Do you know, Burail is an 18th Century habitat established by Mughals?

For Chandigarhians, Burail has remained an intriguing place. When we shifted to the city in 1969, Burail was the place where the students arriving in the seat for further studies would find an easy-on-pocket tenement accommodation.

Later it became a haven for the cottage industry and today it is a place where you can get most of the hardware that you won't find in many of the stores in the city, and at a much affordable price. 

But I was surprised to know that this this tenement right in the middle of the city, growing haphazardly, is an 18th century wonder.  The Fort inside, only the few ramanants of its glorious past remain amidst new constructions around it, 

At one time it had acquired a bad reputation and was feared the most.  Mughal Faujdar controlled this fort till 1712, who was more of a tyrant, and was notorious for abducting and keeping every newly married women with him before returning her to her husband. 

The wales of the destitutes reached the fearless Sikh general, Banda Singh Bahadur, he immediately sent an army of Khalsa, who fought the mughal army, killed Faujdar and captured the Burail Fort. 

This fort is also known as 'shaheedi' fort also, where brother of Banda Bahadur's great warrior general and Governor of Sirhind, Baba Baaj Singh's brother, Bhai Sukha Singh, laid down his life while valiantly fighting the mughal army in 1769. 

When you get the time to visit Sector 45, park your car outside in the parking, and explore the labrynth of small streets (galis) on foot.