The state of Punjab is also written as Panjab. The state is a part of the northern west part of India. The neighboring states that touch the border of Punjab state are Himachal Pradesh in the eastern direction, towards the southern and southern east direction is the state of Haryana while to the southern west direction is the Rajasthan state. To the west of Punjab is the Punjab separated province located in Pakistan. Also located towards the northern direction is the state Jammu and Kashmir. Capital of Punjab is Chandigarh that has also been declared as Union Territory by Government of India. Chandigarh is also the capital of Haryana state. Few of the cities that make the state of Punjab the place worth visiting are Amritsar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala Tarn Taran Sahib, Firozpur, Anandpur Sahib, Ajitgarh that is current Mohali, Jalandhar, Patiala, Nawanshahr, Bhatinda and Hoshiarpur. At the time of partition in year 1947, Punjab was divided into two where one part came under India while the other part went to Pakistan. The former Punjab was divided into further states named Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the current Punjab. This was done in the year 1966. The major population of Sikh community stays in the state of Punjab.

The Greek name of state of Punjab is Pentapotamia that stands for a place where a total of five rivers merge. The holy words of Zoroastrians named as Avesta states that Punjab has been linked to historic hapta həndu or Sapta Sindhu that means a seven river land. During the ancient times, Punjab was an open channel for the countries like Greece, Iran, Central Asia and Afghanistan and same stood true for Indian subcontinent to enter those countries.

The state of Punjab is majorly into the field of Agriculture. Punjab state is the leading producer of wheat in the country. The other areas that are considered to be adding towards the development of state of Punjab are production of instrument to be used in scientific research, manufacturing of agricultural, electrical and sports goods, providing financial services, production of machinery tools, textile industry, fertilizers manufacturing, and production of bicycles, pine oil processing and production of sugar. The state also has maximum number of industries to manufacture steel rolling mill plants and these mills are majorly located in the region of Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib District.

Tourism in Punjab

The major attractions for tourists visiting the state of Punjab are the historical forts, battle fields and the work of great architectural of Sikh community. The different historical and architectural sites to be named are the Indus Valley civilization, the palaces in the city of Bhatinda, the beautiful architectural forts and palaces in Kapurthala and Patiala while the capital of the state is Chandigarh that is considered to be most well planned and designed city in the entire country. The design of the city is the work of Le Corbusier. The major attraction that has made the state well known in the entire world is the Golden Temple also known as Gurudwara Harmandir Sahib. It has been seen that every year the number of tourist visiting the Golden Temple are more than those visiting Taj Mahal. As per the 2008 list issued by Lonely Planet Blue, Golden Temple has been listed as one of the world’s pre-eminent pious site. The tourism industry has opened large number of hotels that range from budgeted hotels to most luxurious hotels that can be booked beforehand only.

Sikh Religion - A Universal Cult of Brotherhood

The major religion practiced in the state of Punjab is Sikhism that is based on the ideas of Guru Nanak Ji and has its followers known as Sardars. The idea of Sikhism is based on the firmness of brotherhood of religious group, its entreaty for the social liberation among all kinds of people who follow Sikhism, the other belief is serving the humanity. The people following the Sikhism follow the teachings mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib that is the sacred book for Sikhs and mentions the holy Gurbani that has the teachings of Guru Nanak Ji. The marital practice of Sikh community can be described as bride taking the vows walking behind the groom while taking four circles around the Guru Granth Sahib with prayers and holy songs sung along with each vow taken.

Chandigarh - Portraying a Planned Demeanour

Chandigarh has always been a peaceful and slow pace place that was considered ideal for old people despite of the place having all the modern facilities. Chandigarh is the first planned and well designed city of India. The city was planned by Le Corbusier. The city has been divided into a total of 61 sectors. The environment of the city is very clean since it has been adorned with thousands of green plants and trees that help in reducing the pollution in the city. The ambiance near the Sukhna Lake attracts numerous visitors on daily basis. The city though is never rushing but is highly modernized. The city with its peaceful and modern amenities in the current times is also decked with busy shopping streets, large malls and dribbled eating zones. The most visited sector in Chandigarh by people of all ages is Sector-17. This sector has numerous shops to quench the thirst of shopping. There are various plush eating joints where one can enjoy the mouth-watering Punjabi cuisine. The weekend events that can be enjoyed are visit to Fun Republic mall that also houses a multiplex and is located in Mani Majra, the scenic beauty of Morni hills located in Panchkula road catches the eyes of visitors. There is also a bird sanctuary that houses beautiful and colorful birds and has rich flora.

Celebrate Life in Punjab

Punjab is famous for its rich culture and there are number of colorful festivals celebrated in the state of Punjab. The best time to visit Punjab is during the season of Baisakhi that falls in the month of April. Baisakhi is celebrated in the honor of foundation of Khalsa group that was initiated in the year 1699 AD by Guru Gobind Singh. The event is celebrated by carrying the Guru Granth Sahib along with the Panj Pyaras who are the senior Sikhs and five in number and they act as a symbol of being the novel leaders. The Bhangra performances by local dancers along with the acrobatic activities shown by trained Khalsa groups can also be watched. These all are done along with the ear pleasing sounds of drums. The women of the community dress up beautifully in the colorful dresses with gleaming and sparkling jewellery.