North India · Punjab
Punjab
Sources: wikimedia
About Punjab
- Riverside
Where it is
Punjab is a state in north-western India on fertile plains watered by the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, bordering Pakistan to the west and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan; it shares its capital, Chandigarh, with Haryana.
History
The Punjab region was home to Indus Valley cities and to early Vedic culture, and for centuries it was the gateway for armies from the north-west. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism here in the late 15th century, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh built a Sikh Empire that lasted from 1799 until the British annexed it in 1849. The province was divided at Partition in 1947, and the present state took shape in 1966.
People
Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the main language. Sikh, Hindu and other communities share festivals such as Baisakhi and Lohri, and the state is known for its farming, the community kitchens of its gurdwaras, and the music and dance of bhangra.
Known for
- The Golden Temple in Amritsar
- The Wagah–Attari border ceremony
- Bhangra and giddha dances
- Sarson da saag, makki di roti and lassi
- Wheat fields that feed much of India
Did you know?
The langar, or community kitchen, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar serves meals to all visitors regardless of faith and feeds tens of thousands of people every day.
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