Punjab

Punjab, the "land of five rivers", is India's breadbasket and the heartland of Sikh culture. Amritsar's Golden Temple, the evening border ceremony at Attari–Wagah, the bhangra beats and generous hospitality of its villages, and food like makki di roti and sarson da saag make Punjab unforgettable.

The Punjab region was home to Harappan cities and later to many kingdoms. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism here in the 15th–16th centuries, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh built the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. The region was divided between India and Pakistan at Partition in 1947, and on 1 November 1966 the Indian Punjab was reorganised, with Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh separated from it.

Indian Punjab is a flat, fertile alluvial plain watered by the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and an extensive network of canals, with the Shivalik foothills in the north-east.

Punjab was at the heart of the Green Revolution and produces a large share of India's wheat and rice. Ludhiana is known for hosiery, bicycles and light engineering, and Jalandhar for sports goods.

Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the official language. Baisakhi (Vaisakhi), Lohri and Gurpurab are major festivals, and Phulkari embroidery and Punjabi juttis are famous crafts.