Ambala

Introduction

Ambala sits on the border between Punjab and Haryana, a position that shapes much of its character as a place where the two states meet. The city is the seat of its own district and is administered as a municipal corporation.

Its location close to Chandigarh, the capital shared by both states, makes it a convenient stop for travellers moving through the region. Expect a city defined less by monuments than by its crossroads setting, where the plains of Punjab and Haryana run into one another.

Before you go

Getting there

Ambala has no civilian airport of its own. The nearest option is Chandigarh, roughly 40 km away and reachable via the Ambala-Chandigarh Expressway; Chandigarh is well connected by air to other Indian cities.

Most travellers arrive by train. Ambala Cantonment Junction is a major junction of north India, served by high-speed Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains from all major cities, and it is the headquarters of a railway division spanning four states. Four broad gauge lines serve the city: towards Delhi via Panipat; towards Delhi via Barara, Yamunanagar, Saharanpur and Meerut, which also connects to Dehradun and Haridwar; towards Kalka for Chandigarh and Himachal; and towards Amritsar and Jammu, also connecting to Patiala, Bathinda and Sri Ganganagar. There are two stations: Ambala Cantonment Junction and Ambala City.

• By car: Ambala sits at a confluence of major highways. NH 44 (Delhi–Amritsar) is the most important, while NH 22 starts here towards the Shipkila international border via Shimla. The Ambala–Jodhpur NH 152 also originates here and runs to Pali, and NH 7 to Dehradun via Himachal and NH 344 both pass through Ambala.
• By bus: Ambala Cantonment bus stand sits on the main national highway, directly opposite the railway station, making it convenient for transfers. It is an interstate terminus with services from Udhampur in Jammu to Kota in Rajasthan and Gwalior or Bhind in Madhya Pradesh, and luxury, AC and video coach buses run around the clock to destinations across north India.

Getting around

Ambala is a twin city, split between Ambala Cantonment (Ambala Cantt) and Ambala City, roughly eight kilometres apart. Before you set out, decide which half you are heading to, because your transport options and the stations you use depend on it. Local transport depends on which part of the city you are in: government and private buses run on all the major roads, and both auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are easy to find. Buses are a straightforward option for moving between the two halves, autos suit point-to-point trips, and cycle rickshaws work well for shorter hops in busy local areas. Ambala is spread out rather than compact, so walking is best kept to short errands and the immediate area around a station or bus stand; for a move between Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment, plan on a bus, auto or cycle rickshaw instead.

For longer journeys, Ambala is a rail hub. Ambala Cantonment Junction is a major north Indian junction, connected by high-speed Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains to major cities, and four broad-gauge lines serve the city: towards Delhi via Panipat; towards Delhi via Barara, Yamunanagar, Saharanpur and Meerut, which also connects to Dehradun and Haridwar; towards Kalka for Chandigarh and Himachal; and towards Amritsar and Jammu, also connecting to Patiala, Bathinda and Sri Ganganagar. Use Ambala Cantonment Junction for long-distance trains and Ambala City station for the other half of the twin city. For interstate buses, Ambala Cantonment bus stand sits on the main national highway directly opposite the railway station, making bus-to-train transfers easy; luxury, AC and video-coach services run round the clock to destinations across north India. Mahajan Cabs is named as a taxi option, and for a longer trip such as onward to Chandigarh it is worth arranging a taxi in advance. Ambala has no civilian airport and no metro or tram network, so plan on rail, bus, auto rickshaw and cycle rickshaw; the nearest civil airport is at Chandigarh, reached by road via the Ambala–Chandigarh Expressway or by train from Chandigarh via the Kalka line. By car, Ambala sits at a confluence of major highways, including NH 44 (Delhi–Amritsar), NH 22 towards Shimla, NH 152 towards Pali, NH 7 towards Dehradun and NH 344.

Where to stay

Food & drink

Ambala's street food is the main event, and Halwai Bazar is where to start. Try the golgaps and chaat, which come with seven flavours, and look for Kishori Lal's stall there. Elsewhere in the city you can seek out ki kachori and Pahalwan ki khasta kachori, or head to Vijay Ratan Chowk for Omi ke chole bhature.

For a sit-down meal, Puran Singh Ka Dhabha on Grand Trunk Road in Shastri Market, Dhandari Kalan, next to the flyover, is a standard Punjabi eatery with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Note that the original Puran Singh Ka Dhabha stands next to the bus stand and is now run by his son and widow; the ones facing the highway are copies.

What to see and do

Ambala's sights are few but distinctive. The Ambala Air Force Base is one of the oldest airbases in the world and the home base of the Jaguar Squadron. Holy Redeemer Church sits on Lawrence Road, off Commercial Road, while St. Paul Church stands on Alexandra Road, with a Christian cemetery on the same road.

For exercise, head to Huda Town Park in Sector 34, Ambala Cantt, a popular spot for running, yoga and other forms of exercise.

When to go

Ambala has a humid subtropical climate, so the timing of your visit makes a real difference to how comfortable you'll be. The monsoon season is the wettest, hottest and most humid stretch of the year, bringing heavy rain and muggy conditions; expect frequent downpours and high humidity if you travel then.

Winter offers a mild, dry alternative and a comfortable contrast to the monsoon. Days are generally pleasant, though nights can turn cool, so pack a layer for the evenings.

Three days in Ambala

Day one: Base yourself in Ambala Cantonment, the busier of the city's two halves, and use its junction as your anchor. Ambala Cantonment Junction puts Delhi, Panipat, Chandigarh, Kalka, Amritsar, Jammu, Patiala, Bathinda and Sri Ganganagar within reach, with Rajdhani and Shatabdi services passing through. Spend the rest of the day on the cantonment's own streets rather than rushing onward, since the split between Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City is itself the thing to get your bearings on.

Day two: Cross to Ambala City for a slower look at the older half, then follow the Chandigarh Expressway out toward Chandigarh if you want a longer run. The road network radiating from Ambala is the reason the city sits where it does: NH routes lead on to Barara, Yamunanagar, Saharanpur, Meerut, Dehradun, Haridwar, Shimla and Himachal, and the Jodhpur NH carries you in another direction entirely. Pick one line and follow it for the day rather than trying to cover several.

Day three: Give the day to the wider setting, since Ambala sits in Haryana on the edge of Punjab and the plains around it are warm and humid for much of the year and can turn bitterly cold in winter. Use the junction once more for an easy onward leg, or stay put and treat the cantonment and city as a pair, comparing the two before you leave. Expect the pace of a transport town rather than a sightseeing one, and plan your day around the trains and roads accordingly.