About
Punjab (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ; IPA: [pəɲdʒaːb]) is a state in Northwestern India, bordering Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir to the northeast and north respectively, and Chandigarh, Haryana and Rajasthan to the southeast, south and southwest respectively.
The name Punjab was introduced by the Mughals in the 17th century CE and is a combination of the Persian words panj (five) and āb (water), thus the (land of) five rivers.
Punjab is the only state in India where Sikhism is the dominant religion. The holiest of Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple, is located in Amritsar. Hinduism is the second largest religion and Hindu temples can be found in almost every city. There are also smaller groups of Muslims, Jains, and Christians.
During the partition, Punjab was divided along religious lines. Consequently, the western portion became a part of Pakistan, and the remainder became a part of India. Haryana was originally a part of the state, but due to linguistic and religious tensions, Haryana ended up becoming a separate state.
From the 1970s to the early 1990s, the state experienced a bloody insurgent movement in which extremist Sikh leaders and militants sought to create a Sikh-majority state, Khalistan. The tensions and violence stemming from the insurgent movement culminated in numerous tragic events such as the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the anti-Sikh riots (in which thousands of Sikhs were murdered). Although the insurgent movement has since died down, the horrors of what happened during the insurgency are still fresh in people's minds.
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Punjab
