Colours of Punjab reveal the soul of the land
Punjab is the food bowl of India. More than 60 per cent of food grains in the country come from Punjab. It not only has made India self-sufficient but has also at the same time brought in considerable amount of money by exporting agro products.
THE STATE of Punjab derives its name from the Persian words ‘Punj’, meaning five and ‘Ab’, meaning water. The name was given because of the five rivers – Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum and Chenab that once flowed through it. But after partition, Punjab suffered the most and huge chunks of its land went to Pakistan including the rivers Jhelum and Chenab. Moreover in 1966, the state was again divided and parts of it became the present day Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
Punjab is the food bowl of India. More than 60 per cent of food grains in the country come from Punjab. It not only has made India self-sufficient but has also at the same time brought in considerable amount of money by exporting flowers and fruits and other agricultural products to countries like Belgium and Denmark.
It is quite a delightful place for tourists since the hospitality of the Punjabis is world apart. What is very disturbing is the fact that the government is unable to maintain the historical places. If they are capable to do that, it will not only help preserve ancient monuments but also bring in more tourists which would mean more income for the people who otherwise are dependent on agricultural activities for a living.
Places/cities to visit:
Chandigarh: The spectacular capital as it is known surely lives up to its name and hep and happening reputation. The city was planned by Le Corbusier. It is a Union Territory and also the capital of Haryana. There are quite a few attractions in the city- The Rock Garden (made of junk, literally, by Nek Chand), the Rose Garden, the Sukhna lake are a few to name.
Amritsar: The holy city or so they say, holds the Sikh’s holiest place of worship – The Golden Temple. It is here that The Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book) is kept. Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this city. The Golden Temple actually is a marvelous piece of architecture wherein the walls are actually made of real gold studded with precious jewels. Some terrific artists contributed by making frescos. Earlier the walls and domes were covered with embedded gemstones as history says, the Mughals looted them. The most spectacular time to visit this heaven on earth is during the beginning of the year or any Sikh Guru’s birthday because then the light and candle decorations at night reflect in the sarovar and its water and leave one never wanting to leave the place. The firecrackers make the place look unrealistically beautiful. Though the whole Golden Temple complex was attacked during Operation Black Thunder by the Indian army under the orders of Indira Gandhi, yet the place did get back to its original spirit and recovered soon.
Apart from that, one can visit the Jallianwala Bagh, the garden which was attacked during British Raj under General Dyer in 1919, and left more than 1500 people dead and about a thousand more wounded. The place still has the bullet marks intact and it automatically gives us sense of what it would have been had we still not been liberated. The place instills a proud and patriotic feeling within us.
Wagah Border: It is the road that demarcates or rather separates Pakistan from India. It is also known as the Berlin wall of Asia. The place has about more than 4000 people visiting it each day. A must watch is the evening parade that makes the place most astounding. With armies from both the sides marching and lowering the flags, the lights, the audience, the uniform, really makes people across both the border wonder what it would be like to be on the other side of the gate. Amritsar is unexplored if one hasn’t tasted the Amritsari Kulcha.
Ludhiana: The Manchester of India, which also has the maximum number of Mercedes cars in the country. It is the industrial hub of Punjab and is also its biggest city. The place is poorly maintained. But it has some really good educational institutions and has given the country very well known and reputed Bollywood artists like the Deols, Juhi Chawla etc.
Jalandhar: One of the big cities in the state which if maintained properly can be a beautiful city with a rather rich cultural history. It has terrific educational institutions and sports complexes. It also has astro turf fields for the veteran hockey players.
Chail: Chail is the summer capital of the Maharaja of Patiala. It has the world’s highest cricket ground and is surrounded by Shivalik mountains and beautiful, tall, dark green deodars. It is a pleasant escape from the crowded and polluted cities. A visit to the Maharajas’s Palace and the seasonal fruits can be a delightful treat without which the trip would be incomplete.
Pinjore: It is a very small town about 20 minutes from Chandigarh yet is very famous because of the beautiful Yadavindra Gardens made in Rajasthani Mughal style that adorn the city.
Nalagarh: Famous for its fort made by Raja Bikram Chand, the small city which is emerging as a huge industrial hub is like a gateway to the Shivalik range of mountains and when one sits sipping a cup of coffee at the terrace looking at the dark mountains beckoning all around, one just is left breathless.
The majestic plains of Punjab and the impeccable hospitality of its people coax the visitors to stay on forever. The land of five rivers surely can keep one spellbound and make one come back to it again and again.
The majestic plains of Punjab and the impeccable hospitality of its people coax the visitors to stay on forever. The land of five rivers surely can keep one spellbound and make one come back to it again and again.
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