Famous State of Punjab in india

  By Dhananjai | September 4, 2012 | INDIAN CULTURE

History Archaeological finds in Punjab have revealed early habitation by Stone Age man, dating from the second ice age. Here hunting-gathering tribes evolved into agro-pastoralists who settled down in villages. Around 3000 BC, this area witnessed the rise of the Indus Valley or Harappan civilisation. Evidence of fortified settlements has been found in western Punjab, now in Pakistan, and in Ropar district on the Indian side. It is believed that the Rig Veda, the most ancient holy text of the Hindus, originated in the Punjab. The two great Sanskrit epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata were also composed here. Some of the greatest scholars of ancient India, including Panini, the scholar who codified Sanskrit grammar, Charaka the founder of a stream of Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, Kautilya the author of the Arthashastra – a guide to administration and politics, lived and practised in this land. In the 6th century BC, Punjab came under Persian rule and the cross-cultural exchange saw growth of a refined city-state, the Gandhara. In 327 BC Alexander’s army invaded Punjab and defeated its king Paurava, or Porus, as the Greeks called him. Year after year, this prosperous land was made the target of more such incursions. The armies of Ghori, the Mongols, the Ghaznavids and finally the Mughals, all rode over Punjab. The invading armies pillaged its wealth, but they also left behind cultural inputs and new trends, like Sufism. Another important event during this period of upheaval was the birth of one of India’s most important saint-philosophers, Guru Nanak Dev. Born in 1469 in Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan), Guru Nanak founded the new faith of Sikhism which rejected Hindu rituals and the rigid caste system. He spent his adult life travelling all over India, as well as to distant places like Rome and Mecca. This reformist religion transformed Punjab, and over the next two hundred years, nine of his followers propagated the faith and established its roots firmly in the land. Two of the Gurus (leaders), Guru Arjan Dev in 1606 and Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675, laid down their lives in defence of the Sikh faith. Guru Arjan Dev compiled the Adi Granth (the holy text) in 1604. It had compositions from six of the Gurus and other Hindu and Muslim teachers. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, did not name a successor and proclaimed the “Adi Granth” as the eleventh and permanent leader of the Sikhs. Henceforth, it came to be known as the Guru Granth Sahib, venerated by its followers and recited on holy occasions. In 1699, Gobind Singh founded a new order, the Khalsa. Blue turbaned warrior-saints of the Khalsa panth (order of the Khalsa) were baptised and vowed to protect the faith from Muslim rulers. The five elements of kesh (uncut hair), kanga (the comb), karha (the bangle), kirpan (dagger) and kachcha (drawers) became an integral part of Sikhism. To instil a spirit of fearlessness, the Guru named his male followers Singhs or tigers and females as Kaurs or tigresses. In 1799, the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh established a confederacy evolved from autonomous local units or Misals. His rule ended in 1839 and after two bloody wars the British established a truce with Punjab in 1849. From then on, this warrior community provided fighters for the British, including 60% of the Indian force for the First World War. However, relations began to sour and protests were organised against British rule as India’s struggle for independence gained momentum. Matters came to a head on 13th April 1919, the Punjabi new year’s day of Baisakhi. A gathering of men, women and children assembled at Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar, were mercilessly fired upon that shook the entire nation and triggered off widespread protests all over the country. Punjab suffered its most difficult days just after the partition of India in 1947. Punjab was divided and in the ensuing chaos and communal violence, there were 5 million Hindus left behind in the Muslim country of Pakistan and over 40 million Muslims in predominantly Hindu India. It is with sheer grit and hard work that the people have transcended the carnage and heartbreak to build Punjab into the most prosperous state of India. In the post-Independence years, Punjab was further divided into the Sikh majority Punjab, Hindu majority Haryana (1966) and the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. In the aftermath of the religious Akali movement, Punjab witnessed a growing separatist movement for creation of an independent nation-state of ‘Khalistan.’ Militancy grew in Punjab, till the extremists occupied the sacred precincts of the Golden Temple at Amritsar. Operation Bluestar, an army operation ordered by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to flush out these extremists, was widely resented by the Sikhs. In its aftermath, Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated by two of her own bodyguards and there were widespread attacks on Sikhs in retaliation. After several years of police and military action, Punjab has now returned to normalcy. The Sikhs, who developed distrust towards the ruling Congress Party, voted to return the religious Akali Dal to power.

Economy Through the last fifty odd years of its tumultuous history, Punjab has continued to grow and prosper into a rich agrarian economy. It has the highest per capita income in the country and the highest per capita production of milk and eggs. Much of its agricultural products are used in agro-industries. 97% of Punjab’s total cultivable land area is used for agriculture. The main crops grown are wheat, rice and cotton. With less than 4% of the total cropped area in the country, Punjab contributes 23% of wheat, 14% of cotton and 10% of total rice production in India. The state is the largest contributor to the central food grains stock of rice and wheat. Punjab’s economy has a growth rate of 10% and the highest per capita income level in India. Though Punjab is known as an agrarian state, it also has a solid industrial backbone. There are nearly two hundred thousand small and medium industries and about 653 large-scale industries in the state. The best known industries are bicycles, sewing machines, hosiery and sports goods. The industrial town of Ludhiana produces 90% of India’s woollen goods and has the famous Hero Cycles factory, the world’s biggest manufacturer of bicycles. Other major industries in Punjab are manufacture of machine and hand tools, printing and paper cutting machinery, auto parts and electrical switchgears. Punjab exports food products to the USA, UK, France and the Middle East. Woollen and cotton textiles are exported to Russia, Norway, UK, USA and West Asia. Leather goods are sold mainly to Germany, Jordan and the UK.

Language The people of Punjab are a robust community. They are renowned for their warmth and hospitality. Stroll into any village in the countryside and you will be welcomed with food, glasses full of milk and lassi (cool yoghurt drink) and offers to stay the night. The community takes great pride in its valour and is easy to take offence at the hint of any slight. But they are equally ready to break into a hearty song and dance routine where men and women participate without inhibition. Punjabi and Hindi are the main languages. English and Urdu are also spoken and widely understood.

Religion Punjab is a Sikh majority state, but also has a strong Hindu and Muslim presence. However, Sikhism is the most important socio-religious influence in the lives of the people. Sikh males can be easily distinguished from their turbans and beards. According to religious tenets, cutting their hair and smoking is prohibited. However, in recent times affluence and modern influences have brought in a more flexible life-style, with increased consumption of alcohol, abandoning the turban and western clothes for women.

Food The food of Punjab is meant for the strong-hearted. It is rich in flavours and has a liberal dose of ghee (clarified butter) and spices. Punjab has an abundance of milk and therefore milk products are an important part of daily diet. No meal is complete without large glassfuls of butter milk or lassi (yoghurt drink). The people of this region are largely wheat eaters and have developed variations of breads including the stuffed aloo paratha (potato bread) and the makki ki roti (maize bread). Vegetarian delights such as sarson saag (mustard leaf curry), rajma-chawal (kidney beans with steamed rice) and kadhi (gram flour and yoghurt curry) are the most popular Punjabi dishes. Punjabis have also created a combination of the northwest frontier cuisine and Mughlai recipes to present rich poultry and mutton dishes. The ubiquitous ‘tandoori chicken’ is a great favourite!

Culture and Crafts Punjab has a rich tradition of folk songs and dances. There are songs for every occasion, be it a marriage, birth of a baby or the harvesting season. Couplets in Punjabi are part of the day-to-day life of its people. The state also has a strong influence of Sufism and Punjabi devotional songs reflect this influence. Festive occasions are livened up by singing to the beats of the dholak (drum) and the vigorous bhangra dance accompanied by full-throated cries of “ballé ballé” (meaning “great going”). Both men and women participate in this rhythmic and energetic dance form. Punjabi pop songs have gained tremendous popularity with “ballé ballé” tunes in great demand at public events, discotheques, clubs and pubs and hugely enjoyed by MTV and Channel V enthusiasts. Punjab also has a long history of practising traditional sports like the kabaddi, wrestling and weight lifting. One of the Sikh gurus had started the practice of holding wrestling bouts at the Golden Temple. That tradition continues, and now rural sports competitions are hosted in almost 7,000 villages all over the state. The martial community of the Nihangs (an order of Sikhism) display sporting events like tent pegging, archery, fencing, horse riding, gymnastics and acrobatics. Women in Punjab traditionally practice the craft of needlework on bedspreads, garments and other textile products. The most famous patterns have the phulkari, or embroidered floral motifs. Bright coloured silk threads are used to create designs on deeper tones of cotton fabric. Punjab also has the craft tradition of hand woven dhurries (cotton floor spreads). Mostly, they are woven in stripes, chequer board and square patterns, but also have floral, bird and animal motifs. Leather craft, especially the “juttis” or soft leather shoes, is a unique product from Punjab. These light slip-ons used to be embroidered in gold and silver thread, but are now embellished with coloured threads. Punjab also has a tradition of fancy woodwork. Furniture including beds with colourful carved legs, low seats called “peeras”, boxes and toys are all decorated with mirrors, lacquer finish and even ivory inlay.

Tourist info centres

Punjab Tourism Development Corporation, Chandigarh
Tel: Ph: 91-172-2781138, 2781091, 2781147.

How to get there by Air Amritsar and Ludhiana are the two main airports in Punjab linked to Delhi by regular flight services. The Union Territory of Chandigarh functions as the capital of Punjab and Haryana also has a domestic terminus that is connected to many places of importance in India.

How to get there by Rail Trains ply between Delhi and Chandigarh and Amritsar and then you can get a connecting train to anywhere in India from Delhi. Lucknow, Calcutta and Varanasi also have direct train routes to Amritsar.

How to get there by Road Driving into Punjab is probably the best way to get here as all the national and state highways are well maintained and have plenty of enroute service stations and highway motels/restaurants. Little “dhabas” dot the highways all over Punjab and one of the pleasures of driving through the state is to stop and have a meal at one of them. You will not be disappointed! The bus services are good and consistent with the option of deluxe airconditioned or ordinary buses. Hired cars or private cabs also make for great driving – Amritsar from Delhi (7 hours), Chandigarh – Delhi is 5 hours. The road crossing between Pakistan and Punjab is at Wagah (Indian side). The border is open daily between 0900 to 1600 hours. The Samjhauta Express bus connects Lahore (Pakistan) to Delhi passes through Punjab though is often delayed for border checkings and immigration formalities.

Getting around Use the extensive bus service to get around the state or hire long distance cabs. Train services also connect different places in Punjab to each other by way of superfast, express and mail trains. Taxis, private tourist cabs or auto rickshaw and rickshaws are just a few modes of transport available in cities to help you get wherever you want to go. In the smaller towns, tongas or horse carriages and tractors trolleys are favoured by the locals – either for a few rupees or just as a favour to a traveller.

Where to Stay in Punjab

Finding a place to stay in Punjab is never a problem. You will find variety of accommodation options ranging from deluxe to budget hotels in Amritsar whereas Patiala offers comparatively less options. Amritsar is well-visited by travellers and devotees of Golden Temple. The Golden Temple also offers free accommodation options with basic amenities.

Best Time to Visit Punjab

The best time to visit Punjab is between October and March when the weather is cold and bracing. One can conveniently miss the hot summers and the rainy season.

Climate Punjab spreads from the foothills of the Himalayas in the northeast to a semi-arid desert region towards the southeast. Due to its inland subtropical location, the climate of the state is continental, semiarid to sub humid. As in other parts of India, there are three major seasons in Punjab. Summer, stretching from April till June, is hot and dry with temperatures rising to 45°C. The monsoons from July to September bring rainfall and respite from the searing heat. Annual rainfall varies from about 49 inches (1250 mm) to 14 inches (360mm). Winters, from October till March, are cold with day temperatures falling to 13°C and night temperatures sometimes touching freezing point.

Things to do in Punjab

The vivacious state of Punjab offers a traveller with many interestingthings to do. Take a trip to Chandigarh, well-known for its gardens. While in Amritsar, visit the sacred Golden Temple and the historic site of Jallianwala Bagh. Go shopping for the exclusive footwear (‘juttis’) and ‘phulkari’ embroidered salwar kameezes.
One may go boating or for picnic to the Sukhna Lake, or head for an adventure trip to Ropar for outdoor activities. Come to Punjab during its festival seasons and get absorbed into the celebrations and merriment. The major festivals celebrated here are Lohri, Baisakhi, and Guru Purabs.