Ambala, Haryana, India

🇮🇳 Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantonment (also known as Ambala Cantt) and Ambala City, eight km apart, therefore it is also known as "Twin City". It has a large Indian Army and Indian Air Force presence within its cantonment area.It is located 200 km (124 mi) to the north of New Delhi, India's capital, and has been identified as a counter-magnet city for the National Capital Region to develop as an alternative centre of growth to Delhi.

Ambala separates the Ganges river network from the Indus river network and is surrounded by two rivers – Ghaggar and Tangri – to the north and to the south. Due to its geographical location, the Ambala district plays an important role in local tourism, being located 47 km (29 mi) south of Chandigarh, 50 km (31 mi) north of Kurukshetra, 148 km (92 mi) south-west of Shimla, 198 km (123 mi) north of New Delhi and 260 km (160 mi) south-east of Amritsar.

Economy Being located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the land is generally fertile and conducive to agriculture. However, primary sector contributes much lesser to the economy of the district than it does to the economy of Haryana. Small scale industries form the bulk of the industrial landscape in the district. It is one of the largest producers of scientific and surgical instruments in the country and home to a large number of scientific instrument manufacturers due to which it is also referred as Science City.

Cloth Market The Cloth Market is considered to be the largest textile market in the region. It is located in sector 7, the central part of the city of Ambala. The market is known for catering to wedding related shopping. The most commonly bought items are sarees and silk clothing.

Transport Ambala is connected to all of the other major cities of north India. It is a big interchange for various commuters for all neighbouring states. The Ambala Cantt bus stand witnesses roughly 50,000 commuters daily.

National Highway NH 44 popularly known as GT road earlier known as NH 1 passes through Ambala and connects it to National capital Delhi, Panipat, Ludhiana and Amritsar. NH 152 connects it to state capital Chandigarh, Kaithal. Apart from the Interstate service, Ambala also houses one of the oldest local bus services in Haryana, which is run by both Haryana roadways and private companies. Other means of local transportation include auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws.

Roadways Bus service is the major means of public transport in this district. Ambala depot came into being on 1 August 1950. The office of the General Manager has situated on the premises of the depot workshop at Ambala City. Ambala depot has a sub depot at Naraingarh.

Presently, Haryana Roadways, Ambala has 209 buses, which carry about 34.88 Lac's passengers daily and cover a distance of about 19000 km daily. Out of these, total distance covered on interstate routes is 24,711 km (15,355 mi) and 41.469 km (25.768 mi) are operated within Haryana every day. The total staff of the depot (including that of sub depot Naraingarh) is 1085.

New Bus Stand at Ambala Cantt was inaugurated on 12 July 1999 and the total land of bus stand is 6.7 acres (2.7 ha). Bus stands in this district exist at Ambala City, Naraingarh and Barara as well. A sub-depot-level workshop has also been provided at Naraingarh. 'Yatri Niwas' exists on the campus of Ambala Cantt. bus stand for the convenience of the commuters who wish to stay for the night.

Besides, the Haryana Roadways buses, the government has issued permits to private operators on local routes. Presently 51 such buses are plying in Ambala district. The bus stand is very near to Ambala Cantt Jn. (Railway station). Most of the buses plying on GT road (NH1) stop in front of the Railway station.

Railways Ambala is a divisional headquarters of the Northern Railway Zone and is an important railway junction. Ambala Cantt station is among the top 100 booking stations in India. The city is served by three railway stations: • Ambala Cantt [UMB] (Junction on Delhi-Kalka line and Moradabad-Ambala line/Ambala-Attari line) • Ambala City [UBC] (On Ambala-Attari line) • Dhulkot [DKT] (on Delhi-Kalka line).

The Ambala Cantonment railway station was founded on the junction of the Delhi-Kalka and Ludhiana-Saharanpur lines. The historic Delhi-Panipat-Ambala-Kalka railway line dates back to 1889 while the Ludhiana-Saharanpur line was built in 1870. Situated 200 km (120 mi) north of Delhi, this town is well connected by the rail and road network.

Ambala cantt railway station is main station of the city and is well connected with major cities of India. Kalka-Shimla Railway, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, also comes under Ambala division.

Ambala Cantonment railway station serves maximum Shatabdi Express after New Delhi. Ambala railway station was mentioned in the famous story 'The Woman on Platform 8' by Ruskin Bond, although in reality there is no platform 8 in Ambala Cantt.

Education Ambala has a large number of schools and colleges. Notable colleges include: • Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala • E-Max School of Engineering and Applied Research • Government Polytechnic College, Ambala • Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana • Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur • Philadelphia Hospital & School of Nursing, Ambala • Sanatan Dharma College (S.D. College) • Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management and Technology.