Brick ramparts tower over the old bazaar, where Qila Mubarak looks down on scooters and the stalls of Dhobi Bazaar spill fabric onto the street. A short drive out, Bathinda turns calm. Pedal boats drift across Bathinda Lake and families settle on the grass.
Beyond the fort, joggers loop the Rose Garden at sunrise, and the shrine of Haji Rattan stands beside a gurdwara of the same name. Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, one of Sikhism's five Takhts, is a short drive south. Summers are fierce and dry, and the monsoon arrives in late June. A Local Friend knows when to reach the fort before the bazaar wakes and when to stay by the water until the lights come on.
