Patiala- Qila Mubarak

    Ruins are the cathedrals of time and keepers of history. They speak to  us  about the glories of a bygone era.

        After a hearty breakfast of the ubiquitous aloo paranthas, dahi and pickle we, with   great eagerness, set out for the royal city of Patiala on the 19^th of Feb.

       We travelled, just for a short distance, on NH 1 the Grand Trunk Road going from Delhi all the way to Lahore.  It gave me a thrill as this was the road laid by Sher Shah Suri- from Calcutta to Lahore; the road along which the Badshahs and the troops of the Delhi Sultanate had marched, the road which also facilitated invaders like Nadir Shah march all the way to Delhi and plunder it. Today, we drove swiftly over this historic road and reached Patiala at about 10.00am. On the way we passed by Ludhiana a bustling industrial town.

       At the hotel we were told that our rooms were not ready. This did not faze us in the least.  We booked in, left our luggage and set out to see the Quila Mubarak.

      We reached Quila Mubarak after driving through narrow , winding roads or rather lanes lined with shops on either side, We were wondering where the car could be parked on those narrow roads. When we approached the gates of the fort we were told that we could drive in and park in the compound. So happily we drove in little realizing the shock that awaited us.

       On entering the fort, we saw that all the structures had scaffolding around it.  Mohan, being the treasurer, went to buy the tickets. He was told that entry was banned for visitors since the entire complex was under restoration. We could visit the museum in the Durbar Hall, photography inside the Durbar Hall was not permitted, and photography with a camera of the outside walls of the complex was charged a fee whereas no fees were charged for photography with a mobile or tablet!

      The Quila Mubarak was the residential palace of the Royal family of Patiala. The complex contains the Ran Baas (Guest House), the Divan Khana (Durbar Hall), and the Quila Androon (inner fort). The entrance to this complex is through a massive gate. The architecture of Quila Mubarak show both Mughal and Rajasthani influences.

       The Quila Androon is a single interconnected palace of a succession of smaller palaces, each with its own courtyard.  Each courtyard is different from the other, and has a cluster of rooms around it. Ten rooms, known as the Rang Mahal and Sheesh Mahal are painted with murals in the Kangra and Rajasthani style, and decorated with intricate mirror and gilt work. Of course we were not able to see any of this.

       The Durbar Hall has fine-looking carved, wooden doors. The beautiful carved doors are now protected by glass panels. The Durbar Hall has now been converted into a mini museum, and visitors are permitted. After a security check, we entered to see an array of beautiful chandeliers made of cut-glass, hanging from the high ceiling. The gem of this collection is a tall tree-like floor chandelier, made of Bohemian cut-glass. Just imagine the splendor and the glow radiated when these chandeliers were lit, not by the harsh electric lights of today but the soft, gentle light of candles! It was ironic to see a very ordinary looking policeman sitting on a wooden chair on the dais which originally was graced by a splendid throne on which sat the Maharajas of Patiala.

       The museum also houses rare arms and armours including a sword belonging to Nadir Shah and a jade handled dagger. This dagger was Guru Nanak’s and it was always dipped into the food before the Guru ate to check for poison.  There is also on display, a beautiful portrait of Guru Nanak, painted by one of his disciples during the Guru’s lifetime. Coins and inscriptions were also exhibited.

        The exhibits that made Mohan literally weep were two vintage cars-one a Fiat, the other a Daimler-Benz. They were in a state of utter disrepair. Forget about them being clean, they were not even in one piece- the axle was bent, the tires had no air, the hub cap jutting out of the tyre, the result being the car being lopsided with one side practically touching the ground. The bodies of the car were dusty, and rusted with the paint peeling off.  If permitted, Mohan might have, if not tried to repair them, at least cleaned them up and filled the tyres with air.     

       The whole complex was guarded by the Punjab police. We asked the policeman in the Durbar Hall about the Rang Mahal and Seesh Mahal. He said there were no such palaces in the Qila Mubarak but the Sheesh Mahal was at Moti Bagh. We decided to go to Moti Bagh.

        It was heartbreaking to see the beautiful walls of the fort in such a dilapidated condition. But  it is heartening to note that the Archaeological Survey of India and Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage has stepped in to restore and preserve it after the World Monument Fund listed it as one of the 100 most endangered monuments in the world. 

       After buying a few pairs of bangles for Ketaki, we got into the car and set out towards the Moti Bagh Palace. Unfortunately, no one was aware of such a palace. So Vaman bhavaji switched on the GPS and entered the place. Immediately, Google Maps showed the route and we happily followed it. It took us for quite a distance away from the fort and when we reached a Gurudwara it announced that we had reached our destination. This was the Moti Bagh Gurudwara, built on the site from where Guru Tej Bahadur set out for Delhi.

       Disappointed once again, we went towards the Sheesh Mahal. Of course, when we asked for directions, we were told that restoration was going on there too. So it was closed for visitors but we could see the outside which was worth a visit. So off we went.

       The Seesh Mahal is a graceful building set amidst a large garden to be the royal pleasure palace.  The walls of this palace are decorated with mirror work and paintings in the Kangra and Rajasthani style.  The paintings depict scenes from the poetry of Keshav, Surdas and Behari. This palace too is now a museum. It has rare paintings of Ras Leela from the Gita Govind and Rag –Mala paintings in the Kangra nad Mughal miniature styles. One of the doors had a name board which stated that it was the Rare Coins and Medals Museum. Through a door in the wall, I caught a glimpse of what had once been a grand garden but now in a very bad condition- dried up plants and trees and overgrown with grass and weeds.

           In the foreground of the Sheesh Mahal is a large tank (now dry and filled with weeds) with two graceful towers on either side. Also there is a small, elegant pavilion with delicate arches supporting the curved roof, on the side of the tank, in front of the Mahal.  A suspended bridge across the tank, known as Lakshman Jhoola,  connects  the palace with Bansar Ghar, housing the Natural History Gallery (closed to visitors).

       Though we could not go inside the palaces, the outside views gave us a sense of the stateliness and magnificence, the majesty and grandeur of these royal residences, and the luxury and opulence of the Maharajas’ life style.