Punjab is a state in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Chandigarh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest. The total area of the state is 50,362 square kilometres. Punjab's capital is Chandigarh, which is administered separately as a Union Territory since it is also the capital of neighbouring Haryana. Other major cities of Punjab include Mohali, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda. Punjab extends from the latitudes 29.30° North to 32.32° North and longitudes 73.55° East to 76.50° East. It covers a geographical area of 50,362 km2 which is 1.54 % of country’s total geographical area. Due to the presence of a large number of rivers, most of the Punjab is a fertile plain. The most distinctive Punjab are the Sikhs with their martial identity. While in Punjab, head for Amritsar and the Golden Temple , which is the most revered temple for the Sikhs. Other noteworthy stops are the Durhiana Temple, a Hindu shrine with features resembling the Golden Temple's; the Rambagh Gardens, a prince's summer palace now a museum; and Jallianwala Bagh, a national monument honouring the martyrs of India's freedom movement. |