Punjab

Tradition and Culture of Punjab:

Culture has always been important to the people of Punjab. Their deep interest in music, dance, and arts and crafts is evident as they pay much attention to continuing these forms made popular by their ancestors as well as fuse with new forms. To encourage their people to excel in various dance forms, shows and competitions involving both traditional and modern dance forms are often organized in Punjab. Punjabi is the local language of Punjab. Most people in Punjab today speak Hindi, Urdu, English, and Punjabi. Folk music is very popular with the people in the city, but modern music too finds a place in the hearts of the people. A majority of Punjab’s population comprises of Hindus. Sikhs make up the second largest religious group in the city, followed by Muslims. Being deeply religious, the people of Punjab celebrate many festivals that pay homage to their Gods. They are very fun loving and friendly in nature and like to stay in a joint family environment.

Fairs and Festivals of Punjab: 

The fairs and festivals in Punjab is a mirror of the lifestyle of the people of Punjab. These fairs and festivals attract a large number of visitors from all over the world throughout the year. Some of the major fairs and festivals of Punjab are:

• Lohri: It is a very famous and important festival of Punjab, in the month of January. People celebrate, which marks the fertility and develops warmth among community members by organising huge bonfires. People move in circles around the bonfire, singing songs and offering popcorns, peanuts and other symbols of fertility into the fire. 
• Basant Panchami: The advent of spring is celebrated through the colourful festival of Basant Panchami. A golden sea of mustard flowers floods the fields of Punjab, acting as the perfect backdrop for Basant Panchami. The state of Punjab is full of people dressed in bright yellow, symbolic of the mustard blooms. People also fly kites to celebrate this festival and the entire sky is full of colourful and liberating kites.
• Hola Mohalla: Hola Mohalla is a festival of colors celebrated at Anandpur Sahib for three days and is a tradition started in 1700s by Guru Gobind Singh. It is a culturally important occasion for the people of Punjab and is celebrated by a display of many great feats, such as sword fencing, archery and horse riding. The festival culminates with a procession, wherein the panj pyaaras are adorned with traditional attires in blue and saffron colour.
• Baisakhi: It a very special festival in Punjab as it has both harvesting and historical siginificance. This day is celebrated as the martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur and also as an important harvest festival for the winter crop, rabi. People from all over Punjab come to join this fairs and processions. The entire state is lit up in the celebration of Baisakhi, producing a state of happiness in people.
• Gurupurab: To celebrate the birth anniversaries or martyrdoms of the highly-revered Sikh Gurus this festival is celebrated. It begins with a religious procession, in which holy hymns are chanted. The festival is marked by the recital of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. People visit the gurdwaras, seek blessings, offer prayers and relish on the sweet and holy langar.
• Teeyan: A lively and refreshing dance festival, mostly for women, Teeyan is celebrated in the blooming season of spring. The upbeat nature feeds the rhythm in these women. The traditional folk dance of Punjab, Gidda is performed in full force during this festival, which is a magnificent sight to behold. The energising dance is bound to leave you blown away for days.
• Tikka: Tikka is a festival of brothers and sisters also, known as Bhai Dooj where, the sister puts a red symbol on the forehead of the brother, called tikka which is meant for the long life of his brother. The brother is turn gives gifts as a token of his love and affection towards his sister. Everyone dresses up in new clothes and feels a loving sense of siblinghood in them.
• The Chappar Mela: This fair is celebrated in the Chappar district of Ludhiana for Lord of snakes, and is believed to pacify the venom of snakes and also bless families with children, if they are seeking them. The fair is a cultural phenomenon where thousands of believers participate annually.
• Jor Mela: This mela is celebrated in the memory of martyred sons of Guru Gobind Singh, in Fatehgarh Sahib. This festival is attended by many religious followers, who are moved by a feeling of belongingness to their community. The festival is marked by a recital of the holy book of Sikhs, followed by a procession on the streets.
• Hariballabh Sangeet Mela: This fair is celebrated in the memory of great saint and musician Swami Haribhallabh, and held annually near his samadhi. Many classical musicians display their talent and pay homage to the great saint

Must Visiting Places In Punjab:

• The Capitol Complex, Chandigarh: In July 2016, The Capitol Complex was declared as World Heritage at the 40th session of World Heritage Conference held in Istanbul by UNESCO. It houses the seat of Government. Main attractions are comprising of three buildings, three monuments and a lake, including the Palace of Assembly or Legislative Assembly, Secretariat, High Court, Open Hand Monument, Geometric Hill and Tower of Shadows.
• Rock Garden, Chandigarh: It is one of the most attractive tourist visiting places in Chandigarh. It is a unique rock garden where tourist can witness exquisite artwork made from industrial and urban wastematerials like frames, mudguards, forks, handle bars, metal wires, broken bangles etc.It is an epitome of creativity and innovation. It has been established in the form of an open-air exhibition hall.
• Rose Garden, Chandigarh: It is also known as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden. It is a botanical garden with 50,000 rose-bushes of 1600 different species. This garden was named after the former president, Zakir Hussain and created in 1967 built under Dr.M.S. Randhawa. It is one of the largest gardens in Asia. Best place for nature lovers and photographers. 
• Pinjore Garden, Chandigarh: It is located at a distance of 20km from Chandigarh. If you are planning for excursion tour, then this would be a great destination to spend your day time. This garden is also known as Yadavindra Gardens. It is a Mughal Style Garden built by the ancient Patiala Dynasty. The work of creating Pinjore gardens began in the seventeenth century and is surrounded by numerous beautiful places that serve as ideal destination for excursions. 
• The Golden Temple, Amritsar:The Golden Temple of Amritsar is one of the most world renowned and revered Sikh Gurudwara that opens door to millions of devotees from India and its far-off lands. It is situated right at the heart of Amritsar. It is a must visit place which was founded by the fourth guru Ram Das in the year 1577.This temple is the main factor in developing tourism industry. It represents both Hindu and Islamic architecture.
• Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar:This is one of the most holy and prominent tourist visiting places in Amritsar due to its popular name in the chapters of Indian history. During the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919, people were killed brutally by the troops of Britishers. Thousands of enthusiastic travellers visit this place every day. It is bounded by all sides with towering walls, houses and buildings. Visiting this historical place will surely leave visitors speechless. 
• Wagah Border, Amritsar: It is located at a distance of 28km from Amritsar city. Wagah Borderis a border between India and Pakistan. It is a famous tourist spot nowadays because of the famous beating retreat ceremony that is held every day before sunset. Many people visit this place to see the ceremony with great patriotism. The main highlight of this ceremony is the lowering of the flags of both the countries simultaneously. It is a must visit place once in a lifetime. 
• Hari-Ke-Pattan Sanctuary: Hari -Ke- Pattan Sanctuary is also known as Harike Wetland. It is around 60km away from Amritsar. This place is also a popular picnic spot near the confluence of the rivers Beas and Sutlej.is the second largest bird sanctuary of India situated mid-way between Amritsar and Ferozepur. Tourist can witness several migratory birds coming here during winter season. It is one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in Punjab. 
• Damdama Sahib, Bathinda:Damdamameans the breathing or resting place. This gurudwara is located in the village of Talwandi Sabo. It is a famous Gurudwara built at the site where Guru Gobind Singh prepared the full version of the Sikh Scriptures, called Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 
• MaiserKhana, Bathinda: It is a famous Hindu Temple in Bathinda. This temple is dedicated to goddesses Durga and Jwala Ji. It is believed that Goddess was pleased with the man’s devotion named ‘Kamal’ who failed to complete a hazardous pilgrimage to Shri Jawalji’s temple and as a consequence paid a lifelong penance to Goddess Durga and granted him divine visions twice in one year.
• Zoological Park, Bathinda: It is an interesting place visited by people of all age groups. It is an ideal picnic spot in Bathinda. It fascinates thousands of tourists coming here to visit Bathinda. 
• Jain Swetambar Temple, Firozpur: It is a Jain temple and a religious place for Jainism. This ancient temple was built in 1890 AD. Main attractions of this temple are the wall painting that depicts the history and culture of Jain religion. The architecture of this very beautiful and attracts a lot of visitor and devotees every year from all over India.
• Indo- Pak Border, Firozpur: It is also known as Indo-Pak Border of Hussainiwala. Firozpur has been serving as a venue of Retreat Ceremonyevery day at 6 p.m. in the evening since the year 1970. The border become lively with the clattering and thunderclap of Indian BSF Jawans. 
• Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum,Jalandhar:This is an important museum inaugurated on the 23rd of March, 1981. This museum marks the 50 years of the freedom fighter’s martyrdom. This museum consists of many antiquities that belong to the freedom fighters.
• Jagatjit Singh Palace, Kapurthala: It is one of the great tourist attraction in Kapurthala. This palace is named after Maharaja Jagatjit Singh. This palace was constructed in 1906. This palace consists of a wide range of artefacts that are collected from all over the world. Visiting this palace will evoke a feeling of grandeur and royalty. 
• Jagatjit Singh Palace, Kapurthala: It is one of the great tourist attraction in Kapurthala. This palace is named after Maharaja Jagatjit Singh. This palace was constructed in 1906. This palace consists of a wide range of artefacts that are collected from all over the world. Visiting this palace will evoke a feeling of grandeur and royalty. 
• Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab: Fatehgarh Sahib is located at a distance of 40km from Patiala. It consists of several important shrines or Gurudwaras linked to the younger Sahibzadas (younger sons) of Guru Gobind Singh.The word “Fatehgarh”, means “Town of Victory”. It is also known as ‘THANDA BURJ’ which was considered a cool place during the summer. It is a city of Fatehgarh Sahib district popular for pilgrimage place. 

Cuisines of Punjab:

Punjabi Cuisine is one of the most distinct and popular Indian cuisines and comes from the region of Punjab situated partially in India and Pakistan. It offers a vast variety of delectable and exotic vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that are prepared with varied traditional culinary styles, particularly the tandoori style. They are very fond of milk products and desserts. Some of the famous non-vegetarian dishes of Punjab are Butter Chicken, Bhuna Gosht, Tandoori Chicken and Amritsari Machchi, whereas vegetarian dishes are Sarson ka Saag, Chole Bhature and Dal Makhni. It is a state synonymous with food. Punjabi food is a lot like Punjabis - rich, robust and full of life. Bold textures and hearty ingredients are what make Punjabi cuisine so popular all across North India.