Ambala draws ita name from an old temple as well as now virtually extinct mango groves. Ambika Devi Mandir, which is considered to be one of the oldest temples here, is located in Ambala city. The temple is believed to have been constructed even before the advent of Britishers in Ambala.
The temple has special religious importance in the City. Faithfuls say that the Devi Mandir has been constructed in the menory of Amba, Ambika and Ambalika of the Mahabharata period. The old structure of the temple reflects its age. A highlight of the temple is the paintings done on the upper walls. With the pasasge of time, the paintings have been begun to fade.
It is said Ambala got its name from Ambika Devi Mandir. Although there is no historical evidence to this inference, there is possibility that Ambala could have derived its name from the old Ambika Devi Mandir. Besides old Ambika Devi Mandir, it is also said that Ambala draws its name from the mango groves which used to abound in the region. The reference to the mango groves can be found in the documents dating back to the British period. Since there were mango groves in the region, the area was possibly referred to as "Amb Wala". The words Amb Wala later became Ambala.
However, the Britishers did not refer to the area as Ambala. Instead, they called it 'Umballa'. Interestingly, Indian Railways is the only organization in the country which continues to refer Ambala as "Umb" in all of its documentation.
Dr. NC Jain, senior vice president of Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that word Umballa seems to be the result of difference in pronounciation between Britishers and Indians. He said that mango groves have now nearly become extinct. "The mangoes of Ambala were famous for their sweet taste. Two types of mangoes were available. While onr was the type which needed to be cut, other variety was referred to as 'chausa' ," he explained.
Dr. Jain recalled that during the pre-Partition period, local farmers used to sell mangoes. "Unlike these days, there was an abundance of mangoes then, " he stated.
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