History of Quila Mubarak
Quila Mubarak Bathinda was constructed by Raja Dab during the period 90-110 AD. Raja Dab was the ancestor of Vena Pal. The bricks used to construct the fort dates back to the Kushana Period. The fort was constructed by the king so that Huns could not invade the kingdom of Emperor Kanishka. In the later years, the fort has undergone various types of alteration done by the rulers of the area. Razia Sultana, the first Empress of Delhi had been imprisoned in Quila Mubarak.As per the legends, Razia Sultana jumped off the fort balcony so that she could gather her army and fight back the enemies. The fort was also visited by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1705. To commemorate his visit to this fort, a Gurudwara was built within the fort premise in the later years.
The fort was also used as the residence of the rulers of Patiala Dynasty. In the middle of 17th AD, the fort was captured by Maharaja Ala Singh and he named the fort as Fort Gobindgarh.
Architecture of Quila Mubarak
Quila Mubarak is a boat shaped fort which resembles like a ship standing high amidst of sand. The design of the fort is appropriate for deserts and Bathinda is a place that has lots of sand stretches and sand dunes are still found scattered here and there in various parts of Bathinda. The entrance of the fort is quaint and the fort lies as a majestic structure in between the city away from the hustle bustle of city life.The Inner Part of the Fort, called “Quila Andaroon”, was the area where people of Patiala Dynasty resided. Various Apartments in the fort were – the Moti Palace, the Rajmata Palace (palace for Queen Mother), the Sheesh Mahal ( mirror palace), Jail Wala Palace ( a place where royal prisoners were kept), the Palace of Moon, and the Palace of Colors. There are other recreational structures within the fort.
They are Garden House (Bagh Ghar) and Puppet House (Putli Ghar). The fort has got underground sewage system. There is a cool room within the fort that has got connecting tunnels to bring in cool air into the room. The royal kitchen of the fort, Lassi Khana, used to have food prepared for about 35,000 people every day. People of all designations used to have food from the royal kitchen.
History of Gurudwara Quila Mubarak
The Gurudwara located within Quila Mubarak is also known as Gurudwara Shri Quila Mubarak Sahib. The Gurudwara is associated with the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He had visited the fort and has a meeting with Pir Baba Haji Rattan Ji. When Guru Sahib came here and asked people about their problems, they told him that a monster or Deo has been disturbing them for long. Guru Sahib had called upon the monster and when he came to know that the monster disturbed the people because his hunger was not satisfied, a bull was sacrificed and offered to the monster and he headed towards Sirhind.When people of Bhathinda told Guru Sahib that they have scarcity of water in Bathidna and they have to face drought, Guru Sahib promised them that he would take away the drought with him towards south.
Important Rulers associated with Quila Mubarak
Here is the list of rulers associated with Quila Mubarak Bathinda:- Emperor Kanishka, Raja Dab, 90-119 AD (built Quila Mubarak)
- Mahmud of Ghazi, 1004 AD (captured the fort)
- Pir Baba Hazi Rattan Ji, 1045 AD (settled at this fort for meditation)
- Mohammad Ghori, 1189 AD (captured the fort)
- Prithvi Raj Chauhan, 1191 AD (recaptured the fort)
- Razia Sultana, 1240 AD (imprisoned in this fort)
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji, 1515 AD (visited the fort)
- Guru Teg Bahadur Singh Ji, 1665 AD (visited the fort)
- Guru Gobind Singh Ji, 1705 AD (visited the fort)
- Maharaja Karam Singh, 1835 AD (built a Gurudwara in the fort)