Punjab - Capital of Chandigarh

Punjab was probably the part of India that suffered the most destruction and damage at the time of Partition, yet today it is far away the most affluent state in India. Although Punjab is a predominantly agricultural state, supplying a large proportion of India's rice and wheat requirements, it also has a number of thriving industries like bicycles, sports and hosiery goods.

Home of the fiercely proud and independent Sikhs, the state of Punjab is steeped in history and culture. For centuries, the Sikh warriors have provided the fighting force for armies of the great kings of India, British Raj and now the people of United India. Through sheer hard work, the men and women of Punjab have turned this into one the greenest states in India. Universally famous for their diligence, they have done much to contribute to the welfare of India. Prior to Partition, the Punjab extended across both sides of what is now the India-Pakistan border, and what was its capital then, Lahore, is now the capital of the Pakistani State of Punjab. Punjab is a land hallowed by saints and scarred by battles, an ancient land yielding archaeological treasures, a land of palaces and museums.

History

The word "Punjab" is made up of two Persian words 'Panj' and 'Aab'. Panj means five and Aab means water. This name was probably  given to this land possibly in an era when this region came into close contact with Persia. The Punjab was known as land of five rivers because of the five rivers that ran through it. They are Indus, Ravi, Beas, Sutlaj and Ghaggar. Prior to Persian period this region was known by different names at different times. Probably, at the height of its glory it was known as Sapta Sindhu, land of the seven rivers, namely Sindhu (Indus), Vitasta (Jehlum), Asuhi (chenab), Purshin (Ravi), Vipasa (Beas), Satadru (Sutleg) and Saruri (Saraswati). The last one is a dried up stream now and its traces are found in the present seasonal streams that flow near Pehowa in Haryana. During Greek occupation, the territory had shrunk into the area covering the five rivers.

In 1947 when India was partitioned, the larger half of Punjab went to Pakistan. In 1966 the Indian smaller half was further divided into three: Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

According to 1991 census, its population came to 20.19 million. Punjab, thus represents about 1.6 percent of the area and 2.39 percent of the population of the country. The latitudinal and longitudinal extends the Punjab are from 29 ^o 32' to 32^o 32'N and 73^o 55' to 76^o 50'E. Punjab is bounded  on the west by Pakistan, on the North by Jammu and Kashmir, on the north east by Himachal Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. Physically, the state may be divided into two parts; sub-Shivalik Strip and Sutlebj- Ghaggar Plain. The Sub Shivalik strip covers the upper portion of Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts. The Sutlej- Ghaggar plain embraces the other districts of the Punjab. For administrative purposes it is divided into three division and 45 sub-division. There are 12,342 villages and 134 towns in the state.

Physical Features

From the geographical and physiographic point of view, Punjab falls into two regions: the Shivaliks and the Plain.

The Shivalik

This region covers the outer range of the Shivalik Hills and is approximately 6 to10kms in width. Their height ranges between 400 and 700 metres above sea level. It consists of conglomerates, clays and silts-all having the character of fluviatile deposits of rivers and stream.

The origin of the Shivalik Hills has been explained differently by different geologists. One view advanced is that the present Shivalik Range is the flood plain of a big river to whom pilgrims gave the name Indo-Brahm and Pascoe- Shivalik. According to another view the basin of deposition was a continuous lagoon or fore-deep formed in front of the Himalayan Range.

The low range of the Shivalik Hills separates the Himalayas from the plains. The Shivalik region covers the eastern most areas of Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Gudaspur districts and runs like a wall, north-west to south-east, separating the Sirsa and Una valleys of Himachal Pradesh from the plain areas towards the west.

The Plains

The Punjab plain is a part of the great Indo-Gangetic plain which is a synclinal basin formed by the elevation of the Himalayas. One group of geologists hold this area to be afore-deep formed in front of the stable peninsular India at a time when the Tethyan Sediments were thrust southwards and compressed against that stable block. Another group assumes the Indo-Gangetic plain to be the site of a rift valley. The rivers of the region indicate that the plain is the result of recent deposition and these very rivers have formed the plain.

The Punjab plain lies between 180 and 300 meters above sea level. It is higher near the Shivalik Hills but slopes away from them. The tract covering central Punjab ranges between 230 and 270 metres above sea level while western Bhatinda and Ferozepur districts lie below 230 metres above sea level. The land slopes from east to west. The gradient is much more in the east than in the west.

The work of the two important agents of mechanical weathering, wind and running water, is well exemplified  in this area. The action of wind in the western side and the action of running water near the Shivalik Range have modified the face of this region to impart to the different tracts a contrasting look.

Some Facts about Punjab

Area: 50,362 square kilometers

Population: 23.51 million (1999)

Languages: Punjabi and Hindi.  Many people are fluent in English and Urdu.

State Tree: Shisham

State Bird: Baaz (Eastern Goshawk)

State Animal: Black Buck or Kala Hiran is a graceful antelope, with a striking color and spiraled horns. The fawn's coat is yellowish but it  turns black at maturity. It is found in the plains and avoids forests and hilly tracks. Mostly found in herds of 20-30, large herds may number several hundreds. With a keen eyesight and speed, it responds to alarm call by leaps and bounds.

Major Features: Most of Punjab is a fertile plain; toward the southeast one finds semi-arid and desert landscape; a belt of undulating hills extends along the northeast at the foot of the Himalayas. Four rivers, the Ravi, Beas, Sutluj and Ghaggar flow across the state in a southwesterly direction. They have numerous small and seasonal tributaries. In addition, Panjab is irrigated by an extensive canal system. A barrage built in 1953 on the confluence of rivers Sutluj and Beas near Harike town resulted in the creation of Harike lake. The Harike wetland is a major attraction for migratory birds in winter.

Climate: The state of Punjab has four seasons:

• Summer (Mar to Jun) when temperature rises as high as 48 deg C in June
• Rainy season (Jul to Sep); Annual rainfall 96 cm  sub-mountain region and 58 cm in the plains
• Autumn (Oct to Nov), the most pleasant season
• Winter (Dec to Feb) Temperature goes down as low as 0 deg C in January.

Districts: Amritsar,Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Rupnagar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Nawanshahr, Sangrur, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Moga,Patiala, S.A.S. Nagar (Moahli) & Tarn Taran.

Places to Visit in Punjab