Ambala is a city and municipal corporation situated in the Ambala district of the Indian state of Haryana. Located in the north-eastern part of the state, near the border with Punjab, Ambala has historically functioned as a major military and railway hub of northern India. The city is administratively divided into two principal urban centres: Ambala Cantonment (Ambala Cantt) and Ambala City, which are about eight kilometres apart.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Haryana |
| District | Ambala |
| Region | North India |
| Civic body | Municipal Corporation, Ambala |
| Languages | Hindi, Punjabi, Haryanvi |
| Twin urban centres | Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment |
Ambala lies in the Indo-Gangetic plain, on the watershed between the basins of the Ghaggar and the Yamuna. The city is situated near the tri-junction of Haryana, Punjab and the union territory of Chandigarh, and is connected to Delhi to the south and Chandigarh to the north by the Grand Trunk Road (National Highway 44). The terrain is generally flat and agriculturally productive, with a subtropical climate marked by hot summers, a monsoon season and cool winters.
Local tradition associates the founding of Ambala with the name of Amba, variously linked to a Rajput chieftain or to the goddess Bhawani Amba, with whom a temple in the city is associated. Through the medieval period the area lay along important routes connecting Delhi with Lahore, and it formed part of the territories of the Mughal Empire before passing under Sikh influence in the late eighteenth century.
Following the conclusion of British arrangements with the Cis-Sutlej states in the early nineteenth century, Ambala came under the authority of the British. A military cantonment was established at Ambala in 1843, and the city subsequently developed into one of the largest cantonments of British India. Ambala was an important centre of activity during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, with the cantonment witnessing early unrest among Indian sepoys.
After Indian independence in 1947, Ambala was part of the erstwhile state of Punjab. With the reorganisation of Punjab on linguistic lines on 1 November 1966, Ambala district was transferred to the newly formed state of Haryana, of which it has remained a part.
Ambala is administered by the Municipal Corporation of Ambala, which is responsible for civic services including water supply, sanitation, roads and urban planning within the corporation limits. The Ambala Cantonment area is administered separately by the Ambala Cantonment Board under the Ministry of Defence. Ambala forms a Lok Sabha constituency and includes several Vidhan Sabha (Haryana Legislative Assembly) segments.
Ambala Cantonment houses major formations of the Indian Army, including the headquarters of the 2 Corps (Kharga Corps). It is also the location of Air Force Station Ambala, one of the oldest and most significant bases of the Indian Air Force. The base has historically operated a range of fighter aircraft, and in 2020 it became the first IAF station to induct the Dassault Rafale multirole fighter.
Ambala is one of the principal railway junctions of northern India. Ambala Cantonment Junction is a major node on the Northern Railway, lying on the Delhi–Kalka and Delhi–Amritsar trunk lines, with branches towards Saharanpur and beyond. Ambala City has its own railway station as well. The city is served by National Highway 44 (the historical Grand Trunk Road), and other highways radiate towards