Punjab where is it

The Punjabi are a coalescence of various tribes, inhabitants, and castes that came together in the eighteenth century. Before that, each of the tribes identified differently. Although they share cultural, racial, and linguistic commonalities, the Punjab identity is primarily cultural, geographical, and linguistic with little regard to religion or historical origin.

Historically the Punjabi was subdivided into smaller clans known as biradari with each person identifying with a particular clan.

However, the Punjabi identity has evolved to include those who do not identify with any ancient tribe. Maharaja Ranjit Singh established the Punjabi Kingdom in the 19th century at the present-day Punjab region. The population of the territory was estimated at 3. The region maintained the Punjabi identity throughout the colonization of the subcontinent. In , British colonists granted independence to the subcontinent and subsequently created the states of India and Pakistan.

The growth of nationalism resulted in conflicting differences between Punjabi Muslims who identified as Pakistanis and Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs who identified as Indians. The tensions and violence stemming from the insurgent movement culminated in numerous tragic events such as the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the anti-Sikh riots in which thousands of Sikhs were murdered. Although the insurgent movement has since died down, the horrors of what happened during the insurgency are still fresh in people's minds.

The official language of the state is Punjabi. Hindi and English are commonly spoken, especially in major cities such as Amritsar , Ludhiana , Chandigarh , Patiala , Jalandhar. Chandigarh is the capital city. Chandigarh is also the capital of the state of Haryana , which used to be a part of Punjab. However, Chandigarh is not under the jurisdiction of either state but is administered by the central government and classified as a union territory. Punjab comprises 5 divisions and 20 administrative districts, which regionally fall into three main parts:.

It is also the capital of both Haryana and Punjab. City for those interested in history, culture and religion. Also, capital of the Pathankot district. Amritsar has an international airport, the Raja Sansi International Airport , which is open 24 hours.

Punjab is well connected with other major cities of India: Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Ferozepur are major junctions of Indian Northern Railways. One of the best ways to get around. You can rent a car, but taxis are cheaper. It is safest to hire an experienced driver. Like most of India, navigating traffic in Punjab can be a hair-raising experience.

Taxis usually don't have a problem driving to wherever you want within the district. It is common to see the owner of the car sitting in the back with a driver driving the car. An auto rickshaw, or auto or rickshaw or tempo in popular parlance, is a three wheeled vehicle for hire.

They typically have no doors or seat belts. Generally yellow or green in colour and have a black or green canopy on the top. Hiring an auto often involves bargaining with the driver. Available in most towns in Punjab. They go all over the country. The bus service has improved considerably in last years with introduction of deluxe and air-conditioned buses.

Tourism is principally suited for those interested in culture, ancient civilization, spirituality, and epic history. Punjab has a rich history incorporating Sikhism and Hinduism. Punjab is home to the celebrated Punjabi culture, royal palaces, historic battles, shrines, temples and examples of Sikh Architecture. Some of the smaller country towns are also a must for the person who wants to see the true Punjab, with their traditional homes, monuments, temples, farms, and everyday life.

Markets here are a shopper's haven, but only if you're not afraid to haggle and bump elbows in bazaars. Western-style malls and shopping emporia are creeping in on the outskirts, but there's little Indian about these sanitized shopping experiences, or the goods in them. Until a few years back, all shops closed on Sunday; while rules have been relaxed, many districts are still mostly shuttered. They are usually made of fine leather and are delicately embroidered with threads or beads.

Juttis are slip-on in style and are characterized by rising high to the Achilles' tendon in the back and covering the toes with a round or M-shaped heavily-embroidered upper shoe and leaving the top of the foot nearly bare. Some of them are hand-made and have been embroidered beautifully. While credit cards are commonly accepted, you can not use them to pay at small street side shops.

So you need to keep some cash handy. ATMs are available everywhere, so if you have an Indian bank account or credit card, you don't need to carry too much cash either. If you are a foreigner, it is a good idea to carry some cash to avoid charges while using your credit or debit card.

Foreigners will have to be very careful, as all these stores are road-side stalls. What may seem a good price that the person has quoted to you, it will actually be a rip off. Do not settle for anything more than one-fourth the quoted price. If they refuse a price just walk away, and they will call you back quoting a lower price.

Normally, the more you buy, the less you will have to pay for each individual item. You might be able to find a job in a local call centre or fast food restaurant. In particular, jobs for English-speakers are plentiful in Chandigarh. While it is widely popular, there is a misconception in some Western countries that Punjabi cuisine is completely curry-based. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes, whose level of spiciness can vary from minimal to very high.

Home-cooked and restaurant-made Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly. Restaurant-style cooking uses large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, while home cooking is done with liberal amounts of butter and cream, and concentrates mainly upon masalas blends of spices. There are also different regional preferences. For example, people in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. The area is well known for the quality of its milk products.

There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as mah di dal and saron da saag. Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. Due to Sikh and Hindu religious beliefs, beef is a banned item, neither consumed nor sold in Punjab.

Common preparation generally includes being soaked overnight, or for at least 8 hours, and then gently simmered on the embers of a tandoor along with ginger, garlic and a few other garam masala whole spices like cardamom, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, mace, and bay leaf.