The temples in Ambala are numerous, given the ancient origin of the city and its presence in many empires of ancient India. Ambala is a city in the state of Haryana and it is strategically located on the Grand Trunk road which connects the major cities of Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla and others. The strategic location of the Ambala city and Ambala cantonment has been responsible for most of its history whereby it has seen many religious races and creed come and leave its influence in this region.

Amongst the temples in Ambala, the most famous temple is the Bhawani Amba temple. It is widely believed that the Goddess Amba or Bhawani Devi who is worshipped in this temple, the city was named in honor of this Goddess. This ancient temple, which saw the birth of the city, still stands in all its glory today.

The city of Ambala not only houses places of worship for the Hindus, but that of the Sikhs, Muslims and even Christians, reflecting the secular influence that history had left over this region.

For instance, besides the Bhawani Amba temple, there are other historic places of worship of the Hindus such as Kali Mata Mandir, Sanatam Dharam Mandir , Hanuman Mandir, Bhagwati Mandir which are all located in the Ambala cantonment area. The other places of worship of the Sikhs include numerous Gurudwaras spread across the city such as the Sangat Sahib Gurdwara, Sis Ganj Gurd-wara, the Badshahi Bag Gurdwara and the Manji Sahib Gurdwara.

Before the partition, Muslims were very much a part of the population in Punjab. Though the partition saw most of the Muslims leave the Indian side of Punjab, there are still many Muslim families who reside in this region and there are many historic religious places in Ambala for the Muslims. The Taqwal Shah, Lakhi Shah are places of worship and bear a rich history for the Muslims.

Of course, Ambala cantonment area as well as Ambala city were built during the reign of the British and their cultural influences can be seen in several parts of this district. The various wars which were fought around this region bear symbols of the British lives which were intertwined with the Indian struggle for Independence. The British Christian cemetery is a must visit for existing relatives of those who are buried here. The Saint Paul’s Church is another important historic landmark in this city.

Thus, the temples in Ambala are several as well as places of worship for other religions with a rich history behind each historic place of worship.

Ambala is the headquarters of Ambala District and is located on the border of Haryana and Punjab. It is at this place where the hills meet the plains. Besides various tourist places in Ambala, it is reputed to be a historical site dating back to the Paleolithic Age. It was included in the kingdom of the Pandavas. Edicts of King Ashoka and stupas of the period have been found around the city. The well maleated Gupta Iron pillars reveal the advanced knowledge in mining and minerals which the blacksmiths of the time might have had.

Several archeologists/historians like AC Cunningham, C.Rogers, Prof. B.B. Lal have explored the area. The city, some believe, derives its name from a Rajput named “Amb” in the 14th.century; others say that it gets its name from the famous temple of “Goddess Amba” which still exists within the city. It was also known as the village of mangoes.

Tourists have a choice of places to see and Ambala hotels to stay in, according to their varying tastes, both within and in the outskirts of the city. There are temples of Shiv, Kali Mataa, Bhawani Amba, Radha-Kishan, Ambika Devi and several gurudwaras. The Muslim shrines worth visiting are the shrine of Lakhi Shah associated with Tej-ud-Din-Chisti and Taqwal Shah and the local landmark, Saint Pauls Church from the colonial times. The British cemetery within the city attracts many of the relatives of the dead from overseas. These diverse religious structures thus reveal the secular nature of the place

The city is an angler’s paradise, having some of the largest natural lakes. There are several well maintained gardens and parks and the better known one, The Paget Park. The ideal time to visit the city is within the months of October to March. The city experiences a sub-tropical climate, dry weather, hot summers followed by chilly to very cold winters. Tourist season brings in a horde of visitors but the city is capable of providing good reasonably priced accommodation, Punjabi cuisine and several travel agents to plan out an ideal tour of the city and the neighboring cities of Chandigarh, Kalka, Punchkula, Pinjore, Amritsar etc. For the local people, the months starting from October ushers in revelry and outings for picnics and food fairs and festivals.

In recent times, Ambala has turned into a centre for the manufacture of scientific instruments. Several educational institutes, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels have opened up providing high standards of modern education. Thus, several retirees from other parts of north India have preferred to migrate to this city to settle down permanently. The city provides a mixed culture of predominantly Punjabi and Haryanvi. However, it is a place free of tension. The local populace invests a good deal in communal amity so as to provide confidence to the tourist who is either visiting the city as his destination or en-route to other destinations in Himachal Pradesh or Punjab.

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The first and foremost thought that flashes in most people’s minds when they plan their leisure travel to any destination is shopping. When staying in hotels in Ambala, like in any other city, tourists are in search of goods unique to this region which can be taken home as souvenirs. This historical city has seen rapid development in recent times and has several shopping areas offering both local and branded international retail experiences.

Ambala city is known for its cotton industry. It has quite a few popular cloth markets. Patel road happens to be one of the famous places for shopping. The city has a renowned textile wholesale market which is one of the biggest markets in Asia. The textile market is located at Agarsian Chowk.

There are modern shopping malls in this city including Easy Day and Reliance Fresh. Some of the other shopping malls are Ansal Plaza, located near general post office, Bella Vista shopping mall etc. Galaxy mall is another mall situated near sector 7. The mall has Spencer’s, Reebok store, Fun cinema, Mc Donald’s etc. Big Bazaar is another option for shopping for all age groups. Yellow Ticket Store is a factory outlet situated at Brand Mall, at Kuldeep Road. This store has wide range of clothes. Accessories like junk jewellery, belts, wallets, perfume sprays can be found in this store. And also denim shirts, boxers, socks, trousers and other products can be bought from this store at an affordable price.

The Loot is another multi brand store for men, women and kids. Clothes, apparels, accessories, shoes, travel accessories like binoculars, water sippers, tool kits etc can be found in this discounted retail outlet. It is situated at Kuldeep Road. Shagun collection is situated at Shukal Kund where casual and formal wear outfits, shirts, pullovers, sweat shirts, cargos, denim, innerwear for both men and women, and much more can be purchased from this store. Sai Enterprises, Brand Mall is an exclusive showroom of Liberty Footwear where shoes and travel accessories are sold.

Thus, this city being one of the tourist destinations in Haryana, not only has historic places but also has variety of shopping centers for tourists and residents of Ambala city.

Historians have many views about the origin of the name Ambala. Some of them are under the impression that the city got its name through the founder, Amb Rajput in 14^th century while others believe that it was named after goddess Amba whose temple can be still found in the city. Some of them also believe that the city was originally known as Ambwala which meant city of mangoes.

Ambala is one of the historical cities of Haryana. During ancient times, when the British were ruling the city, A.C.Cunningham and C.Rodgers examined the city and after a while, B.B.Lal and few others started to do it as well. The residents were the people of primitive age using stone tools belonging to earlier Stone Age. There are evidences like grey ware pottery, which proves that Aryans had resided in Ambala at some point in time. This region was also a part of the kingdom of Pandava and their descendants.

In the history of Ambala city, it can be found that, Ambala district was associated with Mauryan empire as well as the Kushana empire. The region had played a vital part in all the royal empires of India. The district was also under the influence of Buddhism which is evident in some religious institutions located here. Yaso Verman of Kanuaj and Laladitya were ambitious about ruling the city. The Charuhaus brought Ambala region under their control after the invasion of Mohammad Ghaznavi. Eventually, Muslims took over the district after defeating Prithviraj Chauhan during the second battle of Terrain in the year 1192.

As per the history of Ambala city, the district gained its significance between 9^th to 12^th centuries as a center for pilgrimage. As far as the history of Ambala cantt goes, the village of Ambala was formed into a British cantonment during the British rule. In the year 1847, Ambala was formed into a district.

Thus the various evidences show the existence of the city since the ancient Stone Age period. The district has undergone turmoil in the hands of foreigners who tried to take over this region. Hence it has been said that, the people of Ambala city have been quite active politically from the very beginning. Ambala is truly a historic city of Haryana and one should visit this city in a lifetime.

The city plays a prominent role in the field of tourism because of its geographical location which is indeed an added advantage for tourists. Tourists travelling to states like Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab will have to pass through this city. There are various types of Ambala hotels to choose from as well as guides sightseeing tours within the city.

Tourists, especially those who love nature, will be delighted with the wonderful experience while visiting this city. There are beautiful lakes in this city which have been formed naturally. Tourists can spend their leisure time boating or trying their hand at fishing. The Paget Park, Subhash Chandra Bose Park, City Park and Patel Park are some of the attractions of Ambala city.

In addition to these, there are numerous other tourists’ attraction in the city. A map of Ambala or a guided tour of Ambala will reveal the numerous temples and other historic places which are spread out in and around the city and cantonment area. Religious temples and gurudwaras, churches, cemetery are the tourist worthy destinations. Amba Bhawani temple is considered as the most religious temples in Ambala. The name of the temple was derived from the goddess Amba Devi. It is even believed that the city Ambala was named following the goddess Amba. Some are of the belief that the city was originally named as Ambwala which means city of mangoes. And few others also believe that the city was named after the founder of the city, Amb Rajput.

However, there are also several other famous temples which include Bhawani Amba temple, Shiv mandir, Kaali Maata temple, Radha Kishan mandir and Ambika Devi mandir. Some of the gurudwaras here are the Badshahi Bag gurudwara, Sis Ganj gurudwara, Sangat Sahib gurudwara etc. While St Paul’s church, British Christian cemetery are places of interest to Christian travelers, the Rang Mahal, Taqwal Shah and the Lakhi Shah are the holy Muslim buildings are the other sightseeing places in Ambala. These diverse religious places reveal the secular nature of the city.

Besides the various sightseeing spots, local handicrafts, cotton garments are items of attraction for tourists. The local cuisine and local festivals provide an unmistakable flavor of the Punjabi culture.

This city has a geographical importance in the northern part of India since it is an important junction for people traveling to the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir as well as other parts of Punjab and Chandigarh. Hence, tourism of this area is well developed and so are the rail and road connections with the rest of the country.

If you are wondering how to reach Ambala, there are various means of getting there from various cities. Chandigarh is the closest city to Ambala which has an airport. Thus, many tourists can reach Ambala by flight by reaching the Chandigarh domestic airport. From here, the Ambala city is a mere 8 miles distance. There are various flights coming in to Chandigarh from cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Jammu, Lucknow, Srinagar, Patna and others which make it possible to reach this city in a short time by flight.

The historic GT road or the National Highway No. 1, also known as Sher Shah Suri Marg, connects this city with others like New Delhi, Chandigarh and others. If you want to know how to get there by bus, there are frequent inter state bus services which leave from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Karnal and Kurukshetra, these being the closest to Ambala. From Ambala too, one can avail of bus services to various interconnected cities such as New Delhi, Chandigarh, Panipat and so on, with buses leaving every half an hour from bus terminals, both from the cantonment area and the Ambala city.

The distance between Ambala and New Delhi being 192 km or 119 miles, one can comfortably travel by driving one’s own vehicle or by hired cabs. There are air conditioned bus and cab services available from Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala which can make travel convenient and comfortable, especially during the scorching summers.

Rail junction is one of the important connection point of this city. The Ambala railway station is located in the city centre and there are various express trains which pass by this city coming from various locations. Amritsar-Ambala Passenger, Ambala-Ludhiana Passenger, Saryuyamuna Express, Flying Mail, Chhatisgarh Express, Himachal Express, Shalimar Express, Muri Express, Jhelum Express and Gangasutlej Express are some of the names of the trains that pass by this popular train junction.

Thus, the question of how to reach Ambala is easily answered by the various travel options made available to tourists as well as frequent travelers.

Haryana has become a prominent tourist destination due to its legacy and ethnicity. Haryana tourism is devoted to promoting the culture and tradition of this state along with modern tourist attractions. There are numerous leisure centers and services that have been established in Haryana. Haryana tourism emphasizes on pilgrim tourism, cultural, adventure and sports development. Haryana Tourism Development Corporation has taken several measures to develop the infrastructure, and hospitality of various tourist spots found at different cities in Haryana. Hotels and resorts have been constructed at various places to offer accommodation to tourists at reasonable rates. Haryana is well known for handicrafts, weaving, pottery, embroidery, folk songs and dance. The Suraj Kund Craft Mela displays best of handloom, handicrafts, culture and tradition of Haryana and its neighboring states.

Haryana tourism also promotes various sports activities. It has become a chief sport center of India. In the year 1991, there was an Adventure club formed by Haryana Tourism department. Adventurous sports are performed in certain places in Haryana state like Damodama lake,Pinjore gardens etc. Such sports activities include river rafting, trekking, parasailing and rock climbing. There are two golf courses also which are owned by the Haryana Tourism.

The tourist places in Haryana are several. Some of the places of Haryana that attract tourists are Panipat, Kurukshetra, Sultanpur bird sanctuary, Surajkund, Thaneshwar, Yadavindra gardens, Morni hills and so on. As far as travelling is concerned, one can easily and conveniently travel by choosing different modes of transport.

Travelling to Haryana by flight is the most convenient option. The nearest airport is based at Chandigarh. The airport is well connected to northern cities of India like Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar and so forth. Travelling by train is also another option as the trains connect to all the major cities of India. Since Haryana has a good network of roads, interstate buses are very frequent and are the chosen mode of transport for frequent travelers. Local transport like private and state buses, auto rickshaws, tongas, taxis are easily available in Haryana.

Haryana has come up with several hotels to cater to the needs of tourists. From highway stopovers to rented farmhouses, camping sites, heritage hotels and so forth, Haryana Tourism has the right kind of places for leisure and accommodation for those who visit the state.

Ambala city has taken great interest in the field of education. Ambala schools and colleges have a high level of education which can compete with other metropolitan areas. The great number of engineering colleges in Ambala have gained prominence in recent times. Then again, boarding and day schools here have gained prominence for their level of education in north India. There are numerous primary, secondary and higher secondary schools situated in Ambala city. Government has taken major steps to improve and expand the quality of schools and colleges. Satellite education is also an opportunity which is provided at college level education.

There are some renowned schools located in the Ambala city as well as schools in Ambala cantt area. The Air Force school and Army school in the cantonment area have a high level of education in the CBSE board level. The other schools located in Ambala city are Anglo Aryan Sanskrit High School near railway bridge, Bell Toll Public High School, DAV Senior Secondary School, Dev Samaj Model School, Convent of Jesus and Mary, National Model High School, PKR Jain Girls High School, St Paul’s High School, Sophia Convent School etc.

And some of the top colleges in the field of medical, engineering, business school, polytechnic are as follows. M.M.Engineering College, ICL Institute of Engineering & Technology, Shivalik Institute of Engineering & Technology, SRM College of Engineering, M.D.S.D Girls College, Government Polytechnic for Women Max Institute of Computer Applications are some of the well known engineering colleges. Amongst the MBA colleges here, EMax Business School, Kalpana Chawla government Polytechnic for Women, Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management & Technology, MM Institute of Management, ICl Institute of Management & Technology are some of the top MBA colleges in Ambala.

In addition to these colleges, there are nursing colleges too in Ambala like Philadelphia Hospital, Himalayan Institute of Nursing, Mahabir College of Nursing, Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Nursing, M.M Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Nursing College etc.

Thus the Ambala city is not only giving room to healthy competition but also promoting quality education. It has established advanced learning and development standards and students come from all over the country to enroll in the renowned institutions here for higher education.

There are various reasons which attract the frequent traveler to this city. Known for its expertise in manufacturing of scientific equipments, this city has a wide range of small and medium scale industries dedicated to manufacturing of such equipments and instruments. This city also has a manufacturing base for various electrical and electronic appliances. Then again, given the large number of engineering and other post graduate colleges in this city, it sees a huge influx of students every year who come here to pursue higher education.

Ambala being a historic town has several destinations that attract tourists. The city has religious temples like Shiv Mandir, Kaali Maata Mandir, Gurudwaras etc. There are beautiful lakes in this city which have been formed naturally.

Thus, whatever be your reason to visit this city, you might want to stay at cheap budget hotels in Ambala, especially when you travel frequently or need to stay for long durations of time.

There are various hotels in Ambala which offer comfortable accommodation at affordable rates with good quality of service.

Hotel D.R.International is one of the budget hotels that offer you with comfortable accommodation and modern amenities at a reasonable price. It is located at Nicholson Road at a distance of 1 km from the railway station and the bus stand. Amenities offered to guests are parking space, television, mini refridgerators, wi fi internet connectivity, availability of hot water etc. It has a restaurant offering some mouth watering dishes for breakfast, lunch as well as dinner.

Hotel Amar Palace being situated at Aggarsain chowk is a hotel that offers value for money. It is centrally located. The hotel provides comfortable accommodation at an affordable price. The hotel amenities are air conditioned rooms, mini bar, coffee and tea maker, television etc.

Hotel Batra Palace is another budget hotel which is conveniently located at Ambala cantonment. It is close to the State Transport bus stand and half a km from Ambala cantonment railway station. The hotel has a multi cuisine restaurant that serves delicious cuisines like Indian, Chinese, Mughlai and Continental. All major credit cards are accepted here.

Most of these cheap budget hotels in Ambala offer a reasonable room rate starting from Rs. 800 per night. However, it is advisable to conform the rates with them and decide your place of stay as per your preferred location and other priorities that you may have.

The other budget hotels in Ambala include Malik Regency Hotel, Kwality Hotel, De Metropole Hotel and so forth. Choose as per your location preference, facilities required, user reviews and so forth which information is freely available in various travel websites.

Since these are the two popular places from where people might be traveling to Ambala, most tourists will find themselves on the historic Sher Shah Suri Marg or GT road, also known as the National Highway No. 1. There are various road maps which are available with tourist offices in Haryana and Delhi as well as online resources which can guide you through satellite maps.

Ambala has been officially divided into two areas known as Ambala city and Ambala cantonment. The distance between these two areas is approximately 3 km. One can reach this place via various modes of transportation like air, road and rail. Tourists travelling to other states like Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab will have to cross this city due to its location.

Now with the help of digital road maps, travelers can locate any destination conveniently. Haryana tourism also promotes online Ambala maps of various destinations within and outside the city for the convenience of tourists.