-Punjab

Amritsar-Chandigarh

The major city in the Punjab is Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikhs. Chandigarh, a new planned city, was conceived and built in the 1950s to serve as the capital of the new Punjab. In 1966, Punjab underwent another split. It was divided into the predominantly Sikh and Punjabi- speaking state of Punjab and the state of Haryana. At the same time some of the northern parts of the Punjab were hived off to Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh on the border of Punjab and Haryana, remains the capital of the two states, yet is administered as a union territory from Delhi.

Punjab, the chief wheat producing area of the country, is the overland entry point into India. The state is also known for its production of sports and hosiery goods.

Amritsar

Visit the Golden temple - The sacred Sikh sanctuary, marbled, bronzed & covered with gold leaf wherein the Guru Granth Sahib- The 'Sacred Book' of the Sikhs is placed reverently. Visit the historic Jalianwalla Bagh where Gen. Dyer's bullets killed scores of innocent Indians and the beautiful Ram Bagh Gardens.

Amritsar - the holy city of Sikhs, has grown from a sacred village pond into spiritual temporal centre of Sikh culture.

The city gets its name from the pool-Amritsar (Pool of Nectar), which was constructed by the fourth religious preceptor of the Sikh faith.

Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max. 34, Min. 15; Winter- Max. 18, Min. 0,Rainfall: 59.2 cms,Clothing: Cotton in summer and Woollen in winter.

Places Of Interest: Golden Temple, Akal Takht, Durgiana Temple, Jalianwalla Bagh, Saragarhi Gurudwara, Tower of Baba Atal, Academy of Fine Arts, Central Museum & S.G.Thakur Singh Art Gallery.

Excursions: Gobindwal Sahib- 30 kms, Taaran- 22 kms, Baba Bakala Gurudwara- 45 kms, Ram Tirath-10 kms, Preet Nagar- 20 kms, Amanat Khan Sarai and Hari-ke-Patten- 38 kms.

Reach - By Air: Nearest airport Delhi and Srinagar. By Rail: Well connected with major towns. By Road: Jammu- 216 kms, Ferozpur- 160 kms, Chandigarh- 235 kms, Delhi- 435 kms and Wag ah- 29 kms. Chandigarh Chandigarh was designed by Le Corbusier, is the state capital of Punjab and Haryana states. The famous French architect. Covering an area of 56 square kilometers, Chandigarh is the first `planned' city of India. The city is named after the Goddess Chandi Devi, whose white - domed temple stands on the slope of a hill in the north east of Chandigarh, on the edge of the Shivalik hills. Altitude: 304.8 to 365.78 meters, Climate: (deg C)-Summer- Max 37, Min 23; Winter- Max 24, Min 5, Rainfall: 111.4 cms, Best Season: October to March. Places Of Interest: The Secretariat, The Assembly & High Court, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Govt. Museum & Art Gallery & Punjab University Complex, International Doll Museum, National Gallery of Portraits. Excursions: Pinjore Gardens- 25 kms, Bhima Devi Temple- 22 kms, Chattbir Zoo- 22 kms, Mansa Mandir / Chandi Mandir- 10 kms, Bhakra Nangal- 116 kms, Ponta Sahib-135 kms, Naina Devi- 110 kms. Reach - By Air: Chandigarh is well connected with Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar and Leh. By Rail: Well connected with major towns. By Road: Amritsar- 240 kms, Dehradun- 230 kms, Delhi- 248 kms, Shimla- 117 kms, Kullu- 279 kms, Bhakra- 116 kms, Kasauli- 77 kms, and Jammu- 380 kms.