|
|
The Indian state of Punjab is actually the end product of the trifurcation of the Punjab inherited by India on partition post independence in 1947, the other two states being Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Part of northwest India, the state borders Pakistani Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir north, Himachal Pradesh northeast, Chandigarh east, Haryana south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest. The total area of the state is 50,362 km2, hosting a population of over thirty million.
Punjab's capital is Chandigarh, which, in a peculiar situation is administered separately as a Union Territory since it is also the capital of the neighbouring state of Haryana. These two states almost came to blows over singular ownership of Chandigarh, and it took a wily Indian PM, Indira Gandhi, to even matters out. Today, Punjab is irrigated by an massive canal system, which extends over three hundred km into Punjab's arid southern border region, the Thar, or Great Indian, Desert. |
Demographics:
Punjab is 59% Sikh, 37% Hindu and 2% Muslim, all of whom have lived together for centuries in communal harmony. The Punjabi language, written in their own script, Gurmukhi, is the official and most commonly used language in the state. Other languages spoken are Hindi, which in some ways is similar to Punjabi, and English, a colonial legacy and also spoken among the diaspora in the U.K., Canada, and Australia among others. The Muslim population in Punjab has increased mainly due to labourers who hail from other Indian states, mainly Bihar, and who have traversed the breadth of India in search of work. Christians make up about 1.1% of the population, concentrated mainly in the cities of Gurdaspur and Ambala.
How to Get There:
By Air: Amritsar International Airport: The Raja Sansi International Airport, located 11 kms from the main city centre with numerous domestic flights as well as international flights operating from the airport, like Indian Airlines, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airlines, Air India and Alliance Air, etc. and Chandigarh Airport: The main domestic airport in the state.
By Rail and Road: Roads are excellent in the state and most tourists use deluxe buses. The state is also very well connected by rail, with numerous passenger and cargo trains running non-stop.
Climate:
The Punjab region has three seasons: Summer, from April to June, which is scorching; the normal monsoons from July to September and winter, which can be pretty cold (sub zero), from October to March. There is a fair amount of unseasonal winter rains, leading to mist, fog, etc. and their complications.
Agriculture:
Punjab is known as the Granary of India. It produces 14% of India's cotton, 20% of India's wheat, and 9% of India's rice. In global terms, Punjab produces 2% of the world's cotton, 2% of its wheat, which traditionally has been its main crop, and 1% of the world's rice. Other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, pearl millet, maize, barley and fruit.
What to see:
Amritsar city, particularly the Sri Harimandir Sahib, (meaning Temple of God). is better known as the Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib (Divine Court). The Golden Temple epitomises the spiritual and historical traditions of the Sikhs and is their chief place of pilgrimage; Fatehgarh Sahib, Sirhind : An important destination for Sikh pilgrims. This Gurudwara has been built on the site where 300 years ago, Guru Gobind Singhji's two young sons were entombed alive by the Mughals because they had refused to embrace Islam; Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, the birthplace of the Khalsa. On March 30th, 1699 Guru Gobind Singh baptized 5 Sikhs and gave them the last name ‘Singh’ which means Lion; Jallianwala Bagh, infamous for the massacre of an unarmed gathering of men, women and children, with 1536 casualties by soldiers under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald
Dyer in 1919. The bullet marks are still visible on the walls and Kurukshetra, the battle ground between the Pandavas and the Kauravas as mentioned in the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
|
