Patiala is relatively a young city, a few years more than two centuries old.
It was His Highness “Maharaja Bhupindra Singh” (1900-1930) who had given Patiala a prominent place in the political map of India and, in the field of international sports.
Most of the buildings with splendid architectural designs were constructed during his reign.
Patiala was formerly known as “Ala De Patti” because Baba Ala Singh was the founder of this place. In 1763 Baba Ala Singh laid the foundation of “Quila Mubarak and the city was built around it.
Patiala, an erstwhile princely state and a district headquarters of Punjab is situated in the Malwa region of Punjab.
Patiala, the land of Maharajas and a royal city is widely known for its ‘pagri’, ‘dresses’, ‘peg’, ‘jutti’, ‘Patiala shahi salwar’, folk songs, dances like Gidha and Bhangra and food like ‘Makki de roti’ and ‘Sarason da saag’ in its traditions and culture.
The first settlers of Patiala were the Hindus of Sirhind, who opened their business establishments outside the Darshani Gate.
After the partition of India in 1947, a large number of refugees from west Punjab came and settled in the Patiala district.
Narendra Singh (1845-1862) fortified the city of Patiala by constructing ten gates around the city.
The complete district of Patiala is subdivided into 5 sub-divisions/tehsils with a total of 942 villages. It consists of 8 blocks Samana, Patran, Nabha, Rajpura, and Patiala. It also has 3 sub-tehsils.
The district is the basic unit of administration. The Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur, as head of the district administration, is a functionary of the State Government, under the administrative control of Divisional Commissioner, Patiala.
He has wide powers and manifold responsibilities. In many ways, he is the chief custodian of law and authority, the pivot on which runs the local administration.
Patiala Municipal Corporation (PMC) is the local body responsible for governing, developing, and managing the city.
(PMC) is further divided into 50 municipal wards. Patiala Development Authority (PDA) is an agency responsible for the planning and development of the greater Patiala Metropolitan Area, which is revising the Patiala Master Plan and Building Bylaws.
Patiala Development Department, a special department of the Government of Punjab, has been recently formed for overall development. Patiala consists of three assembly constituencies: Patiala Urban, Patiala Rural, and Sanaur.