Ambala, the meeting point of hills and plains is a city and a municipal council in the district of Ambala which forms a part of the Indian state Haryana. It is located on the border off the states of Haryana and Punjab. The city of Ambala divided into two areas. This city plays an important role in the tourism of the country owing to the geographical location of the place. According to the census of 2001 Ambala had a population of 139,222. Ambala has claims of being one of the historical famous districts of the state of Haryana. During the British colonial rule A.C. Cunningham and C. Rodgers explored this city and later B.B. Lal and many others also explored it. The earliest inhabitants of this region were the primitive people using stone tools belonging to lower Paleolithic age. This region was also included in the kingdom of Pandava and their successors. The Edicts of Ashoka and the Stupas at Singh and Chaneti add the further importance to this place. There are other interesting acts related to the city of Ambala. Some of the historians are of the view that Ambala owes its name to King Singh while others believe it was named after the Goddess Amba whose shrine is one of the most important features of the city. Ambala was originally called by the name of `Ambwala`, the significance of the term `Amb` being mango it was also known as the city of mangoes.

Origin of name of Ambala
Some believe that the district was named Ambala after the name of its founder, Amb Rajput. Some are of the view that the city was named after the goddess AMBA, who was the eldest daughter of King of Kashi in the Hindu epic of the Mahabharata, whose temple is located in the city. in the native language Ambala meant `the city of mangoes`.

History of Ambala
It is said that Aryans resided at Ambala at some point in time. It is said that the popular place, Sarudhna near Ambala was the Aryan country`s capital at that time. It was in the year 1847, Ambala was was given the status of a district.

Economy of Ambala
Ambala is renowned for its scientific & surgical instruments industry. Ambala is rightly called as the "City of Scientific Instruments". There are also industries engaged in metal casting, kitchen mixer grinder manufacturing, and submersible motor pump manufacturing. The place also earns fame for the best cloth material.

Ambala is an important cotton, sugar, and grain-trading center. Its industrial production includes cotton, processed food, and flour. There are also local handicrafts like bamboo furniture-making and cloth-weaving.

Education of Ambala
The government of Ambala is concerned in imparting quality education to its young citizens. There are several schools and colleges in Ambala that impart modern education. The two important schools are Chaman Vatika and Springfield Public School. There are polytechnical institutions as Government Polytechnic and Government Polytechnic for Women.

Ambala boasts of having one of the four medical colleges in the state. There is also an engineering college at Ambala, Ambala College of Engineering & applied research,which is well known for its biotechnology labs. Other colleges in Ambala are S.D.College, G.M.N. College, Government Post Graduate College, in Ambala Cantt, D.A.V.College, S.A.Jain College etc.

Transportation of Ambala

Ambala is located is extremely well connected by rail, air and road network. Ambala is a major railway junction. The Shatabdi Express connects Ambala to New Delhi. Besides, there are frequent trains to Chandigarh. There is a airport at Ambala that serves the air passengers. In terms of road Ambala is connected by road with Delhi and Amritsar. G.T. Road (NH-1, National Highway 1) passes through Ambala Cantt and Ambala City.

Places of interest in Ambala
Some of the important places of interest in Haryana are:

•Bhawani Amba Temple
•The Badshahi Bag Gurudwara
• Sis Ganj Gurudwara
• Manji Sahib Gurudwara
• Labhuwala Talaah
•Sangat Sahib Gurdwara
•Saint Paul`s Church
• British, Christian cemetery.
•Patel Park in Ambala Cantt
•City Park in Ambala City
•Panchkula
•Paget Park
•Rang Mahal
The city of Ambala is truly an angler`s paradise and the host of tourist attractions makes one`s stay in the place memorable forever. The place has the biggest natural lakes and one spend his leisure time kiosk angling or boating. The Ambala shrines, Paget Park, Gupta Iron Pillar are some of the added attractions of Ambala. The Muslim shrines of Lakhi Shah associated with Tej-ud-Din-Chisti and Taqwal Shah and the Saint Pauls Church and a Christian cemetery for dead British reflect the secular spirit of the state. In the recent times Ambala is also the district headquarters and the center of a booming manufacturing industry especially of scientific instruments. Within the passage of time Ambala has seen the opening of some fine educational institutions including both schools and colleges that impart modern education. The sumptuous delicacies available in the city of Ambala remind one of the food cultures of the Punjabis. Both traveling and settling down in Ambala is quite a comfortable business.

Hotels in Ambala offer one with various tourist packages suited according to ones pockets. The hotels of this city are not only unique in architectural design but are also suited for business and leisure travelers alike. The hotels are known by their badge of diplomacy and offers one all the luxurious comforts to suit the budget. The interiors of the hotels possess unparalleled elegance and grace. Being a prominent spiritual tourist attraction, the city of Ambala in the northern part of India is an amalgamation of different cultures.