INTRODUCTION
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Punjab, a region in Northern India and the east side of Pakistan, has a long history and rich cultural heritage. The people of the Punjab are called Punjabis and they speak a language called Punjabi. The three main religions in the area are Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam. The region has been invaded and ruled by many different empires and races, including the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Egyptians, Afghans, and Mongols. Around the time of the 15th Century, Guru Nanak Dev founded the Sikh religion, which quickly came to prominence in the region, and shortly afterwards, Maharaja Ranjit Singh reformed the Punjab into a secular and powerful state. The 19th Century saw the beginning of British rule, which led to the emergence of several heroic Punjabi freedom fighters. In 1947, at the end of British rule, the Punjab was split between Pakistan and India .HISTORY OF PUNJAB
The history of Punjab goes back to the times of Indus Valley civilization or the arrival of the Aryans. Lord Rama is also said to have been born at a place called Ghuram, now in Patiala district. Lord Sri Krishna delivered the immortal message of the Gita at Kurukshetra, which was well within the boundary of Punjab till very recently.
Taxilla University, a great institution of learning in the past, with scholars like Charak, one of the founder of the Ayurvedic branch of medicine, Kautilya, the author of Arth-Shastra to name a few hailed from this place. Taxilla University is believed to have been situated to the east of the Indus in the modern district of Rawalpindi now in Pakistan.
The rich fertile land of Punjab lured many invaders to come galloping on horse backs, loot, plunder and go back. The Punjab, which then extended from Attock to Delhi, from Shimla hills to the borders of Rajasthan and Sind, faced these intruders bravely .The Punajbis developed into strong and strudy people who coined an appropriate phrase for themselves- ‘Eat, Drink and be Merry’, the rest Ahmed Shah Abdali will carry!
Punjabi civilization is one of the oldest on earth, with its distinguished language, culture, food, attire, script, folklore, people, etc. Punjabi langauge has its originating source in Sanskrit, i.e. the family of Indo-European group of langauges which includes Persian and Latin. Punjab has always been the land of great saints and warriors. In 450 BC (2450 years ago), Alexander invaded Punjab and conquered the mighty Punjabi king named Porus whose kingdom was on the banks of river Chenab. He did not accept defeat and asked Greek king to show him the same respect as is due to the royal kings. He was restored back to his throne by Alexander. Alexander returned to Greece right before crossing the river Beas, as his forces refused to fight. In his terrain we have a reliable resource that tells us about Punjab 2450 years ago. Not much different from today!!!
DANCES OF PUNJAB
Bhangra
Originally, Punjabis performed Bhangra to celebrate the sucess of the harvest. Now people perform Bhangra at wedding parties, receptions, birthdays, competiti
ons, and other happy occations. On the day of Baisakhi, April 13, many farmers, engineers, teachers, shop owners, and other sorts of people perform Bhangra. In the villages, with large drums, called dhols, people circle round and round leaping and laughing. Persons of all types of social classes perform Bhangra together. Even the elders occationally join the young to celebrate and dance Bhangra.
Giddha
Giddha is Punjab's most famous folkal dance for women. In Giddha, the women enact verses called bolis, folk poetry, and dance. The subject matter of these bolis include everything from arguments with the father-in-law to political affairs. The dance rhythm is set by the dhols and the distinctive hand claps of the dancers. These days, people associate Giddha with Bhangra.
FESTIVALS OF PUNJAB
There are numerous Sikh fairs and festivals. Some are of local importance as Maghi of Muktsar and Hola Mohalla of Anandpur. The most important festivals are observed by the Sikhs wherever they are.
Lohri : The Dawn of New year in Punjab SUNDER MUNDRIYE.......Hoey..... Among the popular festivals enriching the varied culture of India, is the festival of Lohri. Lohri "The Bonfire Festival" is celebrated on 13th January every year. It is a festival that marks the solar equinox and the sun starts moving towards Uttarayan (North).
Baisakhi : Baisakhi generally falls in the first half of April. It is the birthday of Khalsa. This is also a threeday-celebration at great centres and one-day celebration at other places.
Hola Mohalla : In India a festival named Holi is celebrated annually in remembrance of the legend of Prahlad. On the same day this festival is also celebrated at Anandpur Sahib in which thousands of people take part.
Love Legends In History of Punjab
Punjab has always combated invaders. Therefore the truth of life became a reality like blood in one’s veins. All this inculcated in the lovers of Punjab not only an appreciation and periscopic sense of beauty but also the courage to gift life.
Waris Shah , A Love Story: Waris Shah’s composition, the love story of Heer Ranjha takes a pre-eminent place, in what may be called the ‘qissa’ literature of Punjab. It is the story of the youngman and a young women.
Sassi Punnu : Sassi was another romantic soul, the daughter of King Adamkhan of Bhambour. At her birth the astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The king ordered that the child be put in a wooden chest with a ‘taweez’ tied on her neck and thrown into the river Chenab.
Sohni Mahiwaal: Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in Punjab near the banks of the Chenab River. As soon as the Surahis (water pitchers) and mugs came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs on them and transform them into masterpieces of art.
Mirza Sahibaan Love Story : Mirza–Sahiban, a love-lore is a treasure of Punjabi literature. It is a romantic tragedy. Sahiban was another love-lorn soul.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
The language of the region is Punjabi. The official written script of Punjabi in the state of Punjab in India is called Gurmukhi "(from the Mouth of the Guru)". The neighbouring Pakistani state of Punjab still maintains the Shahmukhi script; which is based on the Perso-Arabic Script. The official language of the Punjab region up till the early twentieth century was Urdu written in the Perso-Arabic Script.
ECONOMY
The historical region of Punjab is considered to be one of the most fertile regions on Earth. Both east and west Punjab produce a relatively high proportion of India and Pakistan's food output, respectively.
The agricultural output of the Punjab region in Pakistan contributes significantly to Pakistan's GDP. The region is important for wheat growing. In addition, rice, cotton, sugar cane, fruit and vegetables are also major crops. Both Indian and Pakistani Punjab are considered to have the best infrastructure of their respective countries.[8] The Indian Punjab has been estimated to be the second richest state in India (the richest being Maharashtra. Haryana is the fourth.[9] The Pakistani Punjab produces 68% of Pakistan's food grain production.[10] Its share of Pakistan's GDP has historically ranged from 51.8% to 54.7%.
Called "The Granary of India" or "The Bread Basket of India", Indian Punjab produces 1% of the world's rice, 2% of its wheat, and 2% of its cotton.[12] In 2001, it was recorded that farmers made up 39% of Indian Punjab's workforce.
FAMOUS PUNJABI SINGER
Surinder Kaur
Surinder Kaur recorded so many (could not get the accurate number, but estimated approx 2000 based on what i have heard and read) songs in her life and not only she just sang, but also introduced
