Bathinda, also spelled Bhatinda, city, southwest-central Punjab state, northwestern India. It is situated in the Malwa Plains on the Bathinda Branch Canal (which joins the Sutlej River to the northeast). Bathinda is a major rail hub, with lines converging on it from other Indian states and from nearby Pakistan. It is a trade centre for the area’s agricultural products; industries include flour milling and hand-loom weaving. Bathinda also has a huge fort, Govindgarh, built in the 16th century, with walls 118 feet (36 metres) high, as well as the shrine of a Muslim saint, Bābā Ratan.
