the imposing walls of the fort of Bahadurgarh to the left. It stands to commemorate the visit of the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. It was built by Nawab Saif Khan in 1658 AD who named it Saifabad. It was captured by Raja Amar Singh, the grandson of Baba Ala who succeeded him in 1765.
The Nishaan Sahib of a gurdwara within the fort is clearly visible from the highway. Permission to visit the gurdwara can be had from the gate. The road within the outer walls crosses a moat, now overgrown, and winds its way through the inner gates and defences, to the gurdwara.
While Guru Tegh Bahadur was at Saifabad in 1672, Bhag Ram from the village of Lehal attended upon him. He was distressed by the serious sickness that had beset his village and asked for the Guru’s intercession. The Guru visited Lehal and stayed under a banyan tree by the side of the village pond. The site is now Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib in the heart of Patiala town. A small shrine marks the place where the Guru sat, although the tree no longer exists. Dukh Nivaran means eradicator of suffering.
The present building of the Gurdwara was erected in 1930 and is currently being renovated. The sarouar has an extensive covered area for people to bathe since devotees have great faith in the healing qualities of its water.
Three years later, in 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur passed through the region again on what was to be his last journey. He was en route from Anandpur Sahib to the court of Aurangzeb in Delhi to plead for the pundits of Kashmir and the right of the people to religious freedom.
A gurdwara constructed by Maharaja Narinder Singh in the grounds of the old Motibagh Palace specifically commemorates that journey, The original building was said to stand on a high plinth and approached by a flight of marble-topped steps. Now known as Gurdwara Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the white marble gurdwara with gilded domes has been renovated extensively in the late 20th century. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s birth anniversary is celebrated here with great pomp. The Gurdwara has been renovated in the late 20th century in accordance to present tastes.
Punjabi Qila Mubarak History
Qila Mubarak and its innermost quarters, Qila Androon, were built in 1764, by Maharaja Amar Singh. The gate of Qila Androon is in lime plaster with geometrical and floral designs on it. Inside the fort are two painted chambers illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology and portraits of Sikh Gurus in the Patiala style. Extensive restoration work is in progress.
The Durbar Hall, to the right of Qila Mubarak, is now an arms and chandelier museum. A story goes that the Belgian chandeliers at a shop in Calcutta caught the eye of Maharaja Rajinder Singh. When the Maharaja went into the shop, the manager, not knowing who he was, refused to sell the chandeliers to him. The affronted Maharaja immediately wrote out a cheque for the entire collection in the showroom.
The richly painted chambers within Qila Androon are peerless. However, most astonishing of all, the palace is fitted with an underground sewerage system and has a cool room which is connected with a tunnel to bring cold air from the basement.
Motibagh Palace was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh who ruled between 1845-62, and had it designed with terraces, fountains and canals set amidst extensive grounds. It now houses the National Institute of Sports. The Palace has the Sheesh Mahal, which houses a museum with one of the best collections of medals anywhere in the world. The 3,200 medals and decorations were bought by the flamboyant Maharaja Bhupinder Singh (1891-1938) from London for an undisclosed sum in 1925.