The town of Nabha was formerly the capital of the Nabha princely state in the British Raj. Its territories were scattered. One section, divided into twelve separate tracts, was interspersed among the territories of Patiala and Jind, in the east and south of the Punjab. The other section was in the extreme southeast of that province in Rewari and Bawal which the ruler, Hira Singh, had got from the British for fighting against fellow Indian ruler of Jhajjar, Abdur Rehman, in the first war of independence in 1857. The whole of the territories physically belonged to a plain, but they varied in character, from the great fertility of the Pawadh region to the semi-arid proximity of Rajputana desert.
Geography
Nabha is located at. It has an average elevation of 246 metres.
Demographics
India census, Nabha had a population of 67,972. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Nabha has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 69%. In Nabha, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Landmarks of the city
Being a royal city, Nabha has a number of buildings with historical importance: Shri Shani Dev Temple, Friends Colony, Cantt Road, Nabha is famous Hindu temple of city
Purani Nabhi: The main colony of the Nabha City, Located in the extreme center of the nabha city. Mandir Thakur Shri Saty Narayan Ji temple is there in Purani Nabhi Nabha. This is The Only Thakur Saty narayan Ji temple in nabha City
18 Bhuja Durga Shiv Mandir: It is one of the old temples of Nabha city. Located near Patiala Gate opposite Hira Mahal.
Tapia Mandir : It is about 100 years old temple. It is a strong belief among people of Nabha that visiting this temple brings happiness in their lives.
Hira Mahal: Residence of the royal family. The gardens and orchards surrounding it have developed into the Hira Mahal Colony.
Qila Mubarak: Situated at the heart of the city in a dilapidated condition. Various government offices are housed here including the courts shifted to new building at Mini-Secretariat.
Hira Singh Park: Now known as municipal park, near Duladdi Gate. The park is home to the statue of Hira Singh Nabha.
Royal Samadhis: on a circular road, built in memory of the deceased rulers of Nabha, now in a state of disrepair.
The Courthouse of Nabha, the original residence of Wazir Ishwari Singh Katoch, Prime Minister of Kangra, father of Maharani Lilavati and cousin of Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra.
Old Temple of Shri Hanuman Ji, Old Temple of Attharan Bhuji Mata Rani, Shri Vedas Mandir, and Kali Mata Mandir are famous Hindu worship places.
Gurdwara Dera Baba Ajaypal Singh, famously known as Gurdwara Ghodhiyan Walla and Gurdwara Akalgarh Sahib
Mata Rajrajeshwari Balasundari Ji Mandir, popularly known as chownk wala mandir, is a great mighty temple with great historical significance, built approximately 250–300 years ago by the king of the state. This temple has long been a point of religious beliefs and attracts people from faraway areas.
Mata Jwala JI Mandir, Bhattan Street. This temple too dates back to time in memorial and is of the royal goddess Durga Mata Jawala Ji along with idols of Lord Shiva, Mata Parvati, Ganesha, Lord Mahavira Hunumana and Lord Bharav Nath.Presently the Temple is being taken care by Mata Jwala Ji Committee and Young Friends Club which consists of the Municipal Councilor as the President followed by the residents and trusties of the temple.Since 1960 regularly each year the committee organises Jagran which till date continues and is the oldest running program in the city.
Old Haveli- This is the most horror place in Nabha, where nobody thinks to go close. The history of the Haveli makes it full of Goosebumps. Visiting Haveli will be a very good and scary experience.
Please note that there are two locations of Royal Samadhis. One is for the family of Hira Singh, the other, for the original rulers of Nabha, is located on the grounds of Punjab Public School, near the water tank, on what was originally known as Shyam Bagh. There rests Maharaja Devinder Singh, his two sons, his wives, Maharani Lilavati, Maharani Mann Kaur and "Cheteanwali" Rani. Dr. Sumerendra Vir Singh Chauhan, from the family of Maharani Lilavati, and uncle of the present Raj Kumari of Nabha, wife of Maharaja Pratap Singh's second son, is negotiating with the present authorities to allow for repairs to take place of the Royal samadhis of the original rulers. Also the Samadhi of Maharani Lilavati's mother is located in the Ram Temple near Hira Mahal.
Modern Nabha
In 1947, Nabha formed a part of Patiala and East Punjab States Union. At a subsequent reorganisation, Patiala was created as a district and Nabha formed a subdivision in Patiala District. The modern Nabha is a thriving, if somewhat dusty town. Nabha is famous as a manufacturing hub of combine harvesters A new colony HIRA ENCLAVE has been established on the outskirts of Nabha city and has 864 plots with a population capacity of about 5000 people Like many other cities of India, Nabha has landmarks called "gates" which roughly circumscribe the city. In Nabha, these are Patiala Gate, Alhoran Gate, Dulladi Gate, Mehs Gate and Bouran Gate.
