Bathinda named after the Bhati Rajput kings, is one of the oldest cities in Punjab, India and the current administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is in northwestern India in theMalwa Region, 225 km west of the capital city of Chandigarh. Bathinda is nicknamed the 'City of Lakes' and was once known as Tabar-e-Hind (or Tabarhindh), meaning the Gateway to India. The first empress of India, Razia Sultan was imprisoned in the Qila Mubarak fort in Bathinda.
Bathinda is home to two modern thermal power plants, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant and Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat. The city has a fertilizer plant, a large oil refinery, a zoo, and a historic Qila Mubarak fort. Bathinda is one of the largest food grain and cotton markets in northern India; the area around Bathinda is a prolific grape growing area. It is one of the leading cities in education in Punjab
