Ambala is a quaint cantonment town with a population of 120,000. Founded in the 14th century by one Amba Rajput, Ambala became a large British cantonment laid out in a grid fashion in 1843, after the one at Karnal had to be abandoned in 1841 due to a malarial epidemic. The old town itself is called Ambala City while the cantonment area is known as Ambala Cantt. Housing several big factories even before India gained Independence, today Ambala is a district headquarters and the centre of a booming manufacturing industry, especially that of scientific instruments.

An attraction of Ambala is one of the biggest natural lakes of Haryana which is truly an angler’s paradise and the perfect place to spend a lazy day kiosk angling or boating.