PUNJAB

Punjab literally meaning "The Land of the Five Rivers" was the granary of undivided India with its burgeoning fields watered by a network of canals. The most distinctive Punjabis are the Sikhs, who were given a martial identity by their revered gurus who opposed the Mughal oppression of the Hindus. Punjab, the land integrated cultural history, is a treasure trove for an avid tourist.

Punjab was the first place on the Indian subcontinent where the Aryans actually decided to settle after a long period of grazing and fighting with the aboriginal communities. This was the place where later parts of the Rigveda and other Vedas were written. The people of Punjab are hard working and take life as it comes. Music and dance is in their blood and that is reflected in the Bhangra beats that are famous all over the world today.

Amritsar is known for its golden temple, the most sacred shrine of the Sikhs with its holy tank called " the pool of immortality". Nearby is the Jallianwala Bagh, where during the British rule in India, General Dyer opened fire on innocent people causing a massacre. The place is now a national monument. Its walls bear the bullet marks of this tragedy.