At a glance | Ambala | Destinations | Haryana Tourism Corporation Limited.

At a glance

AMBALA

Ambala is located on the border with the Indian state of Punjaband Chandigarh. Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantonment (Ambala Cantt) and Ambala City, which has earned it a name of the "Twin City". Ambala is also known for its large Indian Army and Indian Air Force presence within its cantonment area which was established in the year 1843. The cantonment houses the '2 corps', one of the three strike corps of Indian Army and is of immense strategic importance.

The history of this city suggests that the district was founded by Amba Rajput during the 14th century. Although there are many other versions that contribute to the story of its origin. It is also believed that the name Ambala is a corruption of Amba Wala meaning the mango-village, from mango groves which existed in its vicinity. Another version is that the city takes its name after goddess "Bhawani Amba" whose Temple still exists in Ambala city.

Cloth Market of Ambala is a major draw for people from across the region. This market is the largest cloth trading market in the sub continent and has a dense cluster of more than 900-1000 wholesale shops. The market specializes in Hand-loom, silk sarees, suitings & shirtings and other dress materials.  People flock this place especially for marriage dresses.

Due to its geographical location Ambala is also an important tourist destination. Tourists en route to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Kashmir mark Ambala as one of the destinations to visit in their road map. 

At a glance

Locations: District Ambala lies on the north-eastern edge of Haryana. It is bounded by district Yamuna nagar in the south-east. To its south lies Kurukshetra District, while in its west are situated Patiala and Ropar districts of Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The Shivalik Range and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh bound the Ambala district in the North and North-East.

Linking Roads: 5 National Highways i.e. NH-1, NH-22, NH-65, NH-72 and NH-73 pass through Ambala. NH-22 starts from Ambala and leads to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.

Postal Code: 133001 (Ambala Cantt.) 134003 (Ambala City) | Longitude: 74° 33"-53' to 76° 36"-52'East | Latitude: 27° 39"-45'North | Area: 1568.85 sq.kms | Altitude: 900 feet above sea level | Population: 1,136,784 (Census 2011) | STD Code: 0171 | Villages: 433 | Literacy: 82.90% | Languages: Hindi, English | Best season to visit: All seasons to visit.

How to reach

By Air

The city is served by Chandigarh airport. Daily flights ply from Chandigarh to Delhi and Chandigarh to Mumbai.
For more information, please contact the airlines.

 
By Rail

Ambala is one of the most famous and biggest rail junctions of North India. It is connected with high speed Rajdhani and Shatabadi trains and express trains to all major cities of India.
The city has three railway stations:

  • Ambala Cantt (Delhi-Amritsar-Meerut-Kalka lines)
  • Ambala City (Ambala-Amritsar/Jammu Line)
  • Dhul Kot (Ambala-Chandigarh/Kalka Line)
For railway enquiry dial 139.
By Bus

There is a bus terminal in Ambala Cantt (GT Road) and another one at Ambala City. There are frequent services along Delhi, Chandigarh. Amritsar and Shimla route and some far off destinations such as Gwalior, Kota and Jaipur. For Haryana enquiry dial : 0171-2556388.

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