INTRODUCTION

The word Punjab consists of the two words "Panj" and "Aab" where Panj means five and Aab means water. This name was given to this region to symbolize its five rivers.

The Northwest location of the state and its fertile land created a strong attraction for foreign influence. Persians, Arabs, the British, and Turko-Mongolians were a few of the groups which contributed to its development. Punjab also was a nurturing ground to several religious movements such as Buddism, Sikhism, and several schools of Islam.

The historical area of Punjab was defined to the east from the basin of the river Bias to the boundary of the river Indus to the west. On the north the state was bounded by the Kashmiri Himalayas and on the south it reached the plains of Rajasthan and Cholistan. However, over history Punjab has had its boundaries expand as well as shrink. The high time for Punjab occurred under the reign of Mugal emperor Babur and the empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. With the partition in 1947 the borders of the region shrank to its current size, with its division into the Pakistani province of Punjab and the Indian state of Punjab

LocationSituated in the north-west of India, Punjab is bordered by Pakistan on the west, the Indian states of Jammu & Kashmir on the north, Himachal Pradesh on it's north-east and Haryana and Rajasthan on it's south.

Area

50362 square kilometres (Punjab occupies 1.54 % of the country’s total geographical area).

Capital

Chandigarh (population: 642,0000)

Population

Rural: 16.56 million (70.45 )% Urban: 6.95 million (29.55 )% The population of Punjab consists mainly of Punjabis and Rajputs.

Occupation

More than 80 percent of Punjab is cultivated, and farming is the leading occupation. The major crops are wheat, maize (corn), rice, pulses (legumes), sugarcane, and cotton. Among the livestock raised are buffalo and other cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry. The principal industries include the manufacture of textiles, sewing machines, sporting goods, starch, fertilizers, bicycles, scientific instruments, electrical goods, and machine tools, and the processing of sugar and pine oil.

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Languages

The official language is Punjabi, which is spoken by about two-thirds of the population. Many people are fluent in Hindi, English and Urdu also.

Currency

Rupee (100 paise equals one rupee)

State Animal

Black Buck - Locally called kala hiran, the Black Buck is a graceful antelope blessed with a striking colour and spiraled horns. The fawn’s coat is yellowish but it becomes turns black at maturity. It is found in the plains and avoid forests and hilly tracks. Mostly found in herds of 20-30, large herds may number several hundreds. With a keen eyesight and speed, it responds to alarm call by leaps and bounds.

State Bird

Baz (Eastern Goshawk)

State Tree

Shisham 

Resources and power

Lacking fossil fuels, Punjab draws its energy primarily from thermal plants fired with imported coal.However, a significant amount of power is provided by hydroelectric plants and, to a lesser extent, by solar power stations. In the early 21st century, the demand for electricity in Punjab continued to exceed the supply.

Climate

Climatically the state has three major seasons.Hot weather (April to June) when temperature rises as high as 110F.Rainy season (July to September). Average rainfall annual ranges between 96cms sub‐mountain region and 46 cms in the plains.Cold weather (October to March). Temperature goes down as low as 40F.

Major Land Features

Most of Punjab is a fertile plain; toward the southeast one finds semi-arid and desert landscape; a belt of undulating hills extends along the northeast at the foot of the Himalayas. Four rivers, the Ravi, Beas, Satluj and Ghaggar flow across the state in a southwesterly

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direction. They have numerous small and seasonal tributaries. In addition, Punjab is watered by an extensive canal system.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector (including construction) has expanded notably since the late 20th century.Industries with the largest number of workers include those producing silk, wool, and other textiles;processed foods and beverages; metal products and machinery; transport equipment; and furniture.Other important manufactures include leather goods, chemicals, rubber and plastics, and hosiery.

Services

Punjab’s services sector includes trade, transportation and storage, financial services, real estate, publicadministration, and other services. The sector has grown rapidly since the late 20th century. By the early21st century it had become the largest component of Punjab’s economy.

Transportation

Punjab has one of the best‐developed road networks in the country. All‐weather paved roads extend to most villages, and the state is crossed by a number of national highways. Punjab also is well served bythe Northern Railway—part of the national railway system. There is an international airport in Amritsar,and regular domestic service is available in Chandigarh and Ludhiana. Several other airports offer cargo service.

Constitutional framework

The structure of Punjab’s government, like that of most other states of India, is determined by the national constitution of 1950. The state is led by a governor, who is appointed by the president of India.The governor is aided and advised by a Council of Ministers, which is led by a chief minister and responsible to the unicameral Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha).At the head of the judiciary is the High Court, which is located in Chandigarh and is shared with the state of Haryana. Appeals from the High Court are directed to the Supreme Court of India.

HISTORY OF PUNJAB

Aryan Migrations (516 BC -- 321 AD)Persian Rule (516 BC -- 321 AD)Alexander's Invasion (321 AD)Muslim Invasions (713 AD -- 1300 AD)The Rise of Sikh Power (1700 AD -- 1849 AD)

The word "Punjab" for the first time was mentioned in the Book ``Tarikh-e-Sher Shah'' (1580) which mentions the construction of Fort by a fellow named ``Sher Khan of Punjab''.

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Again the name is mentioned in ``Ain-e-Akbari'' part 1 written by Abul Fazal who also mentions that the territory of Punjab was divided into two provinces of Lahore and Multan. Similarly in the second volume of ``Aeen-e-Akbari'' title of a chapter contains the word ``Punjab'' in it. Also the Mughal King Jahangir mentions the word ``Punjab'' on page 183 of his book "Tuzk-i-Janhageeri". [Quraishee 73]

But Archeologists have traced the signs of human habitation to times long before that of Mughals arrival. The upper basin of Indus and the Baluchistan Plateau hosted one of the earliest human civilizations known as the Indus valley civilization. The earliest signs of life human activity date as far back as 7000 B.P. The Indus valley civilization grew from small village and settlements to highly refined urban life. At its height, around 3000 B.C., it boasted the splendid cities of Harrapa (Near present Day Sahiwal in West Punjab) and Mohenjo Daro in the lower Indus valley. The story of the decline, whose reasons are still not completely explained, of civilization is also told through the remains of these cities.

Aryan Migrations:

Among other reasons like the change in the weather patterns, urbanization without any rural agricultural production base one factor is reported to be the series of raids or small scale migrations by the Aryans from the North-West (1500-100 BC). The next thousand year history of Punjab (or Arya-Varta, the land of Aryas, as Aryas called it) is dominated by the Aryans and their interactions with the natives of the Indus basin. Here is where the oldest books of human history called the Rig-Vedas are supposed to have been written. The Aryan tongue Sanskrit became a symbol of the Aryan domination of the area.

Easternmost Satrapy of the Persians:

Punjab lied at the outskirts of the great Persian empires and came under their control from time to time. The Persian King Darius the great is reported to have attacked Punjab and occupied some parts. But for the first time the occupation of Punjab was completed by the Persian King Gustasp in 516 BC. Punjab became the wealthiest Satrapy i.e., the province in the Persian kingdom.

Greeks, the rival empire of the Persians, also had some knowledge of the area. The great Persian Emperor Darius I (521-486 BC) appointed Skylax the Greek to explore the area around Indus river for commercial expeditions who provided an account of his voyage in his book ``Peripulus''. Hectaeus (500 BC) and Herodotus (483-431 BC) also wrote about the ``Indian Satrapy'' of the Persians. Alexander's expeditions were documented in the works of Strabo, Ptolemy, Pliny, Arrian and others. They described a region that had plenty of mighty rivers and was divided into four Kingdoms. In Greek maps we find the mention of the mightiest of river of all the world called the Indos (Indus) and its tributaries of Hydaspes (Jehlum), Akesines (Chenab), Hydroatis (Ravi), Hyphasis (Satluj) and Hesidros (Beas).

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Alexander's Invasion:

In 321 BC Alexander the great after breaking the might of the Persians entered their final Satrapy of Punjab. He invited all the chieftains of this Satrapy to come to him and submit to his authority, which is exactly what the ruler of the northwest most (west of Hydaspes) kingdom of Gandhara with its capital of Taxilai did. But the ruler of the Kingdom Beteen (Hydaspes and Akesines) refused to submit to Alexander's authority and the two armies fought the historical battle on the bank of Akesines outside the town of Nikaia (somewhere around modern city of Jehlum).

Porus put up a tough fight but his army was no match for Alexander's army. After losing his sons and getting hurt himself when the defiant Raja was brought in front of Alexander, the legendary conversation took place when Alexander inquired Porus, ``How should I treat you?'', the brave Porus shot back, ``The same way as a king treats another king.''. Alexander was struck by his genius and he not only returned the Kingdom back to Porus, but he also added the area lying between Akesines and Hydraotis to his Kingdom whose ruler had fled.

Alexander as with his other occupied areas established two cities in the area of Punjab, where he settled people from his multi-national armies which included a majority of Greeks and Macedonians. These cities along with the rule of the Indo-Greek thrived long after Alexander's departure.

Alexander's Eastern empire (from Syria to Punjab) was inherited by Selecus Nicator, the founder of Seleucid dynasty. However the Greek empire in the east was disrupted by the ascendancy of the Bacterians. The Bacterian King Demetrius I added Punjab to his Kingdom in the second century BC. The best known of the Indo-Greek kings was Menander who established his independent kingdom centered at Taxila in 170 BC. He later moved his capital to Sagala (modern Sialkot). Menander soon captured territories east of his kingdom and grew to rival the power of Bacterians. Menander died in a vain attempt to conquer Bacteria in 130 BC. Menander's successors maintained the their rule on Punjab till 55 BC when the whole area was disrupted by the events happening in greater Euro-Asia.

In the middle of the second century BC, Yui Chi tribe of modern China began to move westward which caused in turn to Sakas or Scythians to move. Northern Sakas successfully wrestled the power of the areas from the Indo-Greeks. Another Central Asiatic people to make Punjab their home were the white Huns who made continuous campaigns towards this part of the world. Finally establishing their rule in the later 3rd century AD.

Muslim Invasions

Following the birth of Islam in Arabia in 6th century AD, Arabs rose to power and replaced the Persians as the major power in the area. In 711-13 AD Arabs advanced to the land of five rivers, occupying Multan. Further north the area that survived the Arab attacks was divided into small kingdoms.

Meanwhile in Ghazni after the death of Subuktgin, the Turk, his son Mahmud assumed power in 997 AD. He was to expand his father's kingdom far to the west and east of Ghazni through

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his military conquest. He was to attack Punjab 17 times during his reign. The Ghaznavids were uprooted by the Ghauris who extended their rule as far as Delhi. Shahabuddin Ghauri annexed Lahore to his kingdom in 1186. After Ghauri's death his governor Qutbudin Aibak became an independent ruler of Punjab and founded the Mamluk sultanate. Khiljis' replaced the Mamluks in 1290. The rule of Khiljis was briefly disrupted by the two successful raids by the Mongols who marched their way to Delhi twice during Alauddin khilji's rule. tughluqs succeeded Khiljis in 1320 AD. Tughluq rule was replaced by the Sayyids in 1414 AD. Lodhis gained control of Delhi in 1479 AD.

The Rise of Sikh Power

Punjab presented a picture of chaos and confusion when Ranjit Singh took reins of Sukerchikias misal. The edifice of Ahmad Shah Abdali's empire in India had crumbled. Afghanistan was dismembered. Peshawar and Kashmir though under the suzerainty of Afghanistan had attained de facto independence. Barakzais were the masters of these places. Attock was ruled by Wazrikhels and Jhang lay at the feet of Sials. Pathans were ruling Kasur. Multan had thrown yoke and Nawab Muzaffar Khan had taken its charge.

Both Punjab and Sind were under Afghan rule since 1757 after Ahmad Shah Abdali was granted suzerainty over these two provinces. They were confronted with the rising power of Sikhs in Punjab. Taimur Khan, a local Governor was able to turn away Sikhs from Amritsar. He razed to the ground the fort of Ram Rauni. But this state of affairs did not last long and the Sikh misal joined hands and defeated Taimur Shah and his Chief minister Jalal Khan. The Afghans were forced to retreat and Lahore was occupied by the Sikhs in 1758, Jassa singh Ahluwalia proclaimed Sikh's sovereignty and became its head. He struck coins to commemorate his victory.

When Ahmad Shah Abdali was engaged in his campaign against the Marathas at Panipat in 1761, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia plundered Sirhind and Dialpur, seized some places in Ferozepur district and took under his possesion Jagraon and Kot Isa Khan on the other bank of Sutlej. He captured Hoshiarpur and Naraingarh in Ambala and levied tribute from the chief of Kapurthala. He then marched towards Jhang. Sial chief offered stout resistance. When Ahmad Shah left in Feb 1761, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia again attacked Sirhind and extended his territory as far as Tarn Taran. He crossed Bias and capture Sultanpur. In 1762, Ahmad Shah again appeared and a fierce battle took place. It is called Ghalughara, a great holocaust. Jassa singh fled to Kangra hills after Sikh forces were totally routed.after the departure of Ahmad Shah Abdali, Jassa Singh Ahluwali attacked Sirhind, it was razed to ground and the afghan Governer Zen Khan was killed. This was a great victory to Sikhs who were rulers of all the area around the Sirhind. Jassa Singh hastily paid visit to Hari Mandir Saheb at Amritsar, and he made amends and restored it to original shape as it was defiled by Ahmad Shah by slaughtering cows in its precincts.

Ahmad Shah died in June 1773. After his death power of Afghans declined in Punjab. Taimur Shah ascended the throne at Kabul. By then misals, had established themselves in Punjab. They had under their control the area as far as Saharnpur in east, Attock in west, Kangra

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Jammu in north and Multan in south. Efforts were made by Afghan rulers to dislodge Sikhs from their citadels. Taimur Shah attacked Multan and defeated the Bhangis. The Bhangi sardars, Lehna Singh, and Sobha singh were driven out of Lahore in 1767 by the Abdali but soon reoccupied it. They remained in power in Lahore till 1793-the year when Shah Zaman succeeded to the throne of Kabul.

The first attempt by Shah Zaman was made in 1793. He came up to Hassan Abdal from where he sent an army of 7000 strong cavalry under Ahmad Shah Shahnachi but the Sikhs totally routed them. It was a great setback to Shah Zaman but again in 1795 he reorganized forces and attacked Hassan Abdal, snatched Rohtas from Sukerchikias, whom leader was Ranjit Singh. who suffered at Shah Zaman's hands but did not lose courage. However, shah had to be back in Kabul as an invasion was apprehended on his own country from the west. After he went back, Ranjit Singh dislodged the Afghans from Rohtas.

Shah Zaman could not sit idle. In 1796 he moved, crossed Indus for the third time and dreamt of capturing Delhi. His ambition knew no bounds. By now he had collected 3000 strong Afghan army. He was confident a large number of Indians will join with him. Nawab of Kasur had already assured him help. Sahib Singh of Patiala betrayed his countrymen and declared his intentions of helping Shah Zaman. Shah Zaman was also assured help by the Rohillas, Wazir of Oudh, and Tipu Sultan of Mysore. The news of Shah Zaman invasion spreadlike wild fire, people started fleeing to hills for safety. Heads of Misals, though bound to give protection to the people as they were collecting Rakhi tax from them, were the first to leave the people in lurch. By December Shah occupied territory up to Jhelum. When he reached Gujarat Sahib, Singh Bhangi panicked and left the place.

Next was the territory of Ranjit Singh. He was alert and raised an army of 5000 horsemen. But they were inadequately armed with only spears and muskets. The Afghans were equipped with heavy artillery. Ranjit Singh thought of a stiff united fight against the invaders. He came to Amritsar. A congregation of Sarbat Khlasa was called and many Sikh sardars answered the call. An almost unanimous opinion prevailed that Shah Zaman's army should be allowed to enter the Punjab, and they all should retire to hills.

Forces were reorganized under the command of Ranjit Singh and they marched towards Lahore. They were able to gave Afghans a crushing defeat in several villages and ultimately surrounded the city of Lahore. Sorties were made in night in which they would kill a few Afghan soldiers and then leave the city in the thick of darkness. Following this tactic they were able to dislodge Afghans at several places.

In 1797, Shah Zaman, suddenly left for Afghansistan as his brother Mahmud had revolted. Shahanchi khan with considerable force was left at Lahore. The Sikhs however followed Shah up to Jhelum and snatched many goods from him. The Sikhs returned and in the way were attacked by the army of Shahnachi khan near Ram Nagar. The Sikhs routed his army. It was the first major achievement of Ranjit Singh. He became the hero of the land of Five Rivers and his reputation spread far and wide.

Again in 1798 Shah Zaman attacked Punjab to avenge his defeat in 1797, people took refuge in hills. Sarbat Khalsa was again called and Sada Kaur again persuaded Sikhs to fight till the

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last man. This time even Muslims were not spared by Shah Zaman's forces and he won Gujarat very easily. Sada Kaur aroused the sense of Sikhs of national honour and if they had left Amritsar then she will command the forces against Afghans. She said an Afghani soldier was no match to a Sikh soldier . They would be give befitting reply and by the grace of Sat Guru they would be successful. The Afghans had plundered the towns and villages as they had vowed and declared openly that they would exterminate the Sikhs; but in the process the Muslims suffered most as Hindus and Sikhs had already left for the hills. The Muslims thought that they would not be touched but their hopes were belied and their provisions were forcible taken away by the Afghans. Shah Zaman sought help of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, that he will not give any food or shelter to Sikhs. He agreed. Shah Zaman attacked Lahore and Sikhs were surrounded from all sides, they had to fight a grim battle. The Afghans occupied Lahore on Nov 1798, and planned to attack Amritsar. Ranjit Singh collected his Men and faced Shah's forces about 8 Km from Amritsar. It was a well-matched encounter which forced Afghans at last to retire. They were humiliated and fled towards Lahore. Ranjit Singh pursued them and surrounded Lahore. Afghan supply lines were cut. Crops were burnt and other provisions plundered so that they did not fall into Afghan's hands. The Afghans never expected such a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sikhs. Nizam-ud.din of Kasur attacked Sikhs near Shahdara on the banks of Ravi, but his forces were no match to Sikhs. Here too, Muslims suffered the most. The retreating Afghans and Nizam-ud-din forces plundered the town which antagonized the local people.

The Afghans struggled hard to dislodge Sikhs but in vain. Sikh cordon was so strong that they made impossible for the Afghans to break it and proceed towards Delhi. Ranjit Singh became terror to them. The moment Zaman Shah left, Ranjit Singh pursued his forces and caught them unawares near Gujranwala. They were chased further up to Jhelum. Many Afghan were put to death and their war equipment was taken into possession and they were made to run for their lives. Shah Zaman was overthrown by his brother and was blinded. He became a helpless creature and 12 years later came to Punjab to seek refuge in Ranjit Singh's darbar, who was now the ruler of land. Destiny wished it like that.

Ranjit singh combined with Sahib Singh of Gujrat (Punjab) and Milkha Singh of Pindiwala and a large Sikh force, fell upon the Afghan garrison while Shah Zaman was still in vicinity of Khyber Pass. The Afghan forces fled towards north after having been routed by the Sikhs leaving behind at Gujarat their dead including the Afghan deputy."(Bikramjit Hasrat, Life and times of Ranjit Singh, p.36).

By this time the people of the country had become aware of the rising strength of Ranjit Singh, the rising star on the horizon. He was the most popular leader of the Punjab and was already yearning to enter Lahore. The people of Lahore being extremely oppressed raised their voices of wailing to the skies and were looking towards their liberator. Muslims joined Hindus and Sikh residents of Lahore in making an appeal to Ranjit Singh to free them from the tyrannical rule.

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A petition was written and was signed by Mian Ashak Mohammad, Mian Mukkam Din, Mohammad Tahir, Mohammad Bakar, Hakim Rai, and Bhai Gurbaksh Singh. It was addressed to Ranjit singh to free them from Bhangi sardars. Ranjit singh was invited to liberate lahore as early as possible. He mobilised a 25000 Army and marched towards Lahore on July 6, 1799.

It was a last day of Muharram when a big procession was to be taken out in the town in the memory of the two grandsons of Prophet Mohammad who were martyred in the battlefield without having a drop of water. It was expected that Bhangi sardars will also participate in procession and mourn with their Shia brethren. By the time procession was over Ranjit Singh had reached outskirts of city.

Early morning on July 7 1799, Ranjit Singh's men had taken their positions. Guns glistened and the bugles were sounded. Rani Sada Kaur stood outside Delhi gate and Ranjit Singh proceeded towards Anarkali. Ranjit Singh rode along the walls of the city and got the wall mined. A breach was blown. . It created panic and confusion. Mukkam Din, who was one of the signatories to the petition made a proclamation with the beat of drum that town had been taken over by him and he was now head. He ordered all the city gates to be opened. Ranjit Singh entered the city with his troops through the Lahori Gate. Sada Kaur with a detachment of cavalry entered through Delhi gate. Before Bhangi sardars had any inkling of it, a part of the citadel was occupied without any resistance. Sahib Singh and Mohar Singh left the city and sought shelter at some safer place. Chet Singh was left either to fight, defend the town or flee as he like. He shut himself in Hazuri Bagh with only 500 men. Ranjit Singh's cavalry surrounded Hazuri Bagh and Chet Singh surrendered and he was given permission to leave the city along with his family.

Ranjit singh was well entrenched in the town now. Immediately after taking possesion of the city, he paid visit to Badashahi mosque. This gesture increased his prestige and his status was in the eyes of people. He won the hearts of the subjects, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike. It was July 7, 1799 when victorious Ranjit Singh entered Lahore. 

                    During the rein of  Maharaja Ranjit Singh , the Sikhs had even ruled on Afghanistan . The Sikh religion flourished and the territorial boundaries increased . Ranjit Singh constructed many Gurdwaras . He constructed the famous Sachkhand Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra . He also covered the famous Har Mandir Sahib (Golden Temple) with Gold

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                     After his death in 1839, the Sikh governors started fighting with each other for supremacy. Slowly the Sikh kingdom started declining and the British took over it. 

The British and the Post Independence Era :-                      The British ruled Punjab for 200 years like the rest of India . During this period they committed many atrocities on the locals . Many of  the Freedom Fighters of  the Great Indian Freedom Struggle were from Punjab . Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev , Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singh were some of the brave sons of  this soil who laid down their life for the country . In addition thousands of unsung heros sacrificed themselves in the "Jalia Walla

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Bagh" incident . 

                       At last on 15 th August 1947 , India became independent . But it came at a heavy price . The Great Indian nation was partitioned on the basis of  religion into two states of  India and Pakistan . Western Punjab was dominated by Muslims and went to Pakistan while Eastern Punjab was dominated by Hindus and Sikhs and remained in India .Hindus and Muslims with people of other religions had lived here for ages . Although there were some differences between them , still the common culture and traditions joined them 

                        As agreed by Indian and Pakistani leaders , the minority Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan would be allowed to live there only and the Muslims would be allowed to live in India . The Indian government followed the decesion but their Pakistani counterparts did not control the Muslim mobs in their side . Thousands of  Hindus and Sikhs were mercilessly killed in the Pakistani Punjab . Then its repercussions followed in Indian side of  Punjab . What followed after that, had never happened in the civilized history of  human beings . Around 500,000 people were killed from both sides . Another 50 million people had to migrate to other side of the border . Hindus and Sikhs started migrating from Pakistan to India and Muslims from India to Pakistan

GEOGRAPHY OF PUNJAB

Area

50,362 sq km

Location

Northwest part of India

Latitude

29"30’N - 32"32’N

Latitude

29"30’N - 32"32’N

Located in the fertile great North Indian Plain, the state of Punjab has a combined area of 50,362 kmsq.  The state shares its borders with Pakistan on the west, on its northern frontier by the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh on the east while the south is bordered by Rajasthan and Haryana. The major area of Punjab falls in the belt of the great north Indian fertile land with an abundance of Alluvial Soil which is irrigated by a wonderful system of rivers and manmade canals. To add to this, a string of mountains strengthen the land. On an average, the height of these is almost 300 meters above sea level. On the southern part, the

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state and its soil becomes semi arid, which gives way to the Thar. The Shivalik also run along the state and form as the foothills of the great Himalayas.

Flora And Fauna Of Punjab

The plains in the state of Punjab do not have any thick forests, the only available patches are of grass, small bush and shrubs. In the southern east part of state of Punjab and the areas of Hoshiarpur and Multan, the delicious mango fruit is grown. The other varieties of fruits that are grown in abundance here are orange, apple, fig, quince, almond, pomegranate, peach, mulberry, apricot and plum. The region that has major cultivation of rich flora and fauna can be majorly seen in the Shivalik ranges in the state of Punjab. Due to rich flora and fauna in the Shivalik region, it has been also termed as the zone of micro-endemic in India. The variety of angiosperms in the area includes 355 different types of herbs, trees of 70 different types; shrubs all in big and small sizes are of 70 different kinds, climbers of 19 different types can also be seen while 21 different types of twines can also be seen here. Other than angiosperms, other varieties available are 31 kinds of pteridophytes, bryophytes of 27 different kinds while a special species of gymnosperms named as Pinus Roxburghii can be seen in the ranges in state of Punjab. The fauna of the area is also rich that has birds of 396 different types, Lepidoptera is of 214 different kinds, 55 varieties of fish species can also be seen, reptiles of 20 different types are also available and mammals of 19 different kinds can be seen in these ranges. The state of Punjab is adored with large wetland area, number of bird sanctuaries that houses different varieties of numerous species of birds and a large number of zoological parks. Few of them to be named are wetland named as National wetland Hari-Ke-Pattan, the wetland of Kanjli, the wetlands of Kapurthala Sutlej, the number of wildlife sanctuaries include the Harika wildlife in district of Tarn Taran Sahib, Zoological Park in Ropar, Chhatbir Bansar Garden located in Sangrur Aam Khas Bagh situated in Sirhind, Amritsar’s famous Ram Bagh, Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala and the famous Baradari Garden in city of Patiala.

Animals and Birds in Punjab

Few of the local rivers in Punjab also have the dangerous species of Crocodiles. The extraction of silk from silkworms is also another industry that flourishes in the state. Production of bee honey is also done in some parts of Punjab. The southern plains in Punjab is desert land hence camel can also be seen. Buffaloes can be seen grazing around the banks of river. The north eastern part has animals like horses. The desert area also has dangerous species of snakes like cobra and sangehur. The wild life sanctuaries have species of wild animals like otter, wild boar, wildcat, fruit bat, hog deer, flying fox, squirrel and mongoose.

Baaz also known as the Eastern Goshawk and Blackbuck known as Antilope cervicapra are the state bird and state animal of Punjab respectively. The Shisham known as Dalbergia Sissoo is the state tree of state of Punjab.

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The natural formed forests can be seen in the Shivalik ranges of Punjab area in the districts like Ropar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. Patiala has the Bir forest while wetlands area in state of Punjab has the famous Mand forest.

There are a number of botanical gardens spread in various areas of Punjab. There is also a zoological park and a tiger safari park. There are a total of 3 parks dedicated to deer.

Government And Administration

Since independence, Punjab’s development can very well be seen and hence, it is considered to be “Indian Granary”. For administration’s ease, districts are established out of Punjab, which are 20 in number, and are namely: Bhatinda, Fatehgarh, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mogha, Nawanshahr, Ropar, TarnTaran, Barnala, Amritsar, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur. Presently the Chief Minister of Punjab is Sardar Prakash Singh Badal. Punjab’s Governor is Gen. (Retd.) S.F Rodrigues.

Punjab’s Government has the right of governance in Punjab state as well as its districts, which are 22. Punjab’s Governor leads executive council, a lawmaking branch and a bench of judges.

As other Indian states have, Punjab too has a Governor, who heads the state and the Indian President appoints him as advised by the government at Centre. The Governor is appointed through a ceremony by President of India. The government is headed by its Chief Minister, who has almost all the powers of execution. Punjab’s capital is Chandigarh and has a Legislative Assembly, called Vidhan Sabha and also a secretariat. Chandigarh is also Haryana’s capital and Indian Union Territory. The High Court of Haryana and of Punjab too, is situated in their capital, Chandigarh, and its order applies in the entire state.

Punjab’s Legislative Assembly is presently unicameral and there are Members of Legislative Assembly, or M.L.A, which are 117. Its tenure is of 5 years, until and unless not dissolved.

Punjab Government Departments

The various Punjab Government Departments are as follows:

Agriculture Architecture Culture, Archaeology & Museums Cane Commissioner Employment Department Food and Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department Removal of Grievances Health & Family Welfare Jails Department

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Labour Local Government Directorate of Pension & Welfare of Pensioners Planning Punjab Transport (Commercial Wing ) Punjab Transport (Non Commercial wing) Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) Punjab Home Guards Public Works Department (PWD) (Bridge & Roads) Public Works Department (PWD) (Public Health) Rural Development Sainik Welfare Excise & Taxation Social Welfare Social Security and Women & Child Development Welfare Department for SCs & BCs Technical Education Finance Prosecution & Litigation Information of Language Department Punjab Legal Services Authority Irrigation Town & Country Planning Homeopathic Department Punjab Higher Education Department of Soil & Water Conservation Directorate of Disinvestment, Punjab Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Department Ayurvedic Department Department of Information Technology

Political Parties in Punjab

Punjab lies in North India and is considered to be Indian Granary. As in other Indian states, politics here also, plays an important role.

Almost every party in politics wishes to hold a certain political position in the state as Punjab is among the booming industrial states. Punjab’s Constituencies include: Amritsar, Jullundur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Sangrur, Faridkot, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Phillaur, Ropar, Ludhiana, Bhatinda and Gurdaspur. These are the constituencies from where the parties in politics contest in elections.

The Political Parties of Punjab are divided into: National level parties in politics and the other State level parties in politics. The National level parties of Punjab can contest in elections in entire India. There are a number of National level parties in Punjab, they are Bhartiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, among others. On the other hand, the State level parties can take part in elections in a certain state. A few of them are Shiromani Akali Dal of Simranjit Singh Mann

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and Shiromani Akali Dal. These parties in Punjab try to resolve the issues or problems, and work on the development of society and its language.

Subdivisions

Punjab can be further categorized into several categories and regions like:The land on the south of Sutlej is called Malwa. The region of Malwa is long and extensive

and houses a total of 11 districts. Several major cities including Patiala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bathinda, Barnala, Firozpur, Moga and Barnala all are found in Marlwa which is extremely rich in cotton crop

A part of the historical Punjab including the land of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur forms the Majha. This region finds place between the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej. This is the place that forms as the centre of Punjab and is credited for being the place where Sikhism originated.

Between Sutlej and Beas lie as a region called the Doaba.  The word literally translates to a piece of land that has rivers on two sides. This prosperous and fertile land is the place where the green revolution started in India. This region majorly excels in the produce of wheat. The famous places and cities in the region of Doaba include Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr.

Administrative Subdivisions

Punjab has a total of 22 districts that are further sub divided into Tehsil, Block and etcAmritsarBarnalaBathindaFirozpurFazilkaFatehgarh Sahib (Sirhind-Fategarh)FaridkotGurdaspurHoshiarpur JalandharKapurthalaPathankotLudhianaMansaMogaAjitgarhMuktsarPatialaRupnagarSangrurShaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)Tarn Taran

With Chandigarh as its serving Capital, the state of Punjab has a total of 157 town and 22 districts. Some of the major cities in the state of Punjab are Moga, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Bathinda and Ajitgarh.

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ECONOMY OF PUNJAB

The Indian state of Punjab is one of the most vibrant and dynamic states in the whole of India. Situated in the northwest of the country Punjab is called the “Land of Five Rivers”. This unique piece of land covers an area of 50,362 square kilometers. The state's 27 million inhabitants spread across twenty two districts are well known for its socio-economic achievements. Agriculture continues to be the bedrock of the Punjab economy and earned its reputation as the “Granary of India”.  By South Asian standards, the economy of the state has a diverse and rich resource base. Poverty has been reduced over the past 30 years, and a social safety net put into place. There are a number of popular people and celebrities that have already made their presence felt in different streams and activities. Among them is the incumbent Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the internationally acclaimed personalities from Punjab. Another personality is Shri Prakash Singh Badal who has been the Chief Minister of the state since 2007. His party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), together with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been, once again, elected to power by winning the 2012 assembly elections in the state. Shri Prakash Singh Badal has been the Chief Minister of Punjab for a record-breaking fifth time. The states major economic resources are its fertile land, the irrigation systems and its well-educated, technically sound population. These factors have contributed to achieve higher levels of productivity and a better competitiveness level in the global economy.

The economy of the state depends heavily on agriculture, industrial exports and tourism .The state is endowed with vast agricultural resources. Being an agricultural state the majority of its workers are engaged in farming and animal husbandry. The state produces most of India's grains than any other state in the country. Wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, fodder are the vital economic indicators of Punjab's agrarian society. The state has two crop seasons “Rabi”, the spring harvest season and the “Kharif” the autumn harvest season. The rice produced in the state is marketed and processed in different types of rice mills. There are about 2,200 grain hullers mostly in rural areas of the state. The Punjab sugarcane industry has undergone a major overhaul during the last five decades. The sugar production too has increased in recent

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years. Morinda Co-operative sugar mill is one of the largest sugar crushing mills in the state with a daily crushing capacity of 4,000 tones. Animal husbandry has been an essential part of Punjab’s economic life. The dairy industry of the state is part of a long and proud agricultural tradition of the state. Punjab is one of the largest milk producing areas of India with   a capacity of 10 per cent of the country’s total production capability. Moga, is one of the largest milk processing plants in the state with a total production capacity of 435 thousand liters of milk.

Punjab is one of the most industrialized states in India. The state has a large manufacturing sector serving both the local and exports sectors. The large and small scale factories are scatted in all parts of the state.  The majority of the industrial workers are engaged in small scale industries that make up 160,000 units Large and medium business units are four hundred in number. The state's diverse industries range from Steel Rolling, scientific instruments, agricultural goods, electrical goods, bicycles, garments, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines to manufacturing of sports goods. Over the past few years the industrial sector employed over a million. The state has positioned itself as a key destination for operations of multinational companies in a variety of industries. In recent years, the state has successfully attracted many big-names and reputed global companies such as Nippon, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Nestle, Glaxo, Smithkline and Motorola. The state economy has witnessed rapid growth in the bicycles manufacturing industry. Today the state of Punjab is the largest bicycles manufacturer in India. Handicrafts and cottage industries of the state have been extremely popular. Punjab has more than 39,000 small cottage industries providing widest avenues for the state’s labours.

Demographics

The most widely followed religion in Punjab is Sikhism with around 60% of the population being Sikhs. Out of the remaining 40%, 37% follow Hinduism and 4% follow various religions like Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Jainism.

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Of the Sikh population, the most common are the Jat Sikhs, for whom agriculture is the main profession. During 1991, the population of Punjab was at 20.19 million. It grew up to around 24.3 million in the next ten years. Now as of 2013, the population stands at around 36 million. Around 20% of the people of Punjab belong to other states. The basic education rate of the population stands at around 75% which is quite reasonable. Since agriculture is the main profession of the people, a major junk of the population, that is, around 66% is concentrated around the rural areas of Punjab.

While talking about Punjab, it is almost impossible not to mention about the Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple. This picturesque shrine is located at Amritsar. The Sikhs believe that there are total 5 Takhts, meaning temporal seats in the Sikhism religion. These Takhts are considered to be very sacred by them. Out of these 5, three are in Punjab, making it a place of extremely great religious importance. Inside the Golden temple, one can find the Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji. Anandpur Sahib which was visited by Guru Gobind Singh for creating the Khalsa on Baisakhi day is in Punjab. Festivals like Diwali, Baisakhi, Hola Mohalla or Gurpurb saw hundreds of Sikh devotees marching on the streets together in almost all the major cities. Every minute village or town houses a Gurudwara in Punjab, due to the huge number of Sikhs here. These Gurudwaras are built in various sizes, structures and patterns.

Punjabi language, written in the script of Gurmukhi , is the native language of Punjab. The towns of Malerkotla, Sangrur, Chandigarh and Qadian are dominated by followers of Islam. Gurdaspur is a place which is dominated by Christians, who make up to around 1.1% of the total population of Punjab. Lots of labourers from nearby states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have started to migrate to Punjab. This has brought in a slight increase in the non-Sikh population in the state.

An important observation from the population of Punjab is the decreasing trend of the sex ratio. This is ratio is always on the decrease and according to recent reports, for every 1000 males, there are only 850 females in the state.

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RELIGION OF PUNJAB

Punjab is the land where a number of religions exist in perfect harmony with each other. Sikhism and Hinduism form the major religions of the state. The other religions, like Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Buddhism, also flourish, though comparatively low in proportion. Lets us check out more information on the major religions that are followed in the state of Punjab.

SikhismSikhism forms the main religion of Punjab in India. Founded by Guru Nanak Dev and other nine Gurus, it forms the fifth largest religion in the world. The main faith of Sikhism is in "Waheguru”, meaning the Universal God. The religion preaches attainment of salvation through disciplined and personal meditation of the Almighty. Sikhs worship the ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scripture that is revered as the eleventh and final Guru. Sikhism stresses on monotheism and non-anthropomorphic concept of God. Charity work and community services are considered to be crucial in a person's life. Hard work and true dedication is regarded as the basic guideline to lead one's life. Punjab abounds in gurdwaras, which form the principal center of worship for the Sikhs. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is a world famous pilgrimage center, which attracts flocks of devotees from across the globe.

HinduismHinduism, though not as widely prevalent as the Sikhism, is a prominent religion of Punjab.

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In fact, it is the second most prominent religion practiced in the state. The Hindus have a liberal lifestyle and most of them even worship in gurdwaras. They are mostly into trade and commerce. The most common castes in Hinduism, as prevalent in Punjab, are Khatri (Kshatriya in Hindi), Brahman, Baniya and Rajput. The important Hindu sects are the

Sanatan Dharmis, Arya Samajis, Radhaswamis, Nanak Panthis and Ecumenical Hinduism.

OthersIslam forms another important religion in Punjab, though there is only a minority following the same. After the partition in 1947, most of the Muslims in Punjab migrated to Pakistan. Despite the few followers of Islam, one can easily find good number of mosques in the state. Christianity, Jainism and Buddhism form other minority religions of the state.

LANGUAGE OF PUNJAB

The official language of the state is Punjabi that belongs to the Gurmukhi script. There are lots of migrants belonging to Punjab in most of the parts of world. Therefore Punjabi language, ranks tenth and fourth in the most spoken language list in the world and Asia respectively.

Punjabi Language

The language Punjabi is considered to be the crowning glory for the already spending state of Punjab. It has a nice ring to it and is widely popular among all other states as well. Written in Gurmukhi script, this language has a striking resemblance to Hindi. The Punjabi language was founded as early as the 11th century and it has been brought forward to various generations from the legacy of Sauraseni Prakrit. The origin is of Indo-European category and has a vast history behind it. The population of western Punjab are more familiar with the Hindi language than the Punjabi language, whereas in the areas of eastern Punjab, the Punjabi language dominates all other languages.

The Gurmukhi script originates from Devanagri. It belongs to the fusion and tonal category. It falls under the fusion category because it is made up of minute linguistic units with semantic meaning, also known as morphemes. Various morphemes form together to bring a structure to the language. It falls under the tonal category because the tone of the language determines the meaning of the words used. In recent times, one can see the influences of Hindi, Urdu, English and Persian languages in the Punjabi language. People from Punjab

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have migrated and settled down in various countries and therefore, the language has undergone various changes to suit the vernacular vocabulary.

There are various dialects in Punjabi language. Different areas determine these dialects. Some of the dialects that are used are Bhattianj, Malwai, Pahari, Doabi, Kangri, Hindko, Pothowari, Shahpuri, Rachnavi, Majhi, Thali, Thalochri, Chakwali and Ghebi. Tourists who are not aware of the Punjabi language do not find any difficulty to survive in Punjab, because people here are well aware of Hindi and English as well. Therefore even foreign tourists find no difficulty in Punjab. The people of Punjab are very helpful by nature.

Majhi

Amritsar, Sialkot, Lahore, Gujranwala and Gurdaspur are the areas where this dialect is common. Since most of the people are concentrated in these areas, this dialect is said to have had a big influence on all the other dialects. This is also known as “Tixali Boli”.

Malwi

Ludhiana, Ambala, Ganganagar, Bathinda, Malerkotla and Ferozepur are the areas where this dialect is common. Basically, almost all the southern areas of Punjab like Hissar, Sirsa, Haryana and Kurukshetra too use this dialect.

Doabi

Doabi means the land between the two rivers. Therefore all areas between the rivers Sutlej and Beas follow this dialect. Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur are other areas where this dialect is spoken commonly.

Pothohari

This is spoken in a wide area. Areas from Kashmir, Jhelum, Gujar Khan, parts of Pakistan and Islamabad are where this dialect is common. It bears some resemblance to another dialect called Hindko which is spoken in Peshawar, Nowshehra, Mansehra and all other areas in the North western Frontier province of Pakistan.

Jhangvi

The areas between Khanewal to Jhang and cities like Faisalabad, Chiniot etc. are areas where this dialect is common. This is also known as the Jangli dialect in Punjab to reflect that this dialect was common among tribals as well.

Multani

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This dialect originated in the areas of Multan and then spread to Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Daira Ghazi Khan, Muzafar Garhi etc. In earlier days, the southern regions of Punjab too were known as Multani.  People who are well aware of this dialect address this as “Mithi Boli”, meaning sweet dialect. This is believed to have been started off by the Sufi Saints of the Islam religion who came to the Multan region in 1165AD. As one move towards the south of Punjab, the Multani dialect sees lots of influences from the Sindhi language that is spoken locally. In these areas where there is a mix of Multani and Sindhi, the dialect is known as Siraiki.

Education

In addition to the government, private organizations have played a significant role in the extension of education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels throughout the state. Education is compulsory and free for pupils aged 6 to 11. Secondary education is also free in state schools. Broadcasting has been especially important in the dissemination of vocational and cultural education throughout the state. Punjab has several state universities, including Punjabi University (1962) in Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev University (1969) in Amritsar, Panjab University (1956) in Chandigarh, Punjab Agricultural University (1962) in Ludhiana, Punjab Technical University (1997) in Jalandhar, and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (1998) in Faridkot. In addition, there are more than 200 specialized colleges and technicalinstitutions.

FES TIVALS OF PUNJAB

Hola Mohalla The most colorful and hilarious of all the festivals, which are celebrated in, Punjab is Hola Mohalla. Each year, spring is ushered in by the Sikhs with the celebration of a vigorous and colorful festival at Anandpur Sahib. The festival is slated for the day after Holi and is called Hola Mohalla. It was here at Anandpur Sahib that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last guru, instituted the pahul (baptism of the Khalsas), and elected the panj pyare (the beloved five), and militarized his followers into the order of Nihangs (warrior-mendicants) at this site

This festival of the Nihangs held at their headquarters Anandpur Sahib began as a counterpart to Holi. Though it almost did away with the throwing of colors, nonetheless, it is more colorful.

Martial arts like archery, sword fencing, fancy horse-riding, tent-pegging, and the deft handling of other contraptions of offence and defense are displayed by the Nihangs. Spectacular and thrilling acts of dare-devilry nimbly executed are performed. The festivities close with a ceremonial procession taken through the township. The langar (community feast) is open through the day and lasts as long as there are any takers.

Dressed in along tunic of bright deep blue, an elaborate turban, sometimes of enormous size,

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at times banded with strips of bright yellow, armed with weapons of one’s liking – bows and arrows, spears, swords and shield, muskets, guns or what have you - the Nihang displays his skills at this festival of valor, a pageant of the past.

Gurupurabs The festivals held in honor of the Sikh Gurus are called Gurupurabs. They are well spread over the year but there are three important ones. On the full moon of Kartik the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak is celebrated by the devotees with great ardor. Two days earlier a non-stop reading of the Adi Granth is started. At different places religious congregations are held and hymns from the Granth Sahib are chanted. Large processions and are taken out through the towns. At night buildings are illuminated. The birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh is also celebrated in a similar manner. The third important Gurupurab is the one associated with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. The festivals connected with the lunar days, Ekadashi (eleventh lunar day), Pooranmashi (full moon), and Masya (new moon) occur every rnonth. Similarly, Sankranti, when the sun enters the new Zodiac sign, is celebrated on the first of every month of the Vikrarmi era with great gusto. It is also an occasion to prepare and eat the nicest of foods.

In the Punjab, where the Vikrami era is followed, the year begins with Chet (March-April). On the first of this month the arrival of the new year is celebrated by the performance of a ritual of taking the new corn, known as ann nawan karna. Sheafs of new corn are roasted and then the parched grain is eaten. Everyone must have a bath on the new year day, and put on new clothes. Delicacies like kheer and halwa are prepared and eaten.

Baisakhi It is one of the most popular festivals of the Punjab, with fairs held at various places. Baisakhi, the first day of the month of Baisakh (April/May) is New Year’s Day, going by the Saka calendar. It corresponds to April 13th of the Gregorian calendar. Essentially it is a North Indian harvest festival, for it is the day when the reaping of the rabi (winter crop) begins. The jubilation at a bountiful harvest becomes the reason for celebration.

Through celebrated all over North India, it is nowhere as colorful as it is in Punjab, India’s granary. The joy of the energetic Punjabis is manifest in the strenuous folk dance, the Bhangra. This dance usually enacts the entire process of agriculture from the tilling of the soil through harvesting. As the beat of the dholak (drum) changes, the sequences progress. The dance movements express ploughing, sowing, weeding, reaping and winnowing. The final sequence shows the farmer celebrating the harvest.

Though in real life the farmer has to toil hard in order to win grain from the soil, this dance shows him performing his labors with grace and ease, a smile to his lips. Women too join the men, both at reaping during the day, and in the many dances and folk songs at evening. Baisakhi has a special significance for the Hindus. It is believed that the Ganga descended to the earth on this auspicious day. The Kumbha is held every twelve years at Hardwar on this

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occasion.

For the Sikhs the day has a deep religious meaning. At Anandpur this day in 1699 AD, the tenth and last Guru, Gobind Singh, baptized the Sikhs into the Khalsa, meaning the Elect. This baptism of the sword, called pahul, led to the creating of the panch pyare, the Beloved Five. The Sikhs became a militant order so as to meet the challenges of persecution at the hands of the Mughal rulers. The Khalsa was to adopt the panch kakkas, (the five K’s), Kesh (unshorn hair), kanga (small boxwood comb in their hair), kaccha (a pair of shorts), kara (a steel bangle), and a kirpan (a short dagger), which have since become their distinctive signs. The Guru enthused their valor by calling them Singh (lion), now a suffix to every Sikh’s name. To commemorate the day of the initiation of the sword, a large number of Sikhs flock to Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple, Amritsar), their major shrine. They take a dip in the holy Amrit sarovar (pool of nectar), the lake in the midst of which the Golden Temple stands. Religious service follows in the form of Akhand Paath – an end chanting of the holy

On the eleventh day of the bright half of Jeth (May-June) falls Nirjala Ekadashi, which is better known in the Punjab as Nimani Kasti. Hindus, especially women, observe fast on this day and smear the body with powdered sandalwood. This fast is very hard to keep because for the whole day one has to abstain even from water. Charitably inclined people put up stalls for free distribution of sweetened and chilled water.

Teeyan Teeyan, a festival of the rainy season, is celebrated on the 3rd of the bright fortnight of Sawan (July-August). The four months from Harh (June-July) to the first half of Assu (September) are called Chaumasa. During this period the sky generally remains overcast and the weather shifts between sultriness and rainfall. Rains bring the longed-for relief to the heat-stricken Punjabis, and the rhythm of the little and big drops of rain instills in them the enthusiasm which must seek expression in fun and frolic. A newly-married girl looks forward to the rainy days when a brother or some other male relative from the parental home may come to escort her to her father's place. This reversal from bride to being just a daughter again is such a liberating and thrilling experience that it cannot be put into words. One day before the Teeyan, girls apply henna to their hands and feet, and on the day of the festival they put on their best clothes and go out to the fair. The fair resounds with the songs of love and the rhythm of dance. The songs are known as Teeyan songs. The Giddha dance has become a regular and most enchanting feature of this festival. At home women make kheer, a dish specially associated with Sawan.

Rakhi In Bhadon, on the day of the full moon, the Rakhi festival is celebrated. On this day sisters tie the multicolored thread on the right wrist of their brothers. So long as a sister has not tied the rakhi to her brother, she is not supposed to eat anything. After she has done so she offers some sweets to her brother and he in return gives her some gift or money. Rakhi is meant to

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remind the brother of his promise to protect his sister whenever she needs this protection. The true origin of this festival is, however, lost in antiquity.

Dussehra The Dussehra festival, as in most other parts of India, is celebrated in a big way. This festival marks the victory of good over evil. Big tall effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnath are burnt at a large number of places. During the Nauratas Ram Lila is organized at innumerable places in the State. This song and drama has, from year to year, contributed largely to the continuance of the tradition of folk-drama in India

Karva Chauth In Kartik, on the fourth lunar day falls Karva Chauth. On this day married women observe a fast and pray for the long life of their husbands. Sometimes even unmarried girls observe this fast and pray for their husbands-to-be. In a way this is the mother-in-law's day too, because it is customary on this day for the daughter-in-law to present her offerings-(Baya) in the form of money and eatables.

Devuthan On the eleventh lunar day in this month falls the festival of Devuthan (waking up the deities). Metal plates are beaten in order to awaken the deities who are supposed to go to sleep between the summer harvest and the first ploughing after the start of the autumnal rains.

Diwali Earthen lamps or candles are lighted over buildings all over the State. People celebrate the festival with great gusto. Houses are white-washed days ahead of it, new clothes are purchased and sweets of all kinds are prepared. People worship Goddess Lakshmi with an offering of sweets and silver coins. Thereafter they distribute sweets among friends and relatives. It is believed that on this night Goddess Lakshmi in the company of Vidmata (goddess of fate) takes a round of every house and wherever she takes a fancy, she bestows immense prosperity.

In the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Diwali is celebrated with great eclat. Earthen lamps are lighted all round the holy tank and their undulating reflections in the water look extremely fascinating. Sikhs started celebrating Diwali at Amritsar from the time of their Sixth Master, Guru Hargobind. When he rescued fifty-two rajas from imperial detention in the fort of Gwalior and reached Amritsar, the residents there welcome him by illuminating the whole-city.

Lohri Lohri, which comes on the last day of Poh (December-January), is another extremely popular festival. A few days before it arrives youngsters get together in groups and go round their localities singing folk-songs connected with Lohri and collecting fuel and money for the bonfire. This is a special day for making offerings to fire. When fire is lit up in the evening, orthodox men and women go round it, pour offerings into it, and bow before it in reverence.

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The first Lohri for a new bride, or a new-born babe, is enthusiastically celebrated, and sweets are distributed. One of the stories behind the celebration of this festival goes like this;

Somewhere between Gujaranwala and Sialkot in Pakistan now, there was a thick forest called Rakh. There used to live a Muslim Dacoit named Dulla Bhatti, the Robinhood of Punjab. He was brave, generous and provided maximum help to everyone in distress. During the reign of Jahangir, a middle class Hindu who was a jealous and a cunning man spread a rumor that his niece was very beautiful and would do credit to muslim harem. On hearing this, the mughal officers wanted to carry her off forcibely. The girls father was extreamly worried and sought the protection of Dulla Bhatti. Dulla at once got her married to a young Hindu boy at a simple ceremony in the forest.

He lit the sacred fire in keeping with the Hindu custom. Since there was no priest to chant the holy mantras, he broke into a hiliarious song composed extepore to add chear to the occasion. This song is sung even today on the occasion.

Maghi Next day after Lohri comes Maghi, also called Makar Yonkranti (entry of the sun in the sign or Capricorn). It is very popular with the punjabis. On this day fairs are held at many places. The people go out for a holy dip and give away a lot of charity. The special dish of the day is kheer cooked in sugarcane juice.

MUSIC OF PUNJAB

A glimpse into the lives and culture of the people of Punjab can be got through the folk idiom of Punjab. There is a great repertoire of music, right from the time of birth to death, of love and separation of dance and rejoicement, of marriage and fulfilment. Culturally Punjab can be divided into three riegions, Malwa, Majha and Doaba. Today Malwa represents the true spirit of Punjabi folk traditions. The Punjabi fold idiom is so rich, so varied and so very versatile. It is a culture of generous, vast, large hearted people which is devoid of any fanaticism and religious narrow mindedness of ideology.

If we go deep into the folk music of the land, it is difficult to classify it. But perhaps we can draw board divisions for every season, every festive occasion has music associated with it. Even food is associated with a change in season. The festivals of Punjab are numerous. Lohri is the time after which the biting cold of winter begins to taper off. In the olden days, it was more of a community festival, where the birth of a son, the first year of marriage was celebrated all through the village in front of the sacred fire. Songs like 'Sunder mundriye, tera kaun vichara, Dulla Bhathi Wala.'were sung to the beat of virourous claps. Groups of little children would go singing round the village collecting 'gur' and 'rewari' for themselves. 'Lohri' was preceded by Maagh and the famous Maaghi Da Mela, and followed by Baisakhi, where the Bhangra was danced by the men of the Village. 

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An energetic dance associated witht the ripening of crops, performed by the menfolk of the villages. The dance manifests the vigour and vitality and exuberance of the people, in anticipation of money coming in after the cutting of a good harvest. Then comes the season of the monsoon, or 'sawan' when the married girls come home for a vacation, meet their old friends, wear the colourful Phulkaris, swing under the trees, adorn themselves with 'mehndi patterns', and glass bangles and exchange news, singing songs. 'Ni Lia De Mai, Kallean Bagaan Di Mehandi'. No occasion goes off without the association of music in Punjab. Right from the moment a woman announces the news of the conception of a baby, songs start. The third month, the fifth month, and then of the actual birth of baby is associated with joyous songs about the impending arrival. There are songs which tell about the love of a brother or a sister. Once a marriage is finalised, and preparations of the marriage start in the boy's and girl's family. 

For the process of washing and cleaning the grain, of making new clothes, and household items, songs are sung by the woman in the family as they work through the night, that the 'dhol' is not used as the menfolk who are sleeping should not have their sleep disturbed. And then the numerous songs associated with the wedding. In the girls side 'Suhag' is sung, and in the boys  side, songs while he mounts the mare, 'Sehra' and 'Ghodi' are sung. When the two sides meet 'Sithaniyan' are exchanged. A kind of raunchy humour which makes it easier for both the the parties to show off their wit and repartee and also provides an opportunity to get to know each other. After the Barat is received 'Patal Kaavya' is sung after tea and while the 'Barat' is eating food together. Jugni, Sammi are basically songs centring around love, in the Jugni normally the bachelors gather  together and sing about their beloved. The Sámi is more a gypsy dance, which is performed as an expression of joy and victory, around the fire at night. Sami is an imaginary female character of folk poetry, belonging to the Marwar area of Rajasthan who fell in love with the the young prince, and it is around their love story that the music and dance is set to. In the list of happy songs are included, Luddie, Dhamal and of course the Giddha and the Bhangra, which is all set to music,  which is typical of Punjab. Along with the 'Dhol' primarily, are sung 'Bolis' which can be divided into two categories, 'singly boli' and' lengthy boli'. Centering around mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and other character from everyday life the music of these two lively traditions is extremely enervating.

Being a frontier state war played an important part in the lives of the people of Punjab. There was also a tradition of wrestlers living in every village, and while they practised at the 'Akhara' a music grew around their practice called 'akhara singing'. The drum plays a very important part in the folk music of Punjab. It provides the basic accompaniment to most of folk music. The 'Dhol' and 'Dholik', the male and female drum, had it's own relevant use. The information of an impending army was communicated by the sound of the 'Dhol', when information was given to the neighboring villages through a particular beat. The instruments used in Punjabi folk are typical to the region. The 'toombi', 'algoza', 'chheka', 'chimta', 'kaanto', daphali', dhad' and 'manjira' are some of the popular traditional folk instruments.

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There are songs which are specific to death. Called 'Siapah', there are different kinds of 'siapah'. Special to individuals, the song of mourning deal with the loss of a brother, sister, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and are sung in a particular format.

As in the rest of the country Sikh religion is deeply connected with music. In fact a glossary of music and Ragas are given at the end of the Guru Granth Sahib, the tradition starting with Mardana, who accompanied Guru Nanak on his travels who sang the bani of Guru Nanak with an ‘ektaara’ and the ‘rhubarb’. Classical ragas are used in the ‘shabad kirtan’, gayaki of Punjab. The sixth Guru Hargobind gave patrongae to sect of singers who sang only martial songs. Called ‘Dhadis’, they sing at shrines and festivals, ballads, vars, and about the heroic feats of the Sikhs. Along with the "Dhad" the ‘dhadi’ also uses a sarangi, as a musical accompaniment.

A strong tradition of the ‘kissa sahity’ of Punjab is very much part and parcel of Punjabi folk music. The legends of Heer Ranjha , Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnu, Puran Bhagat are sung more in a semi classical style..

DANCES OF PUNJAB

Bhangracelebrates the harvest and is associated with the festival of Baisakhi (April 13) when the sight of tall heaps of golden wheat fill the farmer’s heart with joy. To the accompaniment of large drums called dhols, he and his fellow villagers circle round and round in a leaping, laughing caper. It’s a dance that cuts across all divisions of class and education. At marriages, parties, or celebrations of any sort, it is quite common for men to break out in Bhangra. There are few sights more cheering than that of a dignified elder in three-piece suit getting up to join the young fellows for a moment of bhangra revelry.

GiddaWomen have a different but no less exuberant dance called gidda. The dancers enact verses called bolis, which represent folk poetry at its best. The subject matter of these bolis is wide ranging indeed – everything from arguments with the sister-in-law to

political affairs figure in these lively songs. Aside from the drums, the rhythm of this dance is set by the distinctive hand-claps of the dancers.

Jhumar 

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This dance has originally come from Sandalbar (now in Pakistan), but is now very much a part of Punjab folk heritage. It is a dance of graceful gait, based on specific Jhumar rhythm. Dancers circle around the drummer, and keep up a soft, sibilant chorus as they dance.

Luddi Luddi is a victory-dance recognisable by the swaying movements of the head. Its costume is a simple loose shirt. The performers place one hand at the back and the other before the face; the body movement is sinuous, snake-like. This is also danced with the drummer in the centre.

Julli 

This dance associated with Muslim holymen called pirs and is generally danced in their hermitages (khangahs). This dance is mostly performed in sitting posture, sometimes it is also danced around the grave of a preceptor. A single dancer can also perform this dance. Normally the dancer wears black.

Dankara Also called the gaatka dance, this is a dance of celebration. Two men, each holding colourful staves, dance round each other and tap their sticks together in rhythm with the drums. This dance is often part of marriage celebrations.

Dhamal Similar to bhangra and is danced by men in a circle.

Sammi Traditionally by women of the Sandalbar region, now in Pakistan. The dancers are dressed in bright coloured kurtas and full flowing skirts called lehengas. A peculiar silver hair ornament is associated with this dance.

Jaago Literally, "wake up!" When there’s a marriage in the house, girls dance through the village streets carrying a pot (gaggar) decorated with lightened candles and singing jaagu songs. The theme of song in the ‘Jago’ is social and typically a bit of teasing (often aimed at elders) goes with the song.

Kikli This dance is performed by women in pairs. They cross their arms, hold each other’s hands and whirl around singing folk songs. Sometimes four girls join hands to perform this dance.

TOURISM IN PUNJAB

The state is well connected with airports at Chandigarh and Amritsar, several railway stations as well as arterial national highways that link Punjab with the outside. The colorful and exuberant state also boats of a diverse natural heritage and abounds in festive celebrations throughout the year. The state where Bhangra music and dhaba culture reigns is a shopaholic's paradise with its woolen and hosiery products, carpets, jutis and other

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handicrafts.

Punjab, the land of five rivers and astounding cultural diversity is renowned for its cuisine, culture and history. The bright green fertile farming land, shimmering waters, skies in various shades of blue give your senses an ever lasting liveliest experience. The charming cities here are dotted with enticing monuments, gurudwaras, sacred shrines, temples, ashrams, wide lakes, museums, shopping centers, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is a famous pilgrimage center and one of the most famous tourist attractions of Punjab and India. The oldest and holiest shrine of the Sikh faith, it is revered by thousands of devotees of all faiths across the world. The temple is nestled amidst a beautiful pool called "Amrit Sarovar". The dome of the temple is covered by a layer of Gold plating which gives it a brilliant dazzle in the summer sun, hence the name Golden Temple.

Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala Bagh was the site where hundreds of innocent and unarmed protesters were trapped and massacred by British army on 13th of April, 1919. Remains of bullet marks, pierced walls, and a martyr's well which became the funeral ground for thousands of people who jumped off to protect themselves from the firing are testimonies of the biggest tragedy in India.

Wagah Border

Wagah Border, 28 kilometres away from Amritsar separates India from Pakistan. Major tourist attraction here is the "Lowering of Flags" ceremony conducted by the security forces of India and Pakistan namely Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers.

Sheesh Mahal

Punjab, the smiling soul of India has been aptly nicknamed the city of gardens and palaces. The imperial palaces of Punjab accentuate the beauty of the rambling farmlands and majestic temples. Sheesh Mahal is one such exquisite palace in Patiala that flaunts the flamboyant grandeur of the erstwhile maharajahs.

Gurudwara Anandpur Sahib

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Expounding the sacred message of Sikhism, Anandpur Sahib stands on the north-western corner of Chandigarh. As the motherland of Khalsa, the place has a significant religious prominence. Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was believed to have brought the holy place into being in 1664.

Harmandir Sahib

Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar is popularly known as the Golden Temple. It is also known as Sri Darbar Sahib. This Gurdwara is located in the central part of old Amritsar. The Harmandir Sahib is situated on a rectangular platform surrounded by the water of Amrit Sarovar. It is from this lake that the city of Amritsar got its name.

The architecture of the Harmandir Sahib is a combination of the Hindu and Muslim styles. It has a two story marble structure. Harmandir Sahib can be reached by the Guru's Bridge. The upper floor is of this temple is gold plated and is crowned with the golden dome. The golden dome is an inverted lotus shaped structure.

Pushpa Gujral Science City

Pushpa Gujral Science City, situated on the Jalandhar- Kapurthala Road, sprawls across 72 acres of land and is one of the biggest science parks of North India. The project has come about owing to the tremendous support of the Government who has committed to provide a mammoth sum of Rs. 70 crore.

Gurudwara Kiratpur Sahib

Gurudwara Kiratpur Sahib was established in 1627 by the sixth Sikh Guru Sri Har Gobind Sahib in a small peaceful town at the foothills of the Shivalik range in Punjab.

He lived his last few years of his worldly life here in Kiratpur. Situated on the bank of river Sutlej in present day Ropar district, the auspicious place had regular association with the other Sikh Gurus that followed. Here the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai and eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan Dev Ji were born and brought up. Even the first Sikh prophet, Guru Nanak ji is known to have visited this place in his lifetime. The place is also associated with the memory of the renowned Muslim Saint, Pir Buddan Shah who was gifted with a very long life.

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Dera Baba Nanak

Dera Baba Nanak is situated 35 kms to west of Gurdaspur in Punjab, on the left bank of river Ravi .The great Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the last twelve years of his precious worldly life here in Dera Baba Nanak.

The whole place was in fact the abode of Guru Nanak Ji but it was on this bank that he chose to meditate. A beautiful gurudwara stands here today to commemorate the place.

Goindwal Sahib

The town of Goindwal holds immense significance in reference to the Sikh religious pilgrimage sites. The town lies south east of Amritsar and only thirty Kilometers away from the city. The Goindwal town boasts of some of the important Gurudwaras and among them the Goindwal Sahib is one of the greatest. The Goindwal Sahib Gurudwara in Punjab is the pride of the state and it is a major pilgrimage and tourists attraction.

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