Punjab  *

 

 

    Punjab – the word means the Land of the Five Rivers – and aptly describes the tract rendered fertile by the rivers Indus, Sutlaj, Ravi, Beas and Chenab. This state has Jammu and Kashmir to its north and Pakistan to the West. To the South lies Rajasthan and to the north eastern side is Himachal Pradesh.

 

    Situated on the frontier, Punjab had to face the various waves of invaders before the rest of the country. In the course of history it has imbibed a diversity of cultural influences – from Aryan, Greek, Persian, Turko-Afghan and Mughal. It is not surprising that the people of Punjab are fiercely independent and syncretic in their cultural life.

 

    Sikhism emerged as the dominant faith in the fifteenth Century – Guru Nanak blending beautifully the elements of Islam with Hindu beliefs. He played a unique role in the social removement and cultural resurgence during the medieval period. Guru Angad developed the Gurumukhi script by combining different scripts then current in north India and Guru Ramdas laid the foundation of the holy city of Amritsar. This is where the supreme Sikh shrine Golden Temple was subsequently built.

 

    Mahraja Ranjit Singh established himself on the throne of Punjab in the nineteenth Century and won fame for his military prowess. The British treated him with due deference and in his time the boundaries of Punjab were extended to Tibet. Unfortunately his successors were weak and unable to protect his legacy. Punjab was annexed by the British in 1849.

 

    Punjab became a separate province in 1937 but could enjoy only a brief season of peace. The state was ravaged by unprecedented violence in the tumult of the Partition. Rioting rendered millions homeless. Thousands lost their lives. The saga of the survival of the Punjabi refugees and their striking roots in different parts of India is one of the most heroic chapters in the history of this nation.

 

    In 1966 Punjab was redrawn – the Hindi speaking areas were carved out to form the state of Haryana, Chandigarh was declared a Union Territory administered by the Centre and the hilly tracts were transferred to Himachal Pradesh.

 

    Punjab is predominantly agricultural and 70 per cent of its population is engaged in farming. With 85 per cent of its area under cultivation, it has pioneered the

 

Green Revolution (The all India average is 51 per cent). Fertilizer consumption in Punjab is the highest in the land. Its contribution in food grains collection also is the highest. Punjab contributes 10 per cent to the nation’s milk production. Per capita availability of eggs is the highest (90 compared to the national 22).

 

Punjab has remained in the forefront of small scale industrial development. The chief manufactures are textiles, hosiery, woollens, cycles, electrical goods, scientific instruments, sewing machines, sports gear, machine tools, sugar and starch. Ludhiana is famous for hosiery and woollen wear. Processed foods also have a significant role in the economic life of the State.

Punjabis have an exceptional zest for life and the folk dance Bhangra performed at the harvest time has an infectious rhythm. The major festivals are Hola Mohalla and Baisakhi.