Alex Adams

September 10, 2015

World Cultures

World Cultures

Food in Punjab, India

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Location of Punjab, India

The Punjab region is located in South Asia. South-central Asia is shown in dark green on this map.

The Punjab region of India (shaded) is in the northwest corner of India.

Punjab, India is located in South Asia. As a region, South Asia generally refers to the countries in Asia that are south of the Himalayan Mountains and extending to the Indian Ocean. This often includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the islands of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Punjab is a state in the northwest part of India and part of a larger Punjab region that extends into Pakistan.

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Geography and Climate of Punjab, India

Average temperature of the Punjab Region.

Geography and elevation of the Punjab Region.

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The Punjab region is a fertile region near the Indus River. It is surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains to the North. The average temperature of the Punjab region is primarily between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The climate of the Punjab region is a mix between warm semi-arid and humid subtropical. This indicates that the region has different wet and dry seasons, though the amount of rainfall has been declining since 1980.

Daily Life in Punjab, IndiaWaking up in Punjab, India means to wake up in the

bread-basket of the world. The cities are busy with people selling their local foods at the market, while the towns are quiet

with people heading to the fields to tend their livestock or farm. Upon waking, you would probably eat a variety of foods purchased from the local sabji mundi (vegetable market) with some Roti (unleavened Indian bread made from stoneground whole wheat flour, called atta). It’s a staple

in Indian cuisine, and is normally eaten with cooked vegetables, curries, and a variety of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, etc.). Most Indian homes will make fresh roti daily, sometimes for every meal.

Walking down the street in Amritsar, India you would see an abundance and variety of people, animals, and automobiles. The variety of sounds and activity is really amazing. You would see cars, trucks, and buses; people on cell phones riding motorcycles weaving in and out of fruit and vegetable carts drawn by horseback, next to autorickshaws (bikes that carry passengers) cross with tractors carrying loads of hay, and everywhere you look there would be people walking or on bycicles. Punjabi villages are compact settlements, with houses clustered around a

mosque, temple, or gurdwara (Sikh temple). The houses on the outside edge of the village are built to look like a walled settlement with few openings. The main entrance to a village is through an arched gateway called a darwaza (door or gate), which is also a meeting place for

Climate of the Punjab Region.

Rainfall in the Punjab region has been declining since 1980. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/16-year-trend-of-

poor-monsoon-in-Punjab-Haryana/articleshow/43115393.cms)

https://youtu.be/0dDShWiCmHI

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the village. Houses are built close together, often sharing walls. Rooms are built around a central courtyard where animals are tethered and farming implements are stored. Most villages are made up of people in the variety of roles needed in a farming economy—landowners, cultivators, artisans, and service castes. Households usually have comfortable furniture, ceiling fans for the hot summers, and conveniences such as telephones, radios, televisions, and even refrigerators. Many farmers have tractors. Scooters and motorcycles are common, and the wealthier families have cars and jeeps. Punjabis have one of the highest standards of living in Pakistan. However, some areas lack the transportation infrastructure and some other developments seen in the rest of the province.

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Language of Punjab India

Punjabi is the name of the language, as well as the people, of the Punjab region. In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Persian-Arabic script, which was introduced to the region during the Muslim conquests. Punjabis in India use a different script. Punjabi is spoken by two-thirds of the population of Pakistan. In India, Punjabi is the mother tongue of just under 3 percent of the population. Punjabi was raised to the status of one of India's official languages in 1966. English is also taught in school and many people from this region are multi-lingual with English as one of their languages. English was introduced to India by the British, when they controlled India.

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Arts and Entertainment of Punjab India

People living in the Punjab region of India tend to enjoy hockey, cricket, baseball, and soccer. They also enjoy to the more traditional games such as Kabaddi, Kushtian (wresting) and Khuddo khoondi (similar to hockey). The Rural Olympics, held annually as an event to attract tourists to the Punjab region between January and

February in Kila Raipur, includes attractions such as the bull cart-race (pictured), mule cart race, horse cart race, and race between tractors. One can also witness some other unusual activities like people lifting bicycles or ladders with their teeth; pulling cars with their hair, teeth or ears; and other daredevil stunts on bikes and horses at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics (https://www.tourmyindia.com/blog/40-unusual-uncommon-festivals-events-india/). 

Theater and movies are very popular in India. Bhangra music and dance have become popular in the west and is generally thought of as distinctly Indian sounding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLuOXw04FbM). Bhangra’s musical tone comes from the wide use of drums, such as the snare, toms, dhadd, dafli, dholki, and damru, and string instruments, including the guitar (both acoustic and

Kabaddi is a popular sport in the Punjab region of India.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3eoN-HIptc

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electrical), bass, sitar, tumbi, violin and sarangi. The tumbi is a high-tone, single-string instrument.

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Religion of Punjab India

The people living in the Punjab region of India are primarily Sikh while some are Hindu. Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest religion, is a discipline that emphasizes monotheism, or belief in one god, and equity between all people exemplified by community sharing, especially sharing of food. Guru Nanak established Sikhism in the Punjab region in the 15th century. In Sikhism, God has neither form nor gender. Everyone is treated equally before god and hence everyone has direct access to god. Sikhs belief that spirituality and religion is about living a good life rather than carrying out empty rituals. A good life can be most easily be execute as part of community life, as in caring about beloved ones and living an honest life.

In Sikhism there are three main principles: pray, work, and give. Prayer (Nam Japna) means to keep God always in mind, think about him all the time. Work (Kirt Karna) means to work hard and earn a honest living. This does also include abstaining from gambling, begging or working in the alcohol and tobacco industry.Give (Vand Chhakna) means that one should share one’s earnings with others. This principle consist of giving charity to the less fortunate, but also expressing honest caring about others.

As the main core of Sikh religion is living a good life. Equality is a significant value of Sikhs. In order to prevent caste selection according to the surname as it happens in Hinduism, they decided to rename everyone. Men were from then on bearing the name Singh and women the name Kaur.

Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion and most common religion in India, is a philosophy of life that includes concepts of kharma and darma. Darma includes a strong call to duty and obligation, kharma is a philosophy that emphasizes universal laws of nature. Hinduism is not defined by a single belief but instead is characterized by it tolerance and acceptance of multiple beliefs. A very small minority of people living in the Punjab region are Muslim as most of the Muslims living in the Indian portion of the Punjab migrated north to Pakistan after the Partition of 1947.

Traditional symbol of Sikhism.

Five K’s are a symbolic representation of Sikhism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism

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Government of Punjab India

The Republic of India is home to the world’s largest democratic form of government. Nationally based in New Delhi, the capital of Inidia, the Republic of India includes 29 states and seven union territories.

The Punjab is a state in India and has its own state government structure (like California is part of the United States). The head of the state of Punjab is the Governor, appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Central government. His or her post is largely ceremonial. The Chief Minister is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. The present Legislative Assembly of Punjab is unicameral, consisting of 117 Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A). Its term is 5 years, unless sooner dissolved.

Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab, and houses the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the secretariat. Chandigarh also serves as the capital of Haryana, and is a union territory of India. The Punjab & Haryana High Court, located in Chandigarh, has jurisdiction over the whole state.

The flag of India fly’s near the capital building in New Delhi.

A diagram showing the hierarchy of Indian government structure.

Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab.

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Economics of Punjab India

India is the world's second-most-populous country and is self-sufficient in grain production. The Punjab region is the major producer of wheat, rice and dairy products.

However, despite frequent food surplus, half of India's children are malnourished. About 350 million Indians go to bed hungry every night yet the government is sitting on

wheat surpluses -- now at about 53 million metric tons -- that would stretch to the moon and back at least twice if all the bags were lined up (Waldman, 2002). Persistent scarcity surrounded by such bounty has become a source of shame for a nation that has taken pride in feeding itself.

http://voicemyland.blogspot.com/2011/06/rotten-food-grains-or-death-due-to.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/02/world/poor-in-india-starve-as-surplus-wheat-rots.html

Elementary Schools Pharala, Punjab, Indiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5EKiJzToGs

My New Life: Primary Education for All in Indiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N-9yZmK3Fg

How Free Lunches Have Helped India's Primary Schoolshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f227UYDJ7EU

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Social Structures of Punjab India

Going to school in India may be a little different than we are used to in the United States. First, not everybody would go to school. Many more boys in India go to school than girls. Some people view school a waste of time for girls. Many Indian schools are private schools and some are public or government operated schools.

To get to school, most people walk, ride a bike, or take the bus. Many travel a very long way to get to school and use a variety of public transportation methods.

http://www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/onlinecpd/younggeographersgoglobal/goingtoschoolinindia/

A view of Government Primary School, near Moga, where classes are being held under a tree. — Tribune photo by Karam Singhhttp://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041108/punjab.htm#tp

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Traditions of Punjab India

1. What are some of the traditions of the people in Punjab, India? 2. How did these traditions start? 3. Why do they do this?

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History of Punjab India

1. What is the story (historical narrative) of the people in Punjab, India?

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Comparison Section

Complete the table comparing your culture with their culture.

My culture Their culture Similarities DifferencesDaily Life

Language

Arts and Entertainment

Religion

Government

Economics

Social Structures

Traditions

History

Your Topic(e.g. Food)

My culture

Their culture

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Q & A Related to the Specific Topic (e.g. Food)

1. What types of food do the Punjabi people of India eat?

The Punjabi region of India is one of the world’s most abundant producers of wheat, rice, and dairy products and so Punjabi food often includes a variety of breads and dairy products.

2. Why do they eat yogurt with nearly every meal?

3. What are "Sarso ka saag" and "Maki ki roti"?

4. What are Chole-bature and naan?

5. Do Punjabis eat at a table or do they sit on the floor?

6. Do Punjabis use metal forks and knifes or something else like chopskicks?

7. Are there special pre-meal rituals that Punjabis do before eating?

Punjabi FoodPunjab is the major producer of wheat, rice and dairy products so these products make up the staple food as well. Wheat is the staple food of Punjabis; however, they do enjoy eating rice on festivities and other special occasions. The cuisine of Punjab has an enormous variety of mouth-watering vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes.

The spice content ranges from minimal to pleasant to high.

The philosophy of life for most of the Punjabis is to eat,

drink and make merry. They are real lively people who are extremely fond of eating good food.

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Personal Reaction Section (~1 page)

Describe what you learned using head, heart, and hands reflection strategy.

Head: What did you learn that was unique? interesting?Heart: What was your emotional reaction?Hands: What action will you take in response to what you learned?

For example:Head: When I researched the food in the Punjab region of India, I learned that there are over 300,000 people in India that are starving and malnourished.  At the same time, I also learned that the Punjab region of India is one of the world’s largest producers of wheat.  In fact, they have so much wheat rotting in storage that the bags of wheat would stretch all the way to the moon and back several times if they were stacked on top of one another. 

Heart:  When I read this, I felt disheartened and sad.  I couldn’t believe that there could be so much food available to feed the hungry and starving but not any action taken to distribute the food.

Hands:  In order to take action, I researched online and found a nonprofit organization devoted to helping reduce poverty in India.  The organization is called www.ashoka.org.  After looking through the website, I saw how many young people were taking action and making a difference in the world by creating innovative ideas and sharing them with others.  I followed their innovators guide motto: “think global and act local.” I decided that I could create more awareness of the excess food that is wasted in the United States, specifically at Freedom High.  We noticed that many people at Freedom do not eat lunch at all. We also noticed that many people that receive lunch throw a lot of it away. For example, they might get milk, carrots, an apple, sandwich, or salad, and then just throw some of the food items in the garbage. I told several of my friends about this and we came up with an idea for spreading awareness of food waste at Freedom on Twitter.  We decided to get a little basket and put it next to the lunch line so that people that don’t want particular food items can put them in the basket and then people that do want the food could grab it and at least have some food for lunch. Here is the link to the info that I am sharing with my friends at Freedom…

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Alex AdamsAugust 30, 2014World Cultures p.3

Culture of Punjab, India

Everyone needs food to survive and every culture has unique and special traditions surrounding the gathering, preparation, and consumption of food. The Punjab region of India, is one of South Asia’s largest producers of food and the Punjabi people are known for the variety of foods they eat.

Punjab, India is located in South Asia. As a region, South Asia generally refers to the countries in Asia that are south of the Himalayan Mountains and extending to the Indian Ocean. This often includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the islands of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Punjab is a state in the northwest part of India and part of a larger Punjab region that extends into Pakistan. The Punjab region is a fertile region near the Indus River. It is surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains to the North. Punjab or Panjab can be translated as “the land of five rivers” and is known as one of the most fertile regions of the world and is India’s greatest supplier of wheat.

The climate of the Punjab region is a mix between warm semi-arid and humid subtropical. The average temperature of the Punjab region is primarily between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that there is a wet and dry season. The average rainfall of this region varies with more rainfall in the hills (50 inches) and less in the valleys (10 inches), though the amount of rainfall has been declining since 1980.

Punjabi villages are compact settlements, with houses clustered around a mosque, temple, or gurdwara (Sikh temple). The houses on the outside edge of the village are built to look like a walled settlement with few openings. The main entrance to a village is through an arched gateway called a darwaza (door or gate), which is also a meeting place for the village. Houses are built close together, often sharing walls. Rooms are built around a central courtyard where animals are tethered and farming implements are stored. Most villages are made up of people in the variety of roles needed in a farming economy—landowners, cultivators, artisans, and service castes. Households usually have comfortable furniture, ceiling fans for the hot summers, and conveniences such as telephones, radios, televisions, and even refrigerators. Many farmers have tractors. Scooters and motorcycles are common, and the wealthier families have cars and jeeps. Punjabis have one of the highest standards of living in Pakistan. However, some areas lack the transportation infrastructure and some other developments seen in the rest of the province.

Punjabi is the name of the language, as well as the people, of the Punjab region. In Pakistan, Punjabi is written using the Persian-Arabic script, which was introduced to the region during the Muslim conquests. Punjabis in India use a different script. Punjabi is spoken by two-thirds of the population of Pakistan. In India, Punjabi is the mother tongue of just under 3 percent of the population. Punjabi was raised to the status of one of India's official languages in 1966. English is also taught in school and many people from this region are multi-lingual with

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English as one of their languages. English was introduced to India by the British, when they controlled India.

People living in the Punjab region of India tend to enjoy cricket, baseball, and soccer. Theater and movies are very popular in India. Bhangra music and dance have become popular in the west and is generally thought of as distinctly Indian sounding. Bhangra’s musical tone comes from the wide use of drums, such as the snare, toms, dhadd, dafli, dholki, and damru, and string instruments, including the guitar (both acoustic and electrical), bass, sitar, tumbi, violin and sarangi. The tumbi is a high-tone, single-string instrument.

The people living in the Punjab region of India are primarily Sikh while some are Hindu. Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest religion, is a discipline that emphasizes monotheism, or belief in one god, and equity between all people exemplified by community sharing, especially sharing of food. Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion and most common religion in India, is a philosophy of life that includes concepts of kharma and darma. Darma includes a strong call to duty and obligation, kharma is a philosophy that emphasizes universal laws of nature. Hinduism is not defined by a single belief but instead is characterized by it tolerance and acceptance of multiple beliefs. A very small minority of people living in the Punjab region are Muslim as most of the Muslims living in the Indian portion of the Punjab migrated north to Pakistan after the Partition of 1947.

Punjabi culture is known for its diversity as this region has been exposed to many various peoples and cultures throughout history. Marriages and weddings in the Punjab region are generally very elaborate and filled with a wide variety of local traditions and customs. The traditional dress for Punjabi men is the Punjabi Kurta and Tehmat which is being replaced by the kurta and pajama, especially the popular Muktsari style in India. The traditional dress for women is the Punjabi Salwar Suit which replaced the traditional Punjabi Ghagra. The Patiala salwar is also very popular.

Historically, the Punjab region was home to many great empires, and the center of Sikhism. After a series of wars with the British for control of this region in the 1900s, the British East India Trading Company gained control of the region and exploited the land for British economic gain. The Amritsar Massacre, one of the most brutal examples of British control of India, occurred in the Punjab region. Gandhi was instrumental in helping this region (and all of India) to achieve independence from Great Britain. After achieving independence, the Punjab region was split between India and Pakistan in the Partition of 1947.

The Punjab region is a major producer of wheat, rice and dairy products so these products make up the staple food as well. Wheat is the staple food of Punjabis; however, they do enjoy eating rice on festivities and other special occasions. Punjabi food has become very popular throughout the world and includes a wide variety of dishes. "Sarso ka saag" and "Maki ki roti" are examples of well-known dishes. Chole- bature also is among the famous dishes from Punjab cuisine. More popular dishes include, naan, butter chicken, mutter paneer, tandoori, samosas, pakoras. Yogurt is used as a side to almost every dish.

In conclusion, the Punjab region is known as the bread-basket of India. It has a perfect climate suited for growing grains and it lies within a fertile river valley.

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Despite this abundance of food, India has a huge population of people that are starving. This reflects the culture and history of India, in which people have not always been treated with the dignity that they deserve.