There are many travel destinations in India that are off the beaten path, but the state of Punjab is a little more so. It also is a little more diverse than other parts of the country, although diversity is a keyword when dealing with India, in general. Where the vast majority of Indians are Hindus, approximately 65 percent of the population in this state are Sikhs.

The area also is divided into two countries – part of Punjab is in India, the other part is in Pakistan. Because of this division, there has been a great deal of ethnic tension and violence over the years as a militant portion of the Sikh population sought autonomy. This period was mainly during the 1980s and 90s and was marked by the assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

History

The history of the region is as complex and chopped up as its political divisions. Prior to Indian independence and the formation of Pakistan to the west, the region was a mix of Muslims and Hindus along with the Sikhs. With the partition of India and Pakistan, the western area, which was predominately Muslim, was ceded to Pakistan, with the Sikhs and Hindus becoming part of the Indian Punjab.

Since then, the region again was divided in 1966 with the mostly Hindu population to the south being placed in the new state of Haryana and the Hindu population to the northeast going to the state of Himachal Pradesh, leaving the smaller Punjab mostly Sikh.

Notable

The name Punjab is a combination of two words that mean “five” and “water” so it is not surprising that Punjab is known as the “Land of Five Rivers.” The region is an alluvial plain that is one of the richest agricultural regions on earth. Although the state of Andhra Pradesh is known as the “rice bowl of India” nearly 1 percent of all the world’s rice and 2 percent of the world’s wheat is grown in Punjab. Punjab produces nearly 40 percent of India’s food needs.

Punjab also is home to the sacred Sikh city of Amritsar, which holds a place among the faithful much as Vatican City does for Catholics. The city is home to more than 1 million people.