Punjab, India

Etymology

History

Main article: History of Punjab

Ancient period

The Punjab region is noted as the site of one of the earliest urban societies, the Indus Valley Civilisation that flourished from about 3000 B.C. and declined rapidly 1,000 years later, following the Indo-Aryan migrations that overran the region in waves between 1500 and 500 B.C. Frequent intertribal wars stimulated the growth of larger groupings ruled by chieftains and kings, who ruled local kingdoms known as Mahajanapadas. The rise of kingdoms and dynasties in Punjab is chronicled in the ancient Hindu epics, particularly the Mahabharata. The epic battles described in the Mahabharata are chronicled as being fought in what is now the state of Haryana and historic Punjab. The Gandharas, Kambojas, Trigartas, Andhra, Pauravas, Bahlikas (Bactrian settlers of the Punjab), Yaudheyas, and others sided with the Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra. According to DrFauja Singh and Dr.L.M. Joshi: "There is no doubt that the Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Andhra, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas, Saindhavas, and Kurus had jointly contributed to the heroic tradition and composite culture of ancient Punjab." The bulk of the Rigveda was composed in the Punjab region between circa 1500 and 1200 BC, while later Vedic scriptures were composed more eastwards, between the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. The historical Vedic religion constituted the religious ideas and practices in Punjab during the Vedic period (1500–500 BCE), centred primarily in the worship of Indra.

The earliest known notable local king of this region was known as King Porus, who fought the famous Battle of the Hydaspes against Alexander the Great. His kingdom spanned between rivers Hydaspes (Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab); Strabo had held the territory to contain almost 300 cities. He (alongside Abisares) had a hostile relationship with the Kingdom of Taxila which was ruled by his extended family. When the armies of Alexander crossed Indus in its eastward migration, probably in Udabhandapura, he was greeted by the-then ruler of Taxila, Omphis. Omphis had hoped to force both Porus and Abisares into submission leveraging the might of Alexander's forces and diplomatic missions were mounted, but while Abisares accepted the submission, Porus refused. This led Alexander to seek a face-off with Porus. Thus began the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC; the exact site remains unknown. The battle is thought to have resulted in a decisive Greek victory; however, A. B. Bosworth warns against an uncritical reading of Greek sources who were exaggerative.

Alexander later founded two cities—Nicaea at the site of victory and Bucephalous at the battle-ground, in memory of his horse, who died soon after the battle. Later, tetradrachms would be minted depicting Alexander on horseback, armed with a sarissa and attacking a pair of Indians on an elephant. Porus refused to surrender and wandered about atop an elephant, until he was wounded and his force routed. When asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied "Treat me as a king would treat another king". Despite the apparently one-sided results, Alexander was impressed by Porus and chose to not depose him. Not only was his territory reinstated but also expanded with Alexander's forces annexing the territories of Glausaes, who ruled the area northeast of Porus' kingdom.

After Alexander's death in 323 BCE, Perdiccas became the regent of his empire, and after Perdiccas's murder in 321 BCE, Antipater became the new regent. According to Diodorus, Antipater recognised Porus's authority over the territories along the Indus River. However, Eudemus, who had served as Alexander's satrap in the Punjab region, treacherously killed Porus. The battle is historically significant because it resulted in the syncretism of ancient Greek political and cultural influences to the Indian subcontinent, yielding works such as Greco-Buddhist art, which continued to have an impact for the ensuing centuries. The region was then divided between the Maurya Empire and the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom in 302 B.C.E. Menander I Soter conquered Punjab and made Sagala (present-day Sialkot) the capital of the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Menander is noted for having become a patron and convert to Greco-Buddhism and he is widely regarded as the greatest of the Indo-Greek kings. Greek influence in the region ended around 12 B.C.E. when the Punjab fell under the Sasanians.

Medieval period

Following the muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent at the beginning of the 8th century, Arab armies of the Umayyad Caliphate penetrated into South Asia introducing Islam into Punjab. In the ninth century, the Hindu Shahi dynasty emerged in the Punjab, ruling much of Punjab and eastern Afghanistan. The Turkic Ghaznavids in the tenth century overthrew the Hindu Shahis and consequently ruled for 157 years, gradually declining as a power until the Ghurid conquest of Lahore by Muhammad of Ghor in 1186, deposing the last Ghaznavid ruler Khusrau Malik. Following the death of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206, the Ghurid state fragmented and was replaced in northern India by the Delhi Sultanate. The Delhi Sultanate ruled the Punjab for the next three hundred years, led by five unrelated dynasties, the Mamluks, Khalajis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids and Lodis. A significant event in the late 15th century Punjab was the formation of Sikhism by Guru Nanak."Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikh originated in India." The history of the Sikh faith is closely associated with the history of Punjab and the socio-political situation in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th century.

The hymns composed by Guru Nanak were later collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture of the Sikhs. The religion developed and evolved in times of religious persecution, gaining converts from both Hinduism and Islam. Mughal rulers of India tortured and executed two of the Sikh gurus—Guru Arjan (1563–1605) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)—after they refused to convert to Islam. The persecution of Sikhs triggered the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as an order to protect the freedom of conscience and religion, with members expressing the qualities of a Sant-Sipāhī ('saint-soldier'). The lifetime of Guru Nanak coincided with the conquest of northern India by Babur and establishment of the Mughal Empire. Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjun Dev, while in Mughal custody, for supporting his son Khusrau Mirza's rival claim to the throne. Guru Arjan Dev's death led to the sixth Guru Guru Hargobind to declare sovereignty in the creation of the Akal Takht and the establishment of a fort to defend Amritsar. Jahangir then jailed Guru Hargobind at Gwalior, but released him after a number of years when he no longer felt threatened. The succeeding son of Jahangir, Shah Jahan, took offence at Guru Hargobind's declaration and after a series of assaults on Amritsar, forced the Sikhs to retreat to the Sivalik Hills. The ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, moved the Sikh community to Anandpur and travelled extensively to visit and preach in defiance of Aurangzeb, who attempted to install Ram Rai as new guru.

Modern period

The Mughals came to power in the early sixteenth century and gradually expanded to control all of the Punjab from their capital at Lahore. As Mughal power weakened, Afghan rulers took control of the region. Contested by Marathas and Afghans, the region was the center of the growing influence of the Sikhs, who expanded and established the Sikh Empire in 1799 as the Mughals and Afghans weakened. The Cis-Sutlej states were a group of states in modern Punjab and Haryana states lying between the Sutlej River on the north, the Himalayas on the east, the Yamuna River and Delhi District on the south, and Sirsa district on the west. These states were ruled by the Sikh Confederacy. The empire existed from 1799, when Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. It was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous Sikh misls. At its peak in the 19th century, the Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east, and from Mithankot in the south to Kashmir in the north. It was divided into four provinces: Lahore, in Punjab, which became the Sikh capital; Multan, also in Punjab; Peshawar; and Kashmir from 1799 to 1849. Religiously diverse, with an estimated population of 3.5million in 1831 (making it the 19th most populous country at the time), it was the last major region of the Indian subcontinent to be annexed by the British Empire. The Sikh Empire spanned a total of over 200,000 sqmi at its zenith.

After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the empire was severely weakened by internal divisions and political mismanagement. This opportunity was used by the East India Company to launch the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars. The country was finally annexed and dissolved at the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 into separate princely states and the province of Punjab. Eventually, a Lieutenant Governorship was established in Lahore as a direct representative of the Crown.

Colonial era

The Punjab was annexed by the East India Company in 1849. Although nominally part of the Bengal Presidency it was administratively independent. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, apart from Revolt led by Ahmed Khan Kharal and Murree rebellion of 1857, the Punjab remained relatively peaceful. In 1858, under the terms of the Queen's Proclamation issued by Queen Victoria, the Punjab came under the direct rule of Britain. Colonial rule had a profound impact on all areas of Punjabi life. Economically it transformed the Punjab into the richest farming area of India, socially it sustained the power of large landowners and politically it encouraged cross-communal co-operation among land owning groups. The Punjab also became the major centre of recruitment into the Indian Army. By patronising influential local allies and focusing administrative, economic and constitutional policies on the rural population, the British ensured the loyalty of its large rural population. Administratively, colonial rule instated a system of bureaucracy and measure of the law. The 'paternal' system of the ruling elite was replaced by 'machine rule' with a system of laws, codes, and procedures. For purposes of control, the British established new forms of communication and transportation, including post systems, railways, roads, and telegraphs. The creation of Canal Colonies in western Punjab between 1860 and 1947 brought 14 million acres of land under cultivation, and revolutionised agricultural practices in the region. To the agrarian and commercial class was added a professional middle class that had risen the social ladder through the use of the English education, which opened up new professions in law, government, and medicine. Despite these developments, colonial rule was marked by exploitation of resources. For the purpose of exports, the majority of external trade was controlled by British export banks. The Imperial government exercised control over the finances of Punjab and took the majority of the income for itself.

In 1919, Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to fire on a crowd of demonstrators, mostly Sikhs in Amritsar. The Jallianwala massacre fuelled the Indian independence movement. Nationalists declared the independence of India from Lahore in 1930 but were quickly suppressed. The struggle for Indian independence witnessed competing and conflicting interests in the Punjab. When the Second World War broke out, nationalism in British India had already divided into religious movements. The landed elites of the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities had loyally collaborated with the British since annexation, supported the Unionist Party and were hostile to the Congress party led independence movement. Among the peasantry and urban middle classes, the Hindus were the most active National Congress supporters, the Sikhs flocked to the Akali movement while the Muslims eventually supported the Muslim League. Many Sikhs and other minorities supported the Hindus, who promised a secular multicultural and multireligious society. In March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding the creation of a separate state from Muslim majority areas in British India. This triggered bitter protests by the Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab, who could not accept living in a Muslim Islamic state.

After the partition of the subcontinent had been decided, special meetings of the Western and Eastern Section of the Legislative Assembly were held on 23 June 1947 to decide whether or not the Province of the Punjab be partitioned. After voting on both sides, partition was decided and the existing Punjab Legislative Assembly was also divided into West Punjab Legislative Assembly and the East Punjab Legislative Assembly. This last Assembly before independence, held its last sitting on 4 July 1947. During this period, the British granted separate independence to India and Pakistan, setting off massive communal violence as Punjabi Muslims fled to Pakistan and Hindu and Sikh Punjabis fled east to India. The Sikhs later demanded a Punjabi-speaking Punjab state with an autonomous Sikh government.

Post-colonial era

During the colonial era, the various districts and princely states that made up Punjab Province were religiously eclectic, each containing significant populations of Punjabi Muslims, Punjabi Hindus, Punjabi Sikhs, Punjabi Christians, along with other ethnic and religious minorities. However, a major consequence of independence and the partition of Punjab Province in 1947 was the sudden shift towards religious homogeneity occurred in all districts across province and region owing to the new international border that cut through the subdivision.

The demographic shift was captured when comparing decadal census data taken in 1941 and 1951 respectively, and was primarily due to wide scale migration but also caused by large-scale religious cleansing riots which were witnessed across the region at the time. According to historical demographer Tim Dyson, in the eastern regions of Punjab that ultimately became Indian Punjab following independence, districts that were 66% Hindu in 1941 became 80% Hindu in 1951; those that were 20% Sikh became 50% Sikh in 1951. Conversely, in the western regions of Punjab that ultimately became Pakistani Punjab, all districts became almost exclusively Muslim by 1951.

Following independence, several small Punjabi princely states, including Patiala, acceded to the Union of India and were united into the PEPSU. In 1956 this was integrated with the state of East Punjab to create a new, enlarged Indian state called simply "Punjab". Punjab Day is celebrated across the state on 1 November every year marking the formation of a Punjabi language speaking state under the Punjab Reorganisation Act (1966).

In 1966, following Hindu and Sikh Punjabi demands, the Indian government divided Punjab into the state of Punjab and the Hindi majority-speaking states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

During the 1960s, Punjab was known for its prosperity within India, largely due to its fertile lands and industrious inhabitants. However, a significant portion of the Sikh community felt a sense of disparity from the central government of India. The roots of such grievances stretched back several decades, with the primary issue revolving around the distribution of water from the trio of rivers – Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej – that flowed across the Punjabi territory.

Although Punjab had these waterways running across its lands, it was lawfully granted only a quarter of the water, precisely 24%, as per the Inter-State Water Disputes Act. The rest, a staggering 76%, was assigned to Rajasthan and Haryana. To many Punjabis, especially the farming community who heavily depended on these waters for irrigation, this allocation seemed inequitable. The water distribution was a significant contributing factor to the growing sense of disgruntlement against the central government.

The seeds of discontent further sprouted with the advent of the Green Revolution during the 1960s. This initiative sought to boost agricultural output by introducing high-yield seed varieties, and enhancing the use of fertilisers and irrigation. In the midst of this transformative phase, Punjab became known as India's "food basket", contributing considerably to the nation's agricultural production. Yet, the financial profits garnered from this agricultural surge weren't fairly distributed.

The majority of the gains were hoarded by landowners, who typically owned large plots and were best positioned to exploit the emerging technologies and farming practices. The working class and economically underprivileged segments of society, who often toiled as labourers on these farms, were left with only minor benefits. This uneven distribution of wealth conflicted sharply with Sikh religious customs, which preached economic justice and fair wealth distribution.

The Green Revolution dealt a severe blow to Punjab's small farmers. The larger landowners, with their access to abundant resources and capital, were well-suited to adopt the agricultural innovations brought by the Revolution. This situation sparked further resentment among small farmers, many of whom were forced to relinquish their lands, unable to compete, thereby intensifying the economic chasm.

Beyond the farming sector, Punjab lacked substantial employment opportunities. An excessive focus on agriculture resulted in the state's industrial sector's neglect, leaving it notably underdeveloped. This skewed concentration on agriculture meant that many economically challenged peasants, without feasible employment alternatives, felt cornered and disgruntled.

Even the affluent landowners, the initial beneficiaries of the Green Revolution, felt the economic pinch due to soaring prices of farming inputs like fertilisers and pesticides, and the dearth of essential resources like electricity and water.

Although the Green Revolution was primarily conceived to amplify productivity, it couldn't sustain this increased output over a prolonged period. The introduction of novel crop varieties led to a decline in genetic diversity, thus introducing a new ecological risk. Furthermore, these new crops demanded more water and were highly dependent on chemical fertilisers, both of which had deleterious environmental consequences. Overuse of water led to groundwater resource depletion, and heavy chemical usage adversely affected soil and water systems, further undermining long-term productivity.

From 1981 to 1995 the state suffered a 14-year-long insurgency. Problems began due to disputes between Punjabi Sikhs and the central government of the Republic of India. Tensions escalated throughout the early 1980s and eventually culminated with Operation Blue Star in 1984; an Indian Army operation aimed at the dissident Sikh community of Punjab. Shortly thereafter, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The decade that followed was noted for widespread inter-communal violence and accusations of genocide on the Sikh community by the Indian government.

Geography

Punjab is in northwestern India and has a total area of 50362 km2. Punjab is bordered by Pakistan's Punjab province on the west, Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Himachal Pradesh on the northeast and Haryana and Rajasthan on the south. Most of Punjab lies in a fertile, alluvial plain with perennial rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system. A belt of undulating hills extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas. Its average elevation is 300 m above sea level, with a range from 180 m in the southwest to more than 500 m around the northeast border. The southwest of the state is semi-arid, eventually merging into the Thar Desert.

Punjab lies in the Indus River Basin. Of the five Punjab rivers, three — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — flow through the Indian state and empty into the Indus River in Pakistan. The Sutlej and Ravi define parts of the international border with Pakistan.

The soil characteristics are influenced to a limited extent by the topography, vegetation and parent rock. The variation in soil profile characteristics are much more pronounced because of the regional climatic differences. Punjab is divided into three distinct regions on the basis of soil types: southwestern, central, and eastern. Punjab falls under seismic zones II, III, and IV. Zone II is considered a low-damage risk zone; zone III is considered a moderate-damage risk zone; and zone IV is considered a high-damage risk zone.

Rivers

The major rivers of the Indian state of Punjab, which are:

• 1. Sutlej 2. Beas 3. Ravi All of these rivers are the tributaries of the Indus River.

The minor rivers of the Indian state of Punjab are:

• 1. Budki 2. Sarsa 3. Kali Bein 4. Chakki
• Ghaggar
  • Kaushalya river
  • Sarsuti
    • Chautang
    • Markanda
      • Dangri

Climate

The geography and subtropical latitudinal location of Punjab lead to large variations in temperature from month to month. Even though only limited regions experience temperatures below 0 C, ground frost is commonly found in the majority of Punjab during the winter season. The temperature rises gradually with high humidity and overcast skies. However, the rise in temperature is steep when the sky is clear and humidity is low.

The maximum temperatures usually occur in mid-May and June. The temperature remains above 40 C in the entire region during this period. Ludhiana recorded the highest maximum temperature at 46.1 C with Patiala and Amritsar recording 45.5 C. The maximum temperature during the summer in Ludhiana remains above 41 C for a duration of one and a half months. These areas experience the lowest temperatures in January. The sun rays are oblique during these months and the cold winds control the temperature at daytime.

Punjab experiences its minimum temperature from December to February. The lowest temperature was recorded at Amritsar (0.2 C) and Ludhiana stood second with 0.5 C. The minimum temperature of the region remains below 5 C for almost two months during the winter season. The highest minimum temperature of these regions in June is more than the daytime maximum temperatures experienced in January and February. Ludhiana experiences minimum temperatures above 27 C for more than two months. The annual average temperature in the entire state is approximately 21 C. Further, the mean monthly temperature range varies between 9 C in July to approximately 18 C in November.

Seasons

Punjab experiences three main seasons. They are:

• Summer (mid-April to the end of June)
• Monsoon (early July to the end of September)
• Winter (early December to the end of February).

Apart from these three, the state experiences transitional seasons like:

• Pre-summer season (March to mid-April): This is the period of transition between winter and summer.
• Post-monsoon season (September to end of November): This is the period of transition between monsoon and winter seasons.

Summer

Punjab starts experiencing mildly hot temperatures in February. The actual summer season commences in mid-April and the heat continues until the end of August. High temperatures between May and August hover between 40 and 47°C. The area experiences atmospheric pressure variations during the summer months. The atmospheric pressure of the region remains around 987 millibar during February and it reaches 970 millibar in June.

Monsoon

Punjab's rainy season begins in the first week of July as monsoon currents generated in the Bay of Bengal bring rain to the region. The monsoon lasts up to mid-September.

Post-Monsoon transitional season

The monsoon begins to reduce by the second week of September. This brings a gradual change in climate and temperature. The time between October and November is the transitional period between monsoon and winter seasons. Weather during this period is generally temperate and dry.

Winter

Temperature variation is minimal in January. The mean night and day temperatures fall to 5 C and 12 C, respectively.

Post-Winter transitional season

The effects of winter diminish by the first week of March. The hot summer season commences in mid-April. This period is marked by occasional showers with hail storms and squalls that cause extensive damage to crops. The winds remain dry and warm during the last week of March, commencing the harvest period.

Rainfall

• Monsoon Rainfall Monsoon season provides most of the rainfall for the region. Punjab receives rainfall from the monsoon current of the Bay of Bengal. This monsoon current enters the state from the southeast in the first week of July.
• Winter Rainfall The winter season remains very cool with temperatures falling below freezing at some places. Winter also brings in some western disturbances. Rainfall in the winter provides relief to the farmers as some of the winter crops in the region of Shivalik Hills are entirely dependent on this rainfall. As per meteorological statistics, the sub-Shivalik area receives more than 100 mm of rainfall in the winter months.

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, Mullanpur (Punjab) is one of the world's 20 most polluted city in India.

Wildlife

The fauna of the area is rich, with 396 types of birds, 214 kinds of Lepidoptera, 55 varieties of fish, 20 types of reptiles, and 19 kinds of mammals. The state of Punjab has large wetland areas, bird sanctuaries that house numerous species of birds, and many zoological parks. Wetlands include the national wetland Hari-Ke-Pattan, the wetland of Kanjli, and the wetlands of Kapurthala Sutlej. Wildlife sanctuaries include the Harike in the district of Tarn Taran Sahib, the Zoological Park in Rupnagar, Chhatbir Bansar Garden in Sangrur, Aam Khas Bagh in Sirhind, Amritsar's famous Ram Bagh Palace, Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala, and the famous Baradari Garden in the city of Patiala.

Flora

Punjab has the lowest forest cover as a percentage of land area of any Indian state, with 3.6% of its total area under forest cover as of 2017. During the Green Revolution, large tracts of jungles were cut-down in the state to make room for agriculture and forested areas were also cleared for road infrastructure and residential homes. Various NGOs are working towards afforestation and reforestation of the state by launching educational drives, planting saplings, working towards regulatory changes, and pressuring organisations to follow environmental laws. One NGO, EcoSikh, has planted over 100 forests, composed of native plant species, in the state using the Japanese Miyawaki methodology that are named 'Guru Nanak Sacred Forests'. Native plant species are facing the risk of extirpation from the state but planting mini-forests throughout the land can help prevent this from occurring. Prior to the Green Revolution, Butea monosperma (known as 'dhak' in Punjabi) trees were found in abundance in the state.

Fauna

A few of the rivers in Punjab have crocodiles, including reintroduced gharials in the Beas River after half a century of their extirpation from the state. Indus river dolphins can be found in the Harike Wetland. The extraction of silk from silkworms is another industry that flourishes in the state. Production of bee honey is done in some parts of Punjab. The southern plains are desert land; hence, camels can be seen. Buffaloes graze around the banks of rivers. The northeastern part is home to animals like horses. Wildlife sanctuaries have many more species of wild animals like the otter, wild boar, wildcat, fruit bat, hog deer, flying fox, squirrel, and mongoose. Naturally formed forests can be seen in the Shivalik ranges in the districts of Ropar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. Patiala is home to the Bir forest while the wetlands area in Punjab is home to the Mand forest. The local subspecies of blackbuck, A. c. rajputanae, is facing the risk of extirpation from the state.

Botanical gardens exist throughout Punjab. There is a zoological park and a tiger safari park, as well as three parks dedicated to deer.

The state bird is the northern goshawk (baz) (Accipiter gentilis), the state animal is the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), the state aquatic animal is Indus river dolphin (Platanista minor), and the state tree is the shisham (Dalbergia sissoo).

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Punjab (India), List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population

| 1881| | 1891| | 1901| | 1911| | 1921| | 1931| | 1941| | 1951| | 1961| | 1971| | 1981| | 1991| | 2001| | 2011|

Out of total population, 37.5% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.5%.

Gender

There has been a constant decline in the sex ratio of the state. The sex ratio in Punjab was 895 females per 1000 males, which was below the national average of 940. In June 2023, state government under Aam Aadmi Party announced that all women on the birth of a second girl child will receive 6000 rupees.

See detailed district wise table - Demographics of Punjab, India § Gender

Literacy

The literacy rate rose to 75.84% as per 2011 population census, which was only slightly higher than the national average of 74.04%. Of that, male literacy stands at 80.4% while female literacy is at 70.7%. In actual numbers, total literates in Punjab stands at 18,707,137 of which males were 10,436,056 and females were 8,271,081.The median number of years of schooling completed in the state was 6.5 for females and 7.8 for males, as of 2011.

See detailed district & religion wise table - Demographics of Punjab, India § Literacy rate

Language

Punjabi ]]

(First Language) (2011) Punjabi is the native and sole official language of Punjab and as of the 2011 census, is spoken as first language by million people, or roughly 90% of the state's population. Hindi is spoken by million, or 7.9% of the population, Bagri has speakers (or 0.8%), while the remaining (or 1.5%) spoke other languages.

Caste

The 2011 Census of India found Scheduled Castes to account for 31.9% of the state's population. The Other Backward Classes have 31.3% population in Punjab. The exact population of Forward castes is not known as their data from Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 is not made public as of 2019.

According to the 2011 census, 73.33% of scheduled caste people reside in rural areas and 26.67% in urban areas of Punjab. Punjab accounts for 4.3% of the SC population of the country, despite having only 2.3% of the total population. The population growth rate of SC population between 2001 and 2011 was 26.06%, compared to 13.89% for the state as a whole. Literacy rate among SCs was 64.81%, compared to 75.84% of the state as a whole.

As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2015–16), the infant mortality rate was 40 per 1000 live births before the age of one year for scheduled castes, compared to 29 per 1000 births for the state as a whole. The infant mortality rate for Other Backward Castes (OBC) was 21 per 1000 live births and 22 per 1000 for those who are not from SC and OBC classes. Although the prevalence of anaemia (low levels of haemoglobin in the blood) has been found quite high among all population groups in Punjab, it was still higher among the SC population than other groups. For the women between the ages of 15 and 49 years, the prevalence of anaemia among SC women was 56.9%, compared to 53.5% for the state as a whole. Among the children between the ages of 6 and 59 months, the rate of anaemia for SC children was 60%, compared to 56.9% for the state as a whole.

Below is the list of districts according to the percentage of their SC population, according to 2011 census.

Religion

Punjab has the largest population of Sikhs in India and is the only state where Sikhs form a majority, numbering around 16 million forming 57.7% of the state population. Hinduism is the second largest religion in the Indian state of Punjab numbering around 10.68million and forming 38.5% of the state's population and a majority in Doaba region. Islam is followed by 535,489 accounting 1.9% of the population and are mainly concentrated in Malerkotla and Qadian. Other smaller segments of religions existing in Punjab are Christianity practised by 1.3%, Jainism practised by 0.2%, Buddhism practised by 0.1% and others 0.3%. Sikhs form a majority in 17 districts out of the total 23 districts while Hindus form the majority in 5 districts, namely, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Fazilka and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.

| }} The Sikh shrine, Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), is in the city of Amritsar, which houses the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the topmost Sikh religious body. The Sri Akal Takht Sahib, which is within the Golden Temple complex, is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. Of the five Takhts (Temporal Seats of religious authority) of Sikhism, three are in Punjab. These are Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Damdama Sahib and Anandpur Sahib. At least one Sikh Gurdwara can be found in almost every village in the state, as well as in the towns and cities (in various architectural styles and sizes).

Hindu Mandirs can be found all over Punjab with the Shri Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar, and the Shri Devi Talab Mandir in Jalandhar visited by many pilgrims every year. A segment of Punjabi Hindus exhibit syncretic religious traditions in spiritual kinship with Sikhism. This not only includes veneration of the Sikh Gurus in private practice but also visit to Sikh Gurdwaras in addition to Hindu Mandirs.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Punjab, India, Government of Punjab, India, Greater Punjab Movement, India, Punjab Legislative Assembly, List of districts of Punjab, India

Punjab is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy. Each of the states of India possesses a parliamentary system of government, with a ceremonial state Governor, appointed by the President of India on the advice of the central government. The head of government is an indirectly elected Chief Minister who is vested with most of the executive powers. The term length of the government is five years. The state legislature, the Vidhan Sabha, is the unicameral Punjab Legislative Assembly, with 117 members elected from single-seat constituencies.

The capital of Punjab is Chandigarh, which also serves as the capital of Haryana and is thus administered separately as a union territory of India. The judicial branch of the state government is provided by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh.

The three major political parties in the state are the Aam Aadmi Party, a centrist to left-wing party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Sikh right-wing Punjabiyat party and the Indian National Congress, a centrist catch-all party. President's rule has been imposed in Punjab eight times so far, since 1950, for different reasons. In terms of the absolute number of days, Punjab was under the President's rule for 3,510 days, which is approximately 10 years. Much of this was in the 80s during the height of militancy in Punjab. Punjab was under the President's rule for five continuous years from 1987 to 1992.

Punjab state law and order is maintained by Punjab Police. Punjab police is headed by its DGP, Dinkar Gupta, and has 70,000 employees. It manages state affairs through 22 district heads known as SSP.

Administrative set-up

Punjab has 23 districts, which are geographically classified into Majha, Malwa, Doaba and Puadh regions, as under: –

• Majha (4)
  • 1. Amritsar
  • 2. Gurdaspur
  • 3. Pathankot
  • 4. Tarn Taran
• Doaba (4)
  • 1. Hoshiarpur 2. Jalandhar 3. Kapurthala
  • 4. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar
• Malwa (12)
  • 1. Barnala 2. Bathinda 3. Firozpur 4. Fazilka
  • 5. Faridkot 6. Ludhiana 7. Moga 8. Malerkotla
  • 9. Mansa 10. Sri Muktsar Sahib 11. Patiala 12. Sangrur
• Puadh (3)
  • 1. SAS Nagar (Mohali)
  • 2. Rupnagar
  • 3. Fatehgarh Sahib

These districts are officially divided among 5 administrative divisions: Faridkot, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Patiala and Ropar(created on 31 December 2010, which was a part of Patiala Division earlier).

Each district is under the administrative control of a Deputy Commissioner (DC), an IAS officer. The DC functions as the Collector for land revenue administration and as the District Magistrate (DM) for maintaining law and order in the district. The DC is assisted by Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) at collectorate. The districts are subdivided into subdivisions and tehsils, headed by Sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and Tehsildars. The districts are subdivided into 93 tehsils, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records comes under the administrative control of a Tehsildar. Each Tehsil consists of blocks which are total 150 in number. These blocks consist of Revenue Villages. There are total number of revenue villages in the state is 12,278.

There are 23 Zila Parishads, 136 Municipal Committees and 22 Improvement Trusts looking after 143 towns and 14 cities of Punjab. The local government institutions such as Panchayats looking after the governance of rural areas and municipalities looking after the governance of urban areas.

The capital city of the state is Chandigarh and largest city of the state is Ludhiana. Out of total population of Punjab, 37.48% people live in urban regions. The absolute urban population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.48%. The major cities are Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Mohali, Patiala and Bathinda.

Traditional regions

As per H. S. Bhatti, the region of Indian Punjab can be further divided into three main regions: Majha, Doaba, and Malwa (he classifies Puadh as a sub-region subsumed under Malwa), which are based upon the flow of rivers and speak different dialects of the Punjabi language. They comprise the following districts (as they existed in 2000):

• Majha: Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts
• Doaba: Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Nawanshahr districts
• Malwa: Bathinda, Faridkot, Firozpur, Muktsar, Moga, Mansa, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Ropar, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts

Another way of dividing up the regions of Punjab (which is not well demarcated and often confusing) is based upon bet (area prone to flooding and comes into the flow of rivers), dhaha (old-bed of a river which are high and sandy but still at risk of flooding), and dakar (far-away from river-banks and usually safe from flooding).

Economy

Main article: Economy of Punjab (India), E-governance in Punjab

Punjab's GDP is . Punjab is one of the most fertile regions in India. The region is ideal for wheat-growing. Rice, sugar cane, fruits and vegetables are also grown. Indian Punjab is called the "Granary of India" or "India's bread-basket". It produces 10.26% of India's cotton, 19.5% of India's wheat, and 11% of India's rice. The Firozpur and Fazilka Districts are the largest producers of wheat and rice in the state. In worldwide terms, Indian Punjab produces 2% of the world's cotton, 2% of its wheat and 1% of its rice.

Punjab ranked first in GDP per capita among Indian states in 1981 and fourth in 2001, but has experienced slower growth than the rest of India, having the second-slowest GDP per capita growth rate of all Indian states and UTs between 2000 and 2010, behind only Manipur.

Agriculture

Punjab's economy has been primarily agriculture-based since the Green Revolution due to the presence of abundant water sources and fertile soils; most of the state lies in a fertile alluvial plain with many rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system. The largest cultivated crop is wheat. Other important crops are rice, cotton, sugarcane, pearl millet, maize, barley and fruit. Rice and wheat are doublecropped in Punjab with rice stalks being burned off over millions of acres prior to the planting of wheat. This widespread practice is polluting and wasteful. Despite covering only 1.53% of its geographical area, Punjab makes up for about 15–20% of India's wheat production, around 12% of its rice production, and around 5% of its milk production, being known as India's breadbasket. About 80%-95% of Punjab's agricultural land is owned by its Jat Sikh community despite it only forming 21% of the state's population.

In Punjab the consumption of fertiliser per hectare is 223.46kg as compared to 90kg nationally. The state has been awarded the National Productivity Award for agriculture extension services for ten years, from 1991 to 1992 to 1998–99 and from 2001 to 2003–04. In recent years a drop in productivity has been observed, mainly due to falling fertility of the soil. This is believed to be due to excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides over the years. Another worry is the rapidly falling water table on which almost 90% of the agriculture depends; alarming drops have been witnessed in recent years. By some estimates, groundwater is falling by a meter or more per year.

According to the India State Hunger Index 2019–20, Punjab falls under the "Moderate" hunger category in India.

Industries

Other major industries include financial services, the manufacturing of scientific instruments, agricultural goods, electrical goods, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines, sports goods, starch, fertilisers, bicycles, garments, and the processing of pine oil and sugar. Minerals and energy resources also contribute to Punjab's economy to a much lesser extent. Punjab has the largest number of steel rolling mill plants in India, which are in "Steel Town"—Mandi Gobindgarh in the Fatehgarh Sahib district.

Remittances

Punjab also has a large diaspora that is mostly settled in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, numbers about 3 million, and sends back billions of USD in remittances to the state, playing a major role in its economy.

Transport

Main article: Punjab Roadways, PEPSU Road Transport Corporation

Air

Punjab has six civil airports including two international airports: Amritsar International Airport and Chandigarh Airport at Mohali; and four domestic airports: Bathinda Airport, Pathankot Airport, Adampur Airport (Jalandhar) and Ludhiana Airport. Apart from these 6 airports, there are 2 airfields at Beas (Amritsar) and Patiala which do not serve any commercial flight operations, as of now.

Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar, is the Primary Hub Airport and Gateway to Punjab, as the airport serves direct connectivity to key cities around the world, including London, Singapore, Milan, Dubai, Birmingham among others.

Railways

The Indian Railways' Northern Railway line runs through the state connecting most of the major towns and cities. Premium trains like the Vande Bharat Express and Shatabdi Express connect Amritsar to New Delhi, covering a total distance of 449km. Amritsar Junction railway station is the busiest junction of the state. Bathinda Junction holds the record of maximum railway lines from a railway junction in Asia. Punjab's major railway stations are Amritsar Junction (ASR), Ludhiana Junction (LDH), Jalandhar Cantonment (JRC), Firozpur Cantonment (FZR), Jalandhar City Junction (JUC), Pathankot Junction (PTK) and Patiala railway station (PTA). The railway station of Amritsar is included in the Indian Railways list of 50 world-class railway stations.

Roads

All the cities and towns of Punjab are connected by four-lane national highways. The Grand Trunk Road, also known as "NH1", connects Kolkata to Peshawar, passing through Amritsar and Jalandhar. National highways passing through the state are ranked the best in the country with widespread road networks that serve isolated towns as well as the border region. Amritsar and Ludhiana are among several Indian cities that have the highest accident rates in India.

The following expressways will pass through Punjab:

• Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway from Delhi to Katra (National Expressway 5)
• Amritsar–Jamnagar Expressway from Amritsar to Jamnagar
• Pathankot–Ajmer Expressway from Pathankot to Ajmer

The following national highways connect major towns, cities and villages:

• National Highway 1
• National Highway 10
• National Highway 15
• National Highway 1A
• National Highway 54
• National Highway 20
• National Highway 21
• National Highway 22
• National Highway 64
• National Highway 70
• National Highway 71
• National Highway 95

Urban Rapid Transit System

There are also a bus rapid transit system Amritsar BRTS in the holy city of Amritsar, popularly known as 'Amritsar MetroBus'

Education

Main article: Education in Punjab (India)

Schools

Primary and Secondary education is mainly affiliated to Punjab School Education Board. Punjab is served by several institutions of higher education, including 23 universities that provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all the major arts, humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, veterinary science, and business. Reading and writing Punjabi language is compulsory until matriculation for every student failing which the schools attract fine or cancellation of licence.

The table below shows the district level teacher to pupil ratio from class 1 to 5 in Punjab, as of 2017.

The table below shows the average population per school in each district of Punjab as of 2011 census and the total number of schools as of 2017. This includes government schools, affiliated schools, recognised and aided schools. Note:- Pathankot and Fazilka were part of Gurdaspur and Ferozepur respectively, before 2011, so separate data for them regarding the average population per school is not available.

Colleges and universities

Punjab Agricultural University is a leading institution globally for the study of agriculture and played a significant role in Punjab's Green Revolution in the 1960s–70s. Alumni of the Panjab University, Chandigarh include Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, and Har Gobind Khorana, a biochemistry nobel laureate. One of the oldest institutions of medical education is the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, which has existed since 1894. There is an existing gap in education between men and women, particularly in rural areas of Punjab. Of a total of 1 million 300 thousand students enrolled in grades five to eight, only 44% are women.

Punjab has 23 universities, of which ten are private, 9 are state, one is central and three are deemed universities. Punjab has 104,000 (104,000) engineering seats.

Punjab is also increasingly becoming known for education of yoga and naturopathy, with its student slowly adopting these as their career. The Board of Naturopathy and Yoga Science (BNYS) is located in the state. Regional College Dinanagar is the first college to be opened in Dinanagar Town. File:Khalsa College-Monumentos de Amritsar-India16.JPG|Khalsa College, Amritsar File:Guru Nanak Dev University3.jpg|The Ranjit Singh Block at Guru Nanak Dev University File:PUP GGSB.jpg|Guru Gobind Singh Bhawan at Punjabi University

Health

Main article: Health in Punjab, India

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data from 2015–16, the rate stunting (low height for age) for children between the ages of 0–59 months was 26%, which was lower than the national average of 38%. As of 2015–16, 56.6% children between the ages of 0–57 months were said to be having some degree of anaemia in Punjab. According to the national family health survey of 2020–21, anaemia rate increased to 71.1%.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2020–21, the percentage of people in Punjab above the age of 15 who consume alcohol was 22.8% for men and 0.3% for women. The rate of tobacco usage in the same age group was 12.9% for men and 0.4% for women. According to the same report, the percentage of males in the age group of 15–49 who were obese or overweight was 32.2% in 2020–21, which an increase from the 27.8% in 2015–16. For women in the same age group, the number in 2020–21 was 40.8% which was an increase from 31.3% in 2015–16. Moreover, according to the same report, 63.1% of the men and 72.8% of the women have high risk waist-to-hip ratio, as of 2020–21.

The table below shows the district wise number of registered doctors and other registered medical personnel in Punjab, in year 2018. Note:- The ranks of the districts in this table are in the descending order of the number of registered doctors.

The table below shows the population served per doctor, per nurse and per midwife by districts of Punjab, in the year 2018. Note:- The ranks of the districts in the table are in the ascending order of the population served per doctor.

The table given below shows the population served per doctor in Punjab, by years.

The table below shows the district wise population served per bed.

Media

Main article: List of Punjabi media, List of Punjabi-language newspapers, List of Punjabi-language television channels

Daily Ajit, Jagbani and Punjabi Tribune are the largest-selling Punjabi newspapers while The Tribune is most selling English newspaper. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in Punjabi. Other main newspapers are Daily Punjab Times, Rozana Spokesman, Nawan Zamana, etc.

Doordarshan is the broadcaster of the Government of India and its channel DD Punjabi is dedicated to Punjabi. Prominent private Punjabi channels include news channels like BBC Punjabi, ABP Sanjha, Global Punjab TV, News18 Punjab-Haryana-Himachal, Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal, PTC News and entertainment channels like Zee Punjabi, ATN Punjabi Plus, ATN Punjabi, Chardikla Time TV, PTC Punjabi, Colours Punjabi, ATN Punjabi 5, ATN PM One and 9x Tashan.

Punjab has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Jalandhar, Patiala and Amritsar, which has become hugely popular. There are government radio channels like All India Radio, Jalandhar, All India Radio, Bathinda and FM Gold Ludhiana. Private radio channels include Radio Mirchi, BIG FM 92.7, 94.3 My FM, Radio Mantra and many more.

Culture

Main article: Punjabi culture, Punjabi people, Punjabi festivals, Punjabi clothing, Punjabi Tamba and Kurta

The culture of Punjab has many elements including music such as bhangra, an extensive religious and non-religious dance tradition, a long history of poetry in the Punjabi language, a significant Punjabi film industry that dates back to before Partition, a vast range of cuisine, which has become widely popular abroad, and a number of seasonal and harvest festivals such as Lohri, Basant, Vaisakhi and Teeyan, all of which are celebrated in addition to the religious festivals of India.

A kissa is a Punjabi language oral story-telling tradition that has a mixture of origins ranging from the Arabian Peninsula to Iran and Afghanistan.

Punjabi wedding traditions and ceremonies are a strong reflection of Punjabi culture. Marriage ceremonies are known for their rich rituals, songs, dances, food and dresses, which have evolved over many centuries.

Bhangra

Main article: Folk dances of Punjab

Bhangra (; pronounced ) and Giddha are forms of dance and music that originated in the Punjab region.

Bhangra dance began as a folk dance conducted by Punjabi farmers to celebrate the coming of the harvest season. The specific moves of Bhangra reflect the manner in which villagers farmed their land. This hybrid dance became Bhangra. The folk dance has been popularised in the western world by Punjabis in England, Canada and the US where competitions are held. It is seen in the West as an expression of South Asian culture as a whole. Today, Bhangra dance survives in different forms and styles all over the globe – including pop music, film soundtracks, collegiate competitions and cultural shows.

Punjabi folklore

Main article: Punjabi folklore, Folk instruments of Punjab

The folk heritage of the Punjab reflects its thousands of years of history. While Majhi is considered to be the standard dialect of Punjabi language, there are a number of Punjabi dialects through which the people communicate. These include Malwai, Doabi and Puadhi. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnun, Jagga Jatt, Dulla Bhatti, Puran Bhagat, Jeona Maud etc. The mystic folk songs and religious songs include the Shalooks of Sikh gurus, Baba Farid and others.

The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan. Punjabi romantic dances include Dhamaal, Bhangra, Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi and some other local folk dances.

Literature

Most early Punjabi literary works are in verse form, with prose not becoming more common until later periods. Throughout its history, Punjabi literature has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain. The Punjabi language is written in several different scripts, of which the Shahmukhi, the Gurmukhī scripts are the most commonly used.

Music

Punjabi Folk Music is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of Punjab region.

Bhangra music of Punjab is famous throughout the world.

Punjabi music has a diverse style of music, ranging from folk and Sufi to classical, notably the Punjab gharana and Patiala gharana.

Film industry

Punjab is home to the Punjabi film industry, often colloquially referred to as 'Pollywood'. It is known for being the fastest growing film industry in India. It is based mainly around Mohali city. According to MP Manish Tewari, the government is planning to build a film city in Mohali.

The first Punjabi film was made in 1936. Since the 2000s Punjabi cinema has seen a revival with more releases every year with bigger budgets, homegrown stars, and Bollywood actors of Punjabi descent taking part.

Crafts

The city of Amritsar is home to the craft of brass and copper metalwork done by the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, which is enlisted on the UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Years of neglect had caused this craft to die out, and the listing prompted the Government of Punjab to undertake a craft revival effort under Project Virasat.

Cuisine

Main article: Punjabi cuisine, Punjabi dhabha

One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant cuisine sometimes vary in taste. Restaurant style uses large amounts of ghee. Some food items are eaten on a daily basis while some delicacies are cooked only on special occasions.

There are many regional dishes that are famous in some regions only. Many dishes are exclusive to Punjab, including Sarson Da Saag, Tandoori chicken, Shami kebab, makki di roti, etc.

Festivals and traditions

Punjabis celebrate a number of festivals, which have taken a semi-secular meaning and are regarded as cultural festivals by people of all religions. Some of the festivals are Bandi Chhor Divas (Diwali), Mela Maghi, Hola Mohalla, Rakhri, Vaisakhi, Lohri, Gurpurb, Guru Ravidass Jayanti, Teeyan and Basant Kite Festival.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Punjab, India

Kabbadi (Circle Style), a team contact sport originated in rural Punjab is recognised as the state game. Field hockey is also a popular sport in the state. Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as the Rural Olympics, is held annually in Kila Raipur (near Ludhiana). Competition is held for major Punjabi rural sports, include cart-race, rope pulling. Punjab government organises World Kabaddi League,

Punjab Games and annual Kabaddi World Cup for Circle Style Kabbadi in which teams from countries like Argentina, Canada, Denmark, England, India, Iran, Kenya, Pakistan, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain and United States participated. A major C.B.S.E event C.B.S.E Cluster Athlectics also held in Punjab at Sant Baba Bhag Singh University.

The Punjab state basketball team won the National Basketball Championship on many occasions, most recently in 2019 and 2020.

Tourism

Main article: List of Monuments of National Importance in Punjab, Tourism in Punjab, India, Tourism in Amritsar

Tourism in Indian Punjab centres around the historic palaces, battle sites, and the great Sikh architecture of the state and the surrounding region. Examples include various sites of the Indus Valley civilisation, the ancient fort of Bathinda, the architectural monuments of Kapurthala, Patiala, and Chandigarh, the modern capital designed by Le Corbusier.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar is one of the major tourist destinations of Punjab and indeed India, attracting more visitors than the Taj Mahal. Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 has voted the Harmandir Sahib as one of the world's best spiritual sites. Moreover, there is a rapidly expanding array of international hotels in the holy city at Heritage Walk Amritsar that can be booked for overnight stays. Devi Talab Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Jalandhar. This temple is devoted to Goddess Durga and is believed to be at least 200 years old. Another main tourist destination is religious and historic city of Sri Anandpur Sahib where large number of

tourists come to see the Virasat-e-Khalsa (Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex) and also take part in Hola Mohalla festival. Kila Raipur Sports Festival is also popular tourist attraction in Kila Raipur near Ludhiana. Shahpur kandi fort, Ranjit Sagar lake and Sikh Temple in Sri Muktsar Sahib are also popular attractions in Punjab. Punjab also has the world's first museum based on the Indian Partition of 1947, in Amritsar, called the Partition Museum.

Notes

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

• Radhika Chopra. Militant and Migrant: The Politics and Social History of Punjab (2011)
• Harnik Deol. Religion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab (Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia) (2000)
• Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Encyclopedia of Jalandhar, Sikh University Press, Brussels, Belgium (2005)
• Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, SIKH HISTORY in 10 volumes, Sikh University Press, Brussels, Belgium (2010–11)
• J. S. Grewal. The Sikhs of the Punjab (The New Cambridge History of India) (1998)
• J. S. Grewal. Social and Cultural History of the Punjab: Prehistoric, Ancient and Early Medieval (2004)
• Nazer Singh. Delhi and Punjab: Essays in history and historiography (1995)
• Tai Yong Tan. The Garrison State: Military, Government and Society in Colonial Punjab, 1849–1947 (Sage Series in Modern Indian History) (2005)
• J. C. Aggarwal and S. P. Agrawal, eds. Modern History of Punjab: Relevant Select Documents (1992)
• R. M. Chopra, The Legacy of The Punjab, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.

References

1. "Know Punjab – Government of Punjab, India".
2. (July 2020). "Population Projections for India and States, 2011–2036".
3. "Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013)". Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.
4. Singh, Shruti. (8 April 2025). "Punjab Budget Analysis 2025-26".
5. "India: Subnational HDI".
6. (23 September 2024). "Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2023 – June 2024)". National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India.
7. "State Bird is BAAZ".
8. {{Cite Dictionary.com. Punjab
9. "Border Area Development Programmes in Punjab". Department of Planning Punjab.
10. "Official site of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India".
11. "Area, population, decennial growth rate and density for 2001 and 2011 at a glance for Punjab and the districts: provisional population totals paper 1 of 2011: Punjab". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
12. "Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013)". Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.
13. "Population by religion community – 2011". The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.
14. Encyclopædia Britannica, ninth ed., vol. 20, Punjab, p.107
15. Singh, Mohinder. (1988). "History and Culture of Panjab". Atlantic Publishers.
16. Chattopadhyaya, Brajadulal. (2003). "Studying Early India: Archaeology, Texts, and Historical Issues". Permanent Black Publishers.
17. Romm, James S.. (2012). "The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander". Anchor Books.
18. (2009). "The Pearson General Studies Manual 2009". Pearson.
19. Daniélou, Alain. (2003). "A Brief History of India". Simon and Schuster.
20. Majumdar, R. C.. (1977). "Ancient India". Motilal Banarsidass.
21. Mohan, R. T.. (2010). "Afghanistan Revisited: The Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab ( C.840.-1026 CE)". MLBD.
22. Lapidus, I. M.. (27 September 2011 }}
    —{{cite web). "A History of Islamic Societies". Cambridge University Press.
23. Jestice, J. G.. (May 2018}}
    —{{cite book). "Faiths Across Time: 5,000 Years of Religious History". ABC-CLIO.
24. (1990). "The Sikhs of the Punjab". [[Cambridge University Press]].
25. Cunningham, Joseph. (1853). "Cunningham's history of the Sikhs".
26. D'Costa, Bina. (25 December 2015). "Partition of India: The Human Dimension". Routledge.
27. Brass, Paul R.. (2005). "Language, Religion and Politics in North India". iUniverse.
28. Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. (1996). "Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants". University of Pennsylvania Press.
29. "Handbook of Statistics of Indian States".
30. "Sub-national HDI – Area Database". Institute for Management Research, Radboud University.
31. (June 2014). "Indian Films by Language". Film Federation of India.
32. Minahan, James. (2012). "Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia". ABC-CLIO.
33. Buddha Parkash, ''Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab'', p 36.
34. Joshi, L. M., and Fauja Singh. ''History of Panjab'', Vol I. p. 4.
35. Flood, Gavin. (13 July 1996). "An Introduction to Hinduism". Cambridge University Press.
36. Wheeler, James Talboys. (1874). "The History of India from the Earliest Ages: Hindu Buddhist Brahmanical revival". N. Trübner.
37. Hunter, W. W.. (5 November 2013). "The Indian Empire: Its People, History and Products". Routledge.
38. Virdee, Pippa. (February 2018). "From the Ashes of 1947". Cambridge University Press.
39. Bosworth, Albert Brian. (1993). "Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great". Cambridge University Press.
40. Holt, Frank Lee. (2003). "Alexander the Great and the mystery of the elephant medallions". University of California Press.
41. Rogers, p.200
42. Bosworth, Albert Brian. (1993). "Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great". Cambridge University Press.
43. Anson, Edward M.. (2013). "Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues". Bloomsbury.
44. Heckel, Waldemar. (2006). "Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire". Wiley.
45. (2004). "Mauryan India". Aligarh Historians Society / [[Tulika Books]].
46. Hazel, John. (2013). "Who's Who in the Greek World". Routledge.
47. Ahir, D. C.. (1971). "Buddhism in the Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh". Maha Bodhi Society of India.
48. "Menander {{!}} Indo-Greek king".
49. (6 March 2014). "The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion". Oxford University Press.
50. Chhabra, G. S.. (1968). "Advanced History of the Punjab: Guru and post-Guru period upto Ranjit Singh". New Academic Publishing Company.
51. Mehta, Jaswant Lal. (1979). "Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India". Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
52. Almasy, Steve. 2018 [2012]. "[https://edition-m.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/religion-what-is-a-sikh/index.html Who are Sikhs and what do they believe?] {{Webarchive. link. (26 March 2023 " ''[[CNN International]]''. US: [[Turner Broadcasting System]].)
53. Nesbitt, Eleanor M.. (2005). "Sikhism: a very short introduction". Oxford University Press.
54. Singh, Nirbhai. (1990). "Philosophy of Sikhi: Reality and Its Manifestations". Atlantic Publishers.
55. Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur. (2016). "Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs". [[Taylor & Francis]].
56. Singh, Khushwant. (1991). "A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469–1839". Oxford University Press.
57. Singh, Pritam. (2008). "Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy". [[Routledge]].
58. Pashaura Singh (2005), Understanding the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan, Journal of Punjab Studies, 12(1), pp. 29–62
59. (2014). "The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies". [[Oxford University Press]].
60. Fenech, Louis E.. (2001). "Martyrdom and the Execution of Guru Arjan in Early Sikh Sources". Journal of the American Oriental Society.
61. Fenech, Louis E.. (1997). "Martyrdom and the Sikh Tradition". Journal of the American Oriental Society.
62. McLeod, Hew. (1999). "Sikhs and Muslims in the Punjab". South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.
63. Gandhi, Surjit Singh. (1 February 2008). "History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708". Atlantic Publishers.
64. Chanchreek, Jain. (2007). "Encyclopaedia of Great Festivals". Shree Publishers.
65. Dugga, Kartar. (2001). "Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Last to Lay Arms". Abhinav Publications.
66. (11 June 2014). "Historical Dictionary of Sikhism". Rowman & Littlefield.
67. (3 September 2015). "Ranjit Singh: A Secular Sikh Sovereign by K.S. Duggal. ''(Date:1989. ISBN 8170172446'')". Exoticindiaart.com.
68. Gupta, Hari Ram. (14 August 2014). "History of Sikhs 1739–1768".
69. {{cite EB1911
70. Grewal, J. S.. (1990). "The Sikhs of the Punjab". Cambridge University Press.
71. [[Amarinder Singh]]'s The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore Durbar
72. Manning, Stephen. (30 September 2020). "Bayonet to Barrage Weaponry on the Victorian Battlefield". Pen & Sword Books Limited.
73. Barczewski, Stephanie. (22 March 2016). "Heroic Failure and the British". Yale University Press.
74. Khilani, N. M.. (1972). "British power in the Punjab, 1839–1858". Asia Publishing House.
75. Hibbert, Christopher. (1980). "The great mutiny: India 1857". Penguin Books.
76. (28 November 2012). "Transnational Soldiers: Foreign Military Enlistment in the Modern Era". Springer.
77. Talbot, Ian. (1988). "Punjab and the Raj, 1849–1947". Riverdale Company.
78. Pritam Singh, Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy, Routledge, 19 February 2008, p.54
79. (2005). "The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia". Routledge.
80. "Punjab Legislative Assembly 1946".
81. The Tribune News. (2 November 2018). "Punjab Day celebrated".
82. Rao, Madhu. (1 November 2019). "Formation day: These Indian states were formed on November 1".
83. Jetly, Rajshree. (2008). "THE KHALISTAN MOVEMENT IN INDIA: The Interplay of Politics and State Power". International Review of Modern Sociology.
84. Jodhka, Surinder S.. (2001). "Looking Back at the Khalistan Movement: Some Recent Researches on Its Rise and Decline". Economic and Political Weekly.
85. (19 January 2023). "The Transformation Of Ethno-Nationalist Movements Into Secessionist Movements: A Case Study Of The Khalistan Movement". Journal of Positive School Psychology.
86. "Sikh separatism".
87. "Status of Environment & Related Issues". ENVIS Centre: Punjab.
88. Pragati Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.. "Punjab Geography, Geography of Punjab, Punjab Location, Punjab Climate". Punjabonline.in.
89. "Weather & Climate Of Punjab".
90. Mohan, Vishwa. (12 March 2025). "With 13 of 20 most polluted cities, India ranks 5th globally". The Times of India.
91. "Flora And Fauna Of Punjab".
92. (22 August 2022). "In agri-rich Punjab, a fight to reclaim forest cover". The Times of India.
93. Zutshi, Minna. (26 October 2020). "EcoSikh's Guru Nanak Sacred Forests: A reason to cheer for Ludhiana district".
94. Singh, Gurjot. (15 March 2022). "EcoSikh Completes Planting 400 Sacred Forests all across the globe on Sikh Environment Day 2022".
95. Banerji, Aparna. (1 July 2019). "'Nanak jungles' to increase state's green cover". The Tribune.
96. Sharma, Seema. (22 March 2019). "Punjab's native tree species disappearing from forest areas: Expert". The Times of India.
97. Zutshi, Minna. (23 May 2018). "Ludhiana's Dhak Forest a treat for nature lovers". The Tribune.
98. (6 December 2021). "24 gharials released into Beas". The Tribune.
99. Gupta, Vivek. (7 December 2020). "Gharials bounce back in Punjab but the real test is breeding".
100. Vasudeva, Vikas. (18 December 2021). "Reintroduced gharials thriving in Beas reserve: experts". The Hindu.
101. Puri, Gurbax. (16 April 2022). "Tarn Taran diary: Harike, an abode for birds, rare Indus dolphins".
102. "Animals and Birds in Punjab".
103. (2012). "South Asian mammals: their diversity, distribution, and status". Springer.
104. (2006). "National Symposium on Recent Advances in Animal Research with Special Emphasis on Invertebrates". A P H Pub. Corp.
105. Vasudeva, Vikas. (17 February 2019). "Caught down the wire: Punjab's blackbuck fight for existence". The Hindu.
106. (14 September 2017). "Lost in flight: State bird of Punjab missing from the state!". Hindustan Times.
107. "State Profile – About Punjab". Punjab Government.
108. "Census of India Website: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India".
109. "Punjab Profile".
110. (26 January 2017). "Dalit icon Bant Singh's shift to AAP in Punjab symbolises the Left's electoral irrelevance". Scroll India.
111. "National Family Health Survey-5".
112. "Total Fertility Rate: Punjab | Economic Indicators | CEIC".
113. "Structure and Pattern of Urbanisation in Punjab: A Macro Level Analysis".
114. (30 June 2023). "Financial assistance of Rs. 6000 will be given to beneficiary women on the birth of the second girl child: Dr. Baljit Kaur".
115. "Chapter 3: Literacy and Education".
116. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. "C-16: Population by mother tongue, Punjab – 2011".
117. (13 December 2013). "How India's Scheduled Castes & Tribes Are Empowering Themselves – IndiaSpend".
118. (11 January 2019). "Quota will have little impact in Punjab".
119. Tripathi, Rahul. (31 July 2019). "Despite promise, no OBC category yet in census 2021". The Economic Times.
120. "Scheduled Castes Sub Plan".
121. (21 January 2022). "District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes as percentage to Total Population from 1971 to 2011".
122. (21 January 2022). "District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes (Total) Population from 1971 to 2011".
123. (21 January 2022). "District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes (Female) Population from 1971 to 2011".
124. "Religion by districts – Punjab".
125. (1881). "Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. I.".
126. (1881). "Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. II.".
127. (1881). "Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. III.".
128. (1884). "Gazetteers Of Gurdaspur District, 1883–84".
129. (1891). "Census of India, 1891 The Punjab and its feudatories, part I—The report on the census".
130. (1891). "Census of India, 1891 The Punjab and its feudatories, part II—Imperial Tables and Supplementary Returns for the British Territory".
131. (1891). "Census of India, 1891 The Punjab and its feudatories, part III—Imperial Tables and Supplementary Returns for the Native States, Together with a Caste Index".
132. (1892). "Gazetteer of the Gurdaspur district, 1891–92".
133. (1901). "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province.".
134. (1911). "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables.".
135. Kaul, Harikishan. (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II".
136. (1921). "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables.".
137. (1931). "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables.".
138. "Total population by religious communities". Censusindia.gov.in.
139. "Indian Census 2011". Census Department, Government of India.
140. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1951 Volume VIII PUNJAB, PEPSU, HIMACHAL PRADESH, BILASPUR & DELHI Part I-A - Report".
141. "CENSUS OF INDIA 1971 SERIES 17 PUNJAB PART II-A GENERAL POPULATION TABLES".
142. (2003). "Where Are You From? Middle-Class Migrants in the Modern World". University of California Press.
143. "About Vidhan Sabha".
144. "Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts". Eastern Book Company.
145. Kumar, Ashutosh. (2004). "Electoral Politics in Punjab: Study of Akali Dal". Economic and Political Weekly.
146. (7 February 2019). "DGP Punjab: Dinkar Gupta appointed new DGP of Punjab {{!}} Chandigarh News". The Times of India.
147. "Punjab District Map".
148. Bhatti, H. S.. (2000). "Folk Religion: Change and Continuity". Rawat Publications.
149. [http://punjabgovt.nic.in/punjabataglance/LeadingbyExample.htm Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India] {{webarchive. link. (17 April 2007)
150. (31 August 2018). "How Punjab [sic] economy can be revived". [[Tribune India]].
151. (3 March 2017). "What's in store for India's Punjab?". [[Brookings Institution]].
152. (3 February 2017). "Punjab's Slowing Economy". Business World.
153. (14 October 2010). "Punjab, a state in decline". LiveMint.
154. (15 May 2011). "Punjab, Star of India's Rise, Faces Steep Fall". Wall Street Journal.
155. (15 June 2004). "Centrally Planned Inequality: The Tale of Two States – Punjab and Bihar". Centre for Policy Alternatives.
156. "MOSPI Net State Domestic Product, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India.".
157. "Punjab". Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre.
158. "State Profile – About Punjab". Punjab Government.
159. (7 December 2012). "Fields on fire: making farming more sustainable in India – in pictures". The Guardian.
160. "Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of India – Agricultural Statistics at a glance 2018".
161. "India production of Wheat".
162. (23 October 2018). "Top 5 wheat producing states in India: Facts and Figures". India Today.
163. (18 March 2019). "States with highest and lowest production of wheat in last four years". Zee News.
164. "Indian Production of Rice".
165. "A status note on Rice in India".
166. "State-wise Production of Rice from 2010–11 to 2014–15".
167. (18 September 2018). "Top 10 rice producing states in India: Rice production and area under cultivation".
168. "Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India – Opportunities in Dairy Sector in India".
169. "India – milk production by state 2019".
170. "Nation Dairy Development Board, Government of India – Milk Production by States/UTs".
171. (12 January 2018). "India's bread basket has no dough". @businessline.
172. "Know Punjab". Government of Punjab, India.
173. Taylor, S., Singh, M., Booth, D. (2007) Migration, development and inequality: Eastern Punjabi transnationalism. School of Social Sciences and Law, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, UK; Department of Sociology, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India.
174. Ratan Saldi. (6 June 2009). "Caste System Among Sikhs in Punjab". Asian Tribune.
175. (16 January 2012). "The Jats in Punjab comprise only 21% population of the total 60% Sikhs, yet they have been ruling and dominating politics in Punjab for decades.".
176. (15 February 2024). "farmer protest: What the Punjab farmer wants is not what the Punjab farmer needs".
177. Ranjan, Rahul. "Harvesting Progress: Bridging gender gaps and embracing innovation in Indian agriculture – Punjab and Bihar". The Times of India.
178. (19 February 2024). "Samyukta Kisan Morcha rejects Centre's MSP proposal for 5 crops, calls it Punjab-oriented".
179. J. Carl Ganter. (4 June 2010). "Q&A: Upmanu Lall on India's Nexus of Energy, Food and Water". [[Circle of Blue]].
180. Lall. (28 July 2009). "Punjab: A tale of prosperity and decline". [[Columbia Water Center]].
181. Mishra, Nandlal. (16 October 2023). "How do Indian states perform as far as hunger eradication is concerned".
182. (8 October 2012). "NRIs beat FDI, keep the money coming". Hindustan Times.
183. "List of 50 world-class railway stations". Indian Railways.
184. Dipak K Dash. (3 September 2015). "Road crash severity highest in Ludhiana, 3rd in Amritsar". The Times of India.
185. "BRTS project planned for Amritsar and Ludhiana was the world's most preferred transport system".
186. "Punjabi language Bill passed – Indian Express".
187. (5 November 2015). "Punjab government calls for strict implementation of 2008 Languages Act". The Hindu.
188. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 1 to 5 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India".
189. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 6 to 8 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India".
190. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 9 to 10 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India".
191. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 11 to 12 from 1992 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India".
192. (4 January 2017). "Status of the Education Facilities in Punjab by Mridula Pushkarna:: SSRN".
193. [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050815/asp/knowhow/story_5105265.asp An Indian doctor's triumph] {{webarchive. link. (13 May 2011 ''The Telegraph'', 15 August 2005)
194. [http://mhrd.gov.in/rashtriya_madhyamik_shiksha_abhiyan Ministry of Human Resource Development, G. o. (29 August 2013). Department of School Education and Literacy] {{webarchive. link. (13 February 2014 , mhrd.gov.in; accessed 9 December 2016.)
195. (11 August 2015). "Nil admission in MCA at PTU". Tribune India.
196. "BNYS ONLINE".
197. "Herci".
198. "India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015–16".
199. "National Family Health Survey 2019 – 21".
200. (21 January 2022). "District wise Registered Number of Doctors in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
201. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Registered Nurses in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
202. (21 January 2022). "District_wise Number of registered Midwives in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
203. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Population Served per Medical and Para Medical Personnel in Punjab".
204. (21 January 2022). "District_wise Population served per Nurse in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
205. (21 January 2022). "District_wise Population served per Midwife in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
206. (21 January 2022). "District_wise Population served per Doctor in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
207. (21 January 2022). "District-wise Population served per bed in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March)".
208. (2 October 2017). "BBC launches new Indian services".
209. (10 April 2019). "ANN's ABP Sanjha, BBC Global News India granted TV channel licences by MIB".
210. "About Us". Punjabi News.
211. (14 April 2018). "Network18 to launch News18 Bharat".
212. (24 May 2018). "ITV Network readies Punjabi music channel".
213. "FM Gold Ludhiana".
214. "Harvest Festival of Punjab, Harvest Festival Lohri, Cultural Festival of India, Harvest Festival in India". Lohrifestival.org.
215. "Sikh festival celebrates women and girls".
216. "Celebrate mothers again".
217. "Girl power on display at Teeyan da Mela festival".
218. Mir, Farina. "Representations of Piety and Community in Late-nineteenth-century Punjabi Qisse". [[Columbia University]].
219. "was-it-a-sikh-wedding".
220. "Sikh groom thrown from horse during wedding procession in Surrey".
221. (2007). "Pakistan almanac, Volumes 2001–2002". Royal Book Company.
222. [http://www.bhangra.org/about/bhangra-history/ Bhangra History] {{webarchive. link. (17 December 2010 . Bhangra.org. Retrieved on 18 January 2012.)
223. (1 January 2000). "Social control and deviance: a South Asian community in Scotland". Ashgate.
224. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080920082514/http://www.punjabilok.com/pakistan/pak_punjab.htm Pakistan Punjab], Punjabilok.com; retrieved 18 January 2012.
225. (28 April 2019). "Talking Punjabi".
226. Roy, AnjaliGera. (5 July 2017). "Bhangra Moves: From Ludhiana to London and Beyond". Routledge.
227. (4 November 2018). "Syllables that Bind".
228. "Punjabi folk mingles with new-age music".
229. "Revisiting Punjabi classics".
230. (10 July 2015). "Tappa – gift to Punjab's classical music".
231. "Strange as it may sound, all art forms need political support to grow. The communal upheaval that engulfed the Punjab region in 1947 forced migration of the well-established Muslim artistes from this region. This resulted in i mpoverishment of the rich traditions of classical music".
232. "A Classical Rendition you Cannot Miss".
233. ""Pollywood Directory". The directory has the contact and other details of those related to Punjabi film industry. It is an initiative to organise Punjabi Cinema.".
234. (9 January 2020). "Mohali to get electronic and film city: MP Manish Tewari". Hindustan Times.
235. "UNESCO – Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, India".
236. (22 June 2018). "Ignored for years, local craft may soon find place in luxury hotels". The Times of India.
237. (7 April 2019). "Alchemy of Art".
238. "Inside humble trappings, vivid expressions of Punjabi cuisine".
239. "10 Best Punjabi Recipes".
240. "13 Best Punjabi Recipes {{!}} Easy Punjabi Recipes".
241. "Eating Out Park Plaza brings you the hearty Punjabi flavours at its ongoing food festival".
242. "Bandi Chhor Divas Reflection: A Lesson In Selflessness".
243. "Sikhs celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas at Ilford gurdwara".
244. "Maghi Mela: Four political parties erect stages to hold conferences".
245. "Hola Mohalla 2015: Facts, History, Rituals Surrounding The Sikh Festival".
246. "Thousands converge in Punjab for ''Hola Mohalla''".
247. "Circle Style Kabaddi in a new avatar – World-wide Kabaddi League".
248. "Kabaddi player alleges Punjab Police pushed him into drugs".
249. "Punjab women enter semi-finals of National Hockey Championship".
250. "World Kabaddi League announces team franchise names and logos".
251. "the World Kabaddi League (WKL) was launched with the promoters – Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is the president of the league while former India hockey captain Pargat Singh is the league commissioner – unveiling the eight teams, their owners and marquee players.".
252. (4 December 2013). "Sierra Leone, England win in Kabbadi World Cup".
253. (21 December 2019). "70th Senior National Basketball Championship, Ludhiana: Groups, Fixtures, and Schedule". NBA.com.
254. (9 January 2020). "Hoop and the hype: Meet the promising basketball talent knocking on Team India doors". The Indian Express.
255. "World Heritage Day: 8 places to visit in Punjab".
256. [http://www.mapsofindia.com/stateprofiles/punjab/ Punjab] {{webarchive. link. (8 April 2010 . Mapsofindia.com; retrieved 18 January 2012.)
257. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202051110/http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/0/03d3a18aa4bdceae6525738e00199bff?OpenDocument Lonely Planet tips Mumbai as a must-see destination in 2008]. ptinews.com, 9 November 2007
258. (12 October 2015). "सुदर्शन चक्र ने किए थे देवी सती के 51 टुकड़े, यहां भी कटकर गिरा शरीर का भाग". Dainik Bhaskar.
259. (2 February 2014). "Pictures displayed at media centre attract visitors to 'Kila Raipur' games".
260. "Kila Raipur sports festival begins today".
261. "Kila Raipur sports festival concludes".
262. (6 October 2019). "Amritsar-based Partition Museum to ink pact with Manchester Museum".