Punjab is situated in northwestern India. Though the present state covers a rather small area, earlier Punjab was a huge region spanning across the present Indo-Pakistan border. In 1947, at the time of India's independence from British rule, a large part of Punjab was handed over to Pakistan. In 1966, the Indian Punjab was again trifurcated into modern Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
Punjab shares its borders on the west with Pakistan, on the north with Jammu and Kashmir, on the northeast with Himachal Pradesh and on the south with Haryana and Rajasthan. Sutlej and Beas are the main rivers of the state. Punjab can be geographically divided into two regions: the low hills of Shivalik in the north and the plain between Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers.
Punjab is one of the most prosperous states in India. Largely agricultural, it was the area where modern methods of agriculture pesticides, fertilizers, canal-irrigation and farm machinery were used in the 1960s and 1970s to increase crop yields, bringing about a 'Green Revolution'. Today, Punjab accounts for a large share of India's wheat, rice and milk production.
Punjab is the only state in India where followers of the Sikh religion are a majority. Pujabis are also known for their large-scale emigration to other parts of India and the world, especially to UK and Canada. Baisakhi, a harvest festival, is the most famous festival of Punjab, and Bhangra is its globally recognised dance.
Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs, is famous for the Golden Temple the most venerated gurudwara of Sikhism. Anandpur Saheb and Tarn Taran are other important gurudwaras. The erstwhile princely state of Patiala is known for its 18th-century palaces, especially the Qila Mubarak. At Wagah near Amritsar, land crossing is allowed into Pakistan and people flock here to see the ostentatious 'changing-of-guard' ceremony by the soldiers of the two sides.
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