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Punjabi culture

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Punjabi culture Introduction to Punjab Pakistan: Country Pakistan Established 1 st July 1972 Legislature Unicameral Total area 205,344 km 2 Total population (2012) 91,379,615 Time zone PST (UTC+05:00) Official language Punjabi-Urdu coordinates 20 o N 77 o E / 20 o N 77 o E Geographically, the northwestern edge of the geologic India plate in south Asia is known as 0Punjab. The world PUNJAB was formally introduces by the Mughals in early 17 th century CE. It is combination of the 2 Persian worlds Punj (five) ab (water). Punjab means the land of five rivers/ the five rivers are the tributaries of Indus River namely Chenab, Ravi, Jhelum, Beas and Sutlej. Punjabi culture is one of the oldest in world history, dating from ancient antiquity to the modern era. The scope, history, complexity and density of the culture are vast. Some of the main areas of the Punjabi culture include: Punjabi cuisine, philosophy, poetry, artistry, music, architecture, traditions, values and history. Some cities of Punjab have more importance for Sikh community from India. The founder of Sikh religion was born in Nankana Sahib a district of Punjab Pakistan. So Sikh from different parts of world come and visits Punjab. Jahangir tomb and Badshahi Masjid in Lahore are the important places of Pakistan. Data Sahib is very scared place in Punjab and most of the people come and visit Data Sahib every year. 1 Provincial symbols of Punjab (unofficial) Seal of Punjab Flag of Punjab Provin cial Animal Punja b Urial Provin cial Bird Peaco ck Provin cial Tree Athel Pine Provin cial flower Datur a Metel
Transcript
Page 1: Punjabi culture

Punjabi culture

Introduction to Punjab Pakistan:

Country Pakistan Established 1st July 1972

Legislature Unicameral

Total area 205,344 km2

Total population (2012) 91,379,615

Time zone PST (UTC+05:00)

Official language Punjabi-Urdu

coordinates 20oN 77oE / 20oN 77oE

Geographically, the northwestern edge of the geologic India plate in south Asia is known as 0Punjab.

The world PUNJAB was formally introduces by the Mughals in early 17th century CE. It is combination of the 2 Persian worlds Punj (five) ab (water).

Punjab means the land of five rivers/ the five rivers are the tributaries of Indus River namely Chenab, Ravi, Jhelum, Beas and Sutlej.

Punjabi culture is one of the oldest in world history, dating from ancient antiquity to the modern era. The scope, history, complexity and density of the culture are vast. Some of the main areas of the Punjabi culture include: Punjabi cuisine, philosophy, poetry, artistry, music, architecture, traditions, values and history. Some cities of Punjab have more importance for Sikh community from India. The founder of Sikh religion was born in Nankana Sahib a district of Punjab Pakistan. So Sikh from different parts of world come and visits Punjab. Jahangir tomb and Badshahi Masjid in Lahore are the important places of Pakistan. Data Sahib is very scared place in Punjab and most of the people come and visit Data Sahib every year.

Independence and formation of Punjab:The western Punjab was assimilated into new country of Pakistan while the eastern Punjab joined India. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees. The undivided Punjab of which Punjab (Pakistan) forms a major region today, but it was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus unto 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.

At the time of independence in 1947 and due to the ensuing horrendous exchange of population the Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India, Punjabi Muslims were uprooted similarly from their home in east Punjab which now forms a part of India. Approximately 7 million plus who moved to Pakistan

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Provincial symbols of Punjab (unofficial)

Seal of Punjab

Flag of Punjab

Provincial Animal

Punjab Urial

Provincial Bird

Peacock

Provincial Tree

Athel Pine

Provincial flower

Datura Metel

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Punjabi culture

over 6 million settled in Punjab. In 1947 Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab.

Map of Punjab:

Arrival of Islam:The Punjabis followed a diverse plethora of faiths, mainly comprising Hindus, when the Muslim Umayyad army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Southern Punjab in 712, by defeating Raja Dahir. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Islamic caliphate established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the city of Mecca, their capital was Damascus. Muhammad bin Qasim was the first to bring message of Islam to the population of Punjab. Over the next millennium Punjab was part of Muslim Empires consisting of Afghans, Pashtoon, and Turkic in cooperation with local Punjabi tribes and others, which facilitated a millennium long Islamic dominance across South Asia and with its peak during large parts of the Mughal Empire. During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the province became an important center with Lahore as its second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire based out of Afghanistan. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

Recent history:

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Since the 1950s, Punjab industrialized rapidly. New factories were established in Lahore, Multan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Wah. In the 1960s the new city of Islamabad north of Rawalpindi.

Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis. Unlike neighboring India, there was no large-scale redistribution of agricultural land. As a result most rural areas are dominated by a small set of feudalistic land-owning families.

In the 1950s there was tension between the eastern and western halves of Pakistan. In order to address the situation, a new formula resulted in the abolition of the province status for Punjab in 1955. It was merged into a single province West Pakistan. In 1972, after East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh, Punjab again became a province.

Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of India and Pakistan in the wars of 1965 and 1971. Since the 1990s Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as Kahuta. It also hosts major military bases such as at Sargodha and Rawalpindi. The peace process between India and Pakistan, which began in earnest in 2004, has helped pacify the situation. Trade and people-to-people contacts through the Wagah border are now starting to become common. Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as Nankana Sahib.

Starting in the 1980s, large numbers of Punjabis migrated to the Middle East, Britain, Spain, Canada and the United States for economic opportunities, forming the large Punjabi Diasporas. Business and cultural ties between the United States and Punjab are growing.

Historical populationsCensus Population Urban Rural 1951 20,540,762 3,568,076 16,972,6861961 25,463,974 5,475,922 19,988,0521972 37,607,423 9,182,695 28,424,7281981 47,292,441 13,051646 34,240,7951998 73,621,290 23,019,025 50,602,2652012 91,379,615 45,978,451 45,401,164

Divisions and cities:

1) Divisions:

Map of the Pakistani Punjab divisionSr. District Headquarters Area (km2) Population (1998) Density (people/km2)1 Attock Attock 6,858 1,274,935 1862 Bahawalnagar Bahawalnagar 8,878 2,061,447 2323 Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 24,830 2,433,091 98

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4 Bhakkar Bhakkar 90,000 1,051,456 1295 Chakwal Chakwal 6,525 1,083,725 1666 Chiniot Chiniot ----- 965,124 ----7 Dera Gazi Khan Dera Gazi Khan 11,922 2,043,118 1388 Faisalabad Faisalabad 5,856 5,429,547 9279 Gujranwala Gujranwala 3,622 3,400,940 93910 Gujrat Gujrat 3,192 2,048,008 64211 Hafizabad Hafizabad 2,367 832,980 35212 Jhang Jhang 8,809 2,834,545 32213 Jhelum Jhelum 3,587 936,957 26114 Kasur Kasur 3,995 2,375,875 59515 Khanewal Khanewal 4,349 2,068,490 47616 Khushab Jauharabad 6,511 905,711 13917 Lahore Lahore 1,772 6,318,745 3,56618 Layyah Layyah 6,291 1,120,951 17819 Lodhran Lodhran 2,778 1,171,800 42220 Mandi Bahauddin Mandi Bahauddin 2,673 1,160,552 43421 Mianwali Mianwali 5,840 1,056,620 18122 Multan Multan 3,720 3,116,851 83823 Muzaffarghar Muzaffarghar 8,249 2,635,903 32024 Narowal Narowal 2,337 1,265,097 54125 Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib 2,960 1,410,000 ----26 Okara Okara 4,377 2,232,992 51027 Pakpattan Pakpattan 2,724 1,286,680 47228 Rahim Yar Khan Rahim Yar Khan 11,880 3,141,053 26429 Rajanpur Rajanpur 12,319 1,103,618 9030 Rawalpindi Rawalpindi 5,286 3,363,911 63631 Sahiwal Sahiwal 3,201 1,843,194 57632 Sargodha Sargodha 5,854 2,665,979 45533 Sheikhupura Sheikhupura 5,960 3,321,029 55734 Sialkot Sialkot 3,016 2,723,481 90335 Toba Tek Singh Toba Tek Singh 3,252 1,621,593 49936 Vehari Vehari 4,364 2,090,416 479

2) Cities:Ahmadpur East, Ahmed Nager Chatha, Ali Khan Abad, Alipur, Arifwala, Attock, Bhera, Bhalwal, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Burewala, Chillianwala, Chakwal, Chack Jhumra, Chichawatni, Chiniot, Chishtian, Daska, Davispur, Darya Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dhaular, Dina, Dinga, Dipalpur, Faisalabad, Fateh Jang, Ghakhar Mandi, Gojra, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Gujar Khan, Harappa city, Hafizabad, Haroonabad, Hasilpur, Haveli Lakha, Jalalpur Jattan, Jampur, Jaranwala, Jhang, Jhelum, Kalabagh, Karor Lal Esan, Kasur, Kamalia, Nankana

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Sahib, Okara, Renala Khurd, Pakpattan, Pattoki, Pind Daden Khan, Pir Mahal, Qaimpur, Qila Didar Singh, Rabwah, Raiwind, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sadiqabad, Safdarabad, Sahiwal, Sambrial, samundri, Sangla Hill, Sarai Alamgir, Sargodha, Shakargarh, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Sohawa, Soianwala, Siranwali, Tandlianwala, Talagang, Taxila, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Wah Cantonment, Wazirabad, Yazman and Zafarwal.

List of major cities in PakistanRank City District Population

1 Lahore Lahore 10,500,0002 Faisalabad Faisalabad 5,280,0003 Rawalpindi Rawalpindi 3,391,6564 Multan Multan 2,606,4815 Gujranwala Gujranwala 2,569,0906 D.G.Khan D.G.Khan 630,6457 Sargodha Sargodha 600,5018 Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 543,9299 Gujrat Gujrat 530,64510 Sialkot Sialkot 510,86311 Sheikhupura Sheikhupura 426,98012 Jhang Jhang 372,645

Cultural heritage of Punjab:1) Punjab has been the cradle of civilization since times immemorial. The ruins of Harappa show an

advanced urban culture that flourished over 8000 years ago.2) Taxila another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in

learning arts and crafts in bygone ages.

Religion:The population of Punjab Pakistan is estimated to be 97.21% Muslim with a Sunni Hanafi majority and Shia Ithna minority. The largest non-Muslim minority is Christians and make up 2.31% of the population the other minorities including Ahmedi, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Bahai.

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Others

Christianity

Islam

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Languages spoken in Punjab:Punjabi is the professional language of Punjab. It is spoken as the first language by majority people in Punjab, even spoken and understood in areas beyond the confines of Punjab. Facts and figures show that Punjabi language is spoken as first language by 44% of Pakistanis. Urdu language is also commonly spoken in this region. Key Punjabi language/dialects are:

1) Pothowari2) Hindko3) Jhangvi4) Shahpuri5) Pahari6) Majhi7) Saraiki

Climate of Punjab:Most areas in Punjab experience extreme weather with foggy winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise, springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in.

The onset of the southwest monsoon is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s the weather pattern has been irregular. The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46 °C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51 °C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in Multan in June 1993, when the mercury was reported to have risen to 54 °C. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated

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by the rainy season, referred to as barsat, which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October.

Recently the province experienced one of the coldest winters in the last 70 years.

Punjab's region temperature ranges from −2° to 45 °C, but can reach 50 °C (122 °F) in summer and can touch down to −10 °C in winter.

Climatically, Punjab has three major seasons:

1) Hot weather (April to June) when temperature rises as high as 110 °F.2) Rainy season (July to September). Average rainfall annual ranges between 96 cm sub-

mountain region and 46 cm in the plains.3) Cooler / Mild weather (October to March). Temperature goes down as low as 40 °F.

Peoples of Punjab:Punjabi people are very warm hearted and fun loving. Punjabis are heterogeneous group comprising of different tributes, clans, community and are known to celebrate each and every tradition of their culture. Punjabi people have strong beliefs on Pir-Faqeer, taweez, manat-ka-dagha, black magic and other superstitious. But recently due to increase of literacy, people have become somewhat rational. Punjabis also believe in cast system but now people are getting educated, the differences are getting blurred. Some popular casts of Punjabi’s are: Jutts, Gujjars, Mughals, Rajputs, Kokhars, Sheikhs, Dogars, Qureshis, Syeds, Maliks, Arains, Awans and Mirzas.

In village’s peoples usually live in small communities (Biradaris), however they live in peace and harmony with each other. They take active part in the happiness/grieve of each other and give a great deal of respect to their culture, norms and run their lives according to their set traditions. Punjabi people are famous for their hospitable and loving nature.

Customs and rituals:Some of the customs followed in Punjab have no such foundations in Islam. However the Punjabi culture has adopted those ceremonies are traditions from Hindu culture.

1) Birth rituals:

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Punjabis celebrate birth of their child with great enthusiasm. Grandfather or grandmother or some respected elder member from the family puts honey with their index finger in Childs mouth called Ghurti. Sweets are distrusted among friends and relatives and people bring gifts for the child and mother. Generally on the 7th day Childs head is shaven and Aqiqa ceremony is held and goat/sheep is slaughtered.

2) Wedding rituals:Punjabi weddings are based on traditions and are conducted with strong reflection of the Punjabi culture followed by several pre-wedding customs and rituals (dholki, mayun, ubtan etc). Punjabi weddings are very loud, energetic full of music, colors, fancy-dresses, food and dancing. Punjabi weddings have many customs and ceremonies that have evolved since traditional times. In cities the wedding are celebrated following a blend of modern and traditional customs and the ceremony generally lasts for 3days, Mehandi, Barat (Nikkah+Ruksati) and walima followed by Chauti (bring the bride back to her parents home the next day.

3) Funeral rituals:At funerals after Nimaz-e-Janaza it is customary to offer lunch to people who came for condolence. On 3rd day of funeral AUL is held ad every following Thursday the Quran is recited (Jumah-e-Raat) followed by prayers for deceased and after 40days the CHILISWAAN is held. After which the funeral is over. Some families observe anniversaries yearly (Barsi). There I no formal dress code for Punjabi funerals however people normally wear shalwar kameez and casual clothing is observed. Funerals of shia families are more intense both man and women wear black shalwar kameez and rigorous crying and screaming is a common occurrence at such funerals.

Education in Punjab:The literacy rate has increased greatly over the last 40 years. Punjab has the highest Human Development Index out of all Pakistan’s provinces at 0.670.

Sr.no

Year Literacy Rate

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1 1972 20.7 %2 1981 27.4 %3 1998 46.56 %4 2009 59.6 %5 2014 74.6 % (Citation needed)

This is a chart of the education market of Punjab estimated by the government in 1998.

Qualification Urban Rural Total Enrollment ratio (%)-- 23,019,025 50,602,265 73,621,290 --Below Primary 3,356,173 11,598,039 14,954,212 100.00Primary 6,205,929 18,039,707 24,245,636 79.68Middle 5,140,148 10,818,764 15,958,912 46.75Matriculation 4,624,522 7,119,738 11,744,260 25.07Intermediate 1,862,239 1,821,681 3,683,920 9.12BA, BSC…degrees 110,491 96,144 206,635 4.12MA, MSC…degrees 1,226,914 764,094 1,991,008 3.84Diploma, certificate… 418,946 222,649 641,595 1.13Other Qualifications 73,663 121,449 195,112 0.26

Literature of Punjab:Punjabi is very rich with literature and Sufis adds more in its literature. Punjabi poetry is renowned for its extremely deep meaning, beautiful, exciting ad hopeful use of words. The large numbers of Punjabi poetry works are being translated throughout the world into many languages.

Some of our famous poets are:

1) Waris shah’s contribution to Punjabi literature is best-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha. 2) Bulleh shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher.3) Mian Mohammad Baksh4) Baba Farid5) Anwar Masood

Noble Prizes in Punjabi Literature:

Sr.no. Names Year1 Baba fariduddin Ganjshakar 12th-13th Century

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2 Shah Hussain 16th Century 3 Sultan Bahu 16th-17th Century4 Bulleh Shah 17th-18th Century5 Waris Shah 18th Century 6 Khawaja Gulam Farid 18th-19th Century7 Mian Muhammad Bakhsh 19th Century8 Anwar Masood 20th Century 9 Sharif Kunjahi 20th Century 10 Faiz Ahmad Faiz 20th Century 11 Mir Tanha Yousafi 20th Century

Media in Punjab:

1) Television:1st PTV station was built in Islamabad.

2) Radio:1st radio station was built in 1947 at Lahore.2nd radio station was built in 1948 at Rawalpindi.3rd radio station was built in 1960 at Rawalpindi.

3) Cinema:Lollywood is based in Lahore.Lahore is also headquarter of Pakistani film industry.Number of Urdu films decreased with the same rate of rise in Punjabi language.

Folklore of Punjab:Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. There are several poetic narrations of the story the most famous being ‘Heer’ by Waris Shah written in 1766. It tells the story of the love of Heer and her lover Ranjha. The other three are:

1) Mirza Sahiba (Tragic romance)2) Sassi Punnun3) Sohni Mahiwal

These stories are one of the most prominent examples of medieval poetic legends in the Punjab.

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Dresses in Punjab:Costumes of Punjab are an indication of the bright is vibrant culture and lifestyle of the people. The costumes are a mix of colors, comfort and beauty and Punjab is well known for the use of Phulkari (embroidery) in its costumes. In most of the villages Punjabi men wear Pagri (turban), dothi/lacha, kurta, khusa. Women wear gharara or choridar pajama or colorful shalwar kameez, paranda, choli/duppata, khusa, kola puri chappal or tillay wali jutti. Whereas in urban areas of Punjab men and women follow latest trends and fashion generally they wear different styles of shalwar kameez.

Cuisine of Punjab:The extensive cuisine of Punjab can be vegetarian and non-vegetarian. One commonality between all Punjabi dishes is the liberal usage of ghee or clarified butter spices and Punjabis are fond of sweet-meats also. Most Punjabi food is eaten with either rice or roti. There are some dishes that are exclusive to Punjab such as Mah-di-Dal, Paratha, Makai-ki-Roti, and Sarson-ka-Saag while in cities Choley, Haleem, Baryani and other spicy dishes are popular. In beverages tea is consumed in all seasons and as a custom most of Punjabis serve tea to their guests. Punjabis are also fond of Zarda, Gulab-Jamuns, Kheer, Jalaibi, Samosy, Pokara etc. during summer people drink Lassi, Doodh, Soda, Aloo bokhary ka sharbat, lemonade etc. these cuisines have become world wide delicacies with large scale representation.

Sports in Punjab:Punjabi peoples have fanatical interest in sports. Punjabis are fond of Kabadi and wrestling which is also popular in other parts of Pakistan and its also played on national level. Other games being played in Punjab region include: Gilli-danda, Yassu-Panju, Pitho-Garam, Ludo, Chuppan-chupai, Baraf-Pani and some major sports include cricket, boxing, horse racing, hockey and football. National Horse and Cattle show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions and livestock competitions are held.

Festivals of Punjab:Devotional fairs, religious and seasonal festivals, industrial and commercial fairs and other festivals.

1) Devotional fairs (Urs)

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Punjab is famous for various shrines of Sufi saints and Data durbar in particularThe fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important urs are: urs of Data Ganj Buksh at Lahore, urs of Hazrat Sultan Bahu at Jhang, urs of Hazrat Shah Jewna at Jhang, urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, urs of Hazrat Bulleh Shah at Kasur, urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at Rawalpindi-Islamabad and urs of Shah Inayar Qadri (the murrshad of Bulleh Shah) in Lahore.A big fair/mela is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his claasic work known as Heer Ranjha. The shrine of Heer Ranjha in Jhang has been one of the most visited shrines in Punjab.

2) Religious and seasional fairs and fastivals:Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like Eid-ul-Adha, id-ul-Fitr, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, Ashura, Laylat-al-Qadar and Jumuah-tul-wida. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions,

3) Industrial and commercial fairs:Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colorful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots.

4) Other festivals:In addition to the religious festivals, Sikh and Hindu Punjabis may celebrate seasonal and harvest festivals, which include Lohri, baisakhi, Basant festival (kite flying) in spring season, Basant and Teej.

Attractions in Punjab:

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The province is home to several historical sites, including the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque, the Rohtas Fort and the ruins of the ancient city of Harappa. The Anarkali Market and Jahangir's Tomb are prominent in the city of Lahore as is the Lahore Museum, while the ancient city of Taxila in the northwest was once a major centre of Buddhist and Hindu influence. Several important Sikh shrines are in the province, including the birthplace of the first Guru, Guru Nanak (Born at Nankana Sahib).

The Khewra Salt Mine is a tourist attraction. Tours are accompanied by guides as the mine itself is very large and the complex interconnected passages are like a maze. There is a small but beautiful Mosque inside the mine made from salt stone. A clinical ward with 20 beds was established in 2007 for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory diseases using salt therapy.

Arts and Crafts of Punjab:Punjab is the major manufacturing industry in Pakistan’s economy and here each art enjoys a place of its own. The crafts in the Punjab are of two type:

a) The crafts produced in the rural areas.b) The royal crafts that flourished in the urban center particularly in Lahore.

The former includes cotton, textiles, basketry, embroidery etc. While skill, ivory, silver and wood work, naqqashi and architectural crafts.

Lahore is the center of hand made carpets. The hand-woven cotton cloths like khaddar of kamalia are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.

Women woven Pidhis (low, four, legged woven stools) which are both functional and artistic, leather jootis crafted from different shades. Women weave durries (a pile less cotton spread which can be used on a bed or on the floor).

Phulkaris are major craft generally in red or maroon color and the thread employed in the close embroidery is made of silk in gold, yellow, crimson red, blue and green colors.

Mud works, weaving, embroidery, wood works, folk toy making, parandis and miscellaneous crafts are also included.

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Music in Punjab:Classical music forms are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music. The most common instruments used are:

Table Sitar Bansuri Harmonium Dhol (Dhol is the major musical instrument of Punjab).

For the popular taste however light music particularly gazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of some famous musications are:

Mehdi Hassan Ghulam Ali Noor Jahan Roshen Ara Begum Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Dances of Punjab:Due to the long history of the Punjabi culture and of the Punjabi people there are a large number of dances. These dances are normally performed at time of celebration the most prominent are being at Punjabi weddings where the elation is usually particularly intense. The overall style can range from very high energy to more reserved, however the common elements make it particularly attractive to the viewers Punjabi dances are designed for either men or women.

1) Common Female Punjabi dances are: Sammi Giddha Jaago Kikli Luddi

2) Common Male Punjabi dances are: Bhangra Malwai

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Giddha Jhumar Luddi Julli Dankara Dhamal

Social issues:One social/educational issue is the status of Punjabi language. According to Dr. Mansur Ijaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is neither an official language of the province nor it is used as medium of education at any level. There are only two daily newspapers published in Punjabi in the Central areas of Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan".

References:http:www.wikipedia.com

http:www.yahoo.answers.com

http:www.wikianswers.com

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Punjabi Poetry

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Gallery of Punjab Pakistan

Lahore Fort GPO Lahore Tomb of Jahangir

Lahore Museum Wazir Khan Mosque Jungle in Sahiwal

Minar-e-Pakistan Clock Tower at GC Lahore Sacred Heart Cathedral Lahore

Badshahi Mosque Lahore Asaf Khan’s Mausoleum Clay Pot in Gujrat

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