Interesting Case Of Chandigarh

 

Chandigarh is the only city in India that is a Union Territory, and the Capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana. Curiosity led me to research the topic, of why was Chandigarh made the capital of two states. There are many articles on it, here's mine.

Before partition, the state of Punjab included the states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana and Lahore was its capital. After the India-Pakistan partition in 1947, Punjab was divided into West Punjab and East Punjab. West Punjab went to Pakistan and East Pakistan went to India. 

Why was Punjab divided in 1947?

Punjab like Bengal had a slightly higher majority of Muslims than Hindus (about 53%: 47%). Muslim League demanded both Bengal and Punjab be given to Pakistan considering the majority. Congress contested that the majority was too insignificant. Eventually, it was decided, that Both Bengal and Punjab will be divided. Both partitions led to tragic massacres and are marked as the darkest history of India.

Why was Punjab not divided after partition?

After partition, the first Prime Minister of independent India, J. Nehru, decided not to divide Punjab, since the 1947 partition had already seen a lot of bloodshed and displacement considering there was a religious divide (Sikhs vs Hindus) as well other than the language divide (Punjabi vs Pahari vs Hindi). 

Creation of Chandigarh

Since Lahore went to Pakistan, a new capital was needed. It was the first planned city of Independent India. The city was designed by Swiss-French Architect Le Corbusier. 

Why was Punjab divided in 1966?

Due to political pressure, and the Sikh agitation for a separate state, Prime Minister I. Gandhi acceded to the proposal of a division. New states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were created. Himachal opted for Shimla as its capital. However, Punjab and Haryana contested for Chandigarh. A plebiscite was held and Chandigarh got voted as Hindi speaking majority. Punjab contested the results. Eventually, PM I. Gandhi gave Chandigarh the status of a Union Territory and granted it special status as the capital of two states.

During PM R. Gandhi's term, in 1985 the Longowal Accord was signed which among other conditions, stated Chandigarh would be given to Punjab in exchange for  Hindi-speaking cities and villages to Haryana.  Soon after Longowall was assassinated, unrest and terrorism engulfed the then-political scene in India. The exchange finally never took place and the status of Chandigarh remains the same to date.

Source: https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/prepartitionmap.htm

Kapurthala And Patiala

Patiala Palace

The only Moorish (Moroccon style) mosque in India..the other Mosque of Moorish (Spanish style) is in Hyderabad.

Bazaar of Patiala

Courtyard Architecture

Entrance of Qila Mubarak 

Amidst a colorful, crowded bazaar of bangles and Punjabi jutties is the unassuming Qila Mubarak...on an ordinary day, you might just walk past it without knowing, what a treasure trove of history you might have just missed.

The Main entrance: Take that extra turn and you will be introduced to the Majestic Royal Palace of the Patiala rulers...

This mud and the baked brick fort has been listed among the endangered monuments of India, by the WMF, and a couple years back its restoration works were initiated.

Delhi to Patiala is about 5 hour drive. The nearest airport to Patiala is Chandigarh airport. This small laid-back city finds its name in the global charts because of the famous Patiala Peg.  Patiala is also famous for its handmade leather sandals (jutties), the Patiala salwar, the Patiala turban, the Patiala necklace, and the Patiala Maharajas, Bhupinder Singh being the most famous one. He led a lavish life and his opulent lifestyle makes the background for many stories.

The Patiala Peg was supposedly Maharaja Bhupinder Singh's brainchild as per one of the many stories associated with the origin of this peg of whisky. The giant peg of 120 ml, 4 times the standard 30 ml is a symbol of the extravagant hospitality of the Patiala rulers. A measure of the Patiala Peg is the distance between the little finger and the index finger when kept parallel. 

The Qila Mubarak was built as a Mud fortress by the founder of the Patiala Dynasty Baba Ala Singh. Later it was renovated and reconstructed in baked brick. It had been the main fort of the Patiala Rulers for over 100 years. This fort palace is a fine example of Sikh Courtyard Architecture. The various sections of the palace are flanked by courtyards but tied up by a huge terrace. An article on the fort.

The Kapurthala Mosque built by Maharaja Jagjit Singh of Kapurthala was inspired by the Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco and the Court of the lions of Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

Multifoil Arches and Muqarna-inspired design

Arcade with Tuscan style columns
and horseshoe arches

Horseshoe Arch

The Kapurthala mosque is an absolute must visit particularly those who have interest in architecture, since it is one of the two Moorish influenced architectural gems in India. It is about 2 kms away from the main City and has an easy access. 

We stayed at the Baradari Palace, A Nimrana heritage boutique hotel in Patiala and it took us about 3.5 hours (175kms) to reach the Mosque. It was definitely worth the journey. Kapurthala was one of the Princely States of India and was ruled by the Ahluwalia dynasty. The Maharajahs of Kapurthala were great art and architecture enthusiasts and many of the buildings here are evident of that. The Maharaja Jagatjit Singh Palace is Indo-French style, Elysee Palace is Indo-French style, and the Darbar Hall, Currently Kapurthala COurt is Indo-Saracenic Style. 

Other places of interests near Kapurthala are Kanjli wetlands, and Shalimar Gardens.

What is Moorish Architecture?

As the name suggests, Moorish Architecture is architecture style that was developed by the Moors. The Moors, derived from Ancient Mauri, were the Islamic inhabitants of the Maghreb region (North Africa), The region flanking the Iberian Peninsular, Southern Spain, Southern Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sicily, Malta to name a few.

Zellij tile work

Some Famous Examples of Moorish Architecture:

- Alhambra, Grenada Spain

- Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain

- Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco

- Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia

Distinct Charateristics of Moorish Architecture:

- Use of Arches - Multifoil, Ogee, Horseshoe, Lancet

- Voussoirs

- Ribbed vaults usually non-radial

- Courtyards and Riad gardens

- Arabesque motifs

- Muqarnas and honeycombed designs

- Crenallated arches and parapets

- Pyramid roofs

- Ribbed Domes

- Zellij (arabic) and Azulejo (spanish) tile work

Intricate geometrical arabesque motifs on ribbed dome. Also apparent in the pic are the crennalated multifoil arches

130 year old Darbar Hall, Kapurthala Court built in Indo-Saracenic Style