Teej festival.'the festival of swing'2019

Teej Festival

In India many festivals are celebrated by Hindus such as Maha Shivratri,Krishna Janamashtami, Rksha Bandhan, Karwa Chauth, Ahoi  Ashtami,Dussehra ,Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Sakat Chauth , holi, Basant Panchmi.

 Teej is also one of the famous festival among Indians.Majority Teej festival celebrated in north India such as  Punjab,Haryana,Rajasthan,Gujarat etc. and also in Western India like Uttar Pradesh,Bihar, West Bengal on this days Women and girls do fast to celebratethis festival .Teej is an important festival for the women of Punjab. The sawan month is eagerly waited by the peoples of Punjab is different festivals fall at this time period. The festival of Teej brings exuberance and chance to get along each other. Young girls and boys actively participate in events taking place in various towns and districts in Punjab.Celebrations of Teej begins from the third day of the 'Sawan' -the fifth Hindu month brginning from Chaitra.

"Teeyan Teej Diyan Bhadon De Muklawe Teeyan Teej Diyan"

Teej Celebration in Punjab

It is the punjabi name of the festival of Teej which is lauded in Chandigarh capital of Punjab and Haryana where it is also called Haryali teej which is given to the start of the tempest and spotlights on young ladies and sisters. The festival is lauded in the tempest season from the third day of the lunar month of sawan on the splendid half,up to the full moon of sawan,by women.

"Sawan veer ikkatthiyan kare,

 Bhadon chandri vichhode pave

(The month of Sawan is blessed because it unites us with our brothers, but the cursed Bhadon seprates us again)".

                                 

                           Married women go to their maternal house to appreciate the festivals .Before hand.it was standard for women to spend the whole month of Sawan with their people.Despite wheather a married women goes to her people, kin take a gift set to their sisters called a 'sandhara'. A sandhara joins a Punjabi Suit/sari, laddoo,bangles.mehandi henna and a swing. One of the major attraction of this festival is Swings ,you'll often find swings get decorated in Villages and homes.

            "Teeyan zor laggian.zoro zor laggiya,

              Teeyan zor laggian.zoro zor laggiya,

              mere pekean de pind teeyan zor laggian,

                mere pekean de pind teeyan zor laggian,"

              

"jind rol ni geyyeyadil torh ni gayeya

koi gutt koon gutt koon bol ni gayeya

koi gutt koon gutt koon bol ni gayeya 

koi gutt koon gutt koon bol ni gayeya"

 Women do shopping for Teej and wear dresses, suites, sarees, lehangas of bright colors like red, green and yellow. On the day married women pray to God Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to bless them with happy and long married life. Girls and females apply beautiful designs of mehandi on their hands and feet.

" Gidhe vich nachdi nu teri ve udeek channa

Nachda parranda kale sapp warga,

tera lara ve shrabia di gap warga../.

tera lara ve shrabia di gap barga…."

"melna ne aa k jdo gidhe nu shingareya,

Khunda utte beth har ik nu wangareya,

Lokan diyan Nazra to bach ni melne,

Lakk nu hilla nale nach ni melne…."

      Fairs are organised in Schools and Colleges where dance competitions are held.

            "Bari barsi khattan gea c,

       khatt k leanda pipa ..

                    ni mahi dia chorr akhiyan.....

                  Dil kadeya khraak v na kitta..

            mahi dia chorr akhiyan."

Go to link:-https://www.instagram.com/_pardeep_saini/

[By-Pardeep saini]

History of Singh word in sikhim.sikh religious2019

History of Singh word in sikhim

The history of sikhim is starting with 'Guru Nanak dev ji'.He was the first guru of fifteen century in punjab region.

But history of Singh word is starting with 'Guru Gobind Singh ji'. He was the 10th and last guru inpunjab Region.

Being from a Sikh family my son’s middle name is ‘Singh’. One day I was telling him the meaning of Singh and we took this as any other normal discussion of the day with him and forgot. But he somehow kept that in mind and a few days later, while coming back from school, told his father that we have a lion at home. My husband asked him to clarify as we don’t even have a dog, so what was this lion he was talking about. He said he was the lion, since his name was Singh. He looked very innocent when he narrated the whole story to me again. The word Singh has  been derived from the Sanskrit word Sinha, which means Lion. It is used both as a surname and middle name.

Singh was taken on by Sikhs in 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh instructed his followers to use Singh after their names on the auspicious day of Baisakhi. His purpose was to create a brave community who would fight against all the odds of the society at that time. Sikh’s being true to this are a very brave community.

But it is not only the people following Sikh religion who use Singh as their middle name or surname , since a lot of North Indian Hindus had started using Singh as a common surname. ‘Singh’ is also a general middle name of other castes and religions in South Asia especially in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. In some Southeast Asians countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, people use Singh as a family name.

There are evidences that first of all the two sons of Rudraraman in the second century CE, the ruler of Saka had their names ending with ‘Simha’. Indian Rajputs instead of their nickname ‘Varman’ started using ‘Singh’. Hence warriors in India used the surname Singh to signify courage. After this many non-Rajput marital tribes had started using Singh as their surnames just to copy Rajputs. In 19th century, many Bengal court peons had also used Singh in their names.

Depending upon the region and community many variants of Singh are used such as Simha, Sinh, Sinhji, Singham etc but it mean the same, lion or brave heart.

check alsohttps://punjabculture03.blogspot.com/2019/04/kaurs-history.html

                                              [By- Pardeep saini]

Punjabi festivals.punjab culture2019

Punjabi festivals

Punjab is classic example of the diversity and versatility of Indian culture. Punjabi peoples believes in celebrating any festive occasion to the hilt. So, every festival is marked traditional songs ,energetic dances and delicious racipes. The Punjabi's area diverse group of peoples   from different religious background that affects the festival they observe. A festival is an Event where people symbolically showcase their ideals, their values and their trueness.

Lohri

"In a softly glowing candle light,
May all ur dreams cum true.
Every star of every night brings

Luck & joy to u…"

Wish u n ur family a very HAPPY LOHRI.

Lohri is the winter harvest festival of Punjab, celebrated widely throughout the state. It is the festival of fertility and is associated with the worship of the God of Fire (Lord Agni). According to the Hindu calendar, Lohri falls on 13th January every year, at a time when the earth is closest to the sun.
‘Lohri’ comes from the word ‘Loh,’ which means light and warmness of fire. People believe that warmth of the fire and folk songs invoke Lord Sun.
The most popular story is of Dulla Bhatti. Dulla Bhatti was the king of Pindi Bhattian and was popular among the poor during the era of Mughal emperor Akbar. He used to rob the rich landlords and distribute the money and goods among the poor and needy.
He rescued poor Punjabi girls. They were being forcibly taken to be sold by the Mughals in the slave market. His kindness made the people love and respect him. Also, he saved a poor girl from kidnapping. Later he adopted her and took her care as his daughter.

He arranged the marriages of the girls to village boys. Further, he provided them with financial and material help. Many folk songs sung on Lohri are about the bravery of Dulla Bhatti. The songs express gratitude towards him, for helping people.
Lohri Poem (Written by me)

Marking the onset of harvest season happily,
And singing folk songs with friends and family.
With so much enthusiasm, colors, and fun,
Lohri is about welcoming the sun.
Dressed in beautiful traditional attire,
People dance on the dhol beats circumambulating the bonfire.
Tossing in the fire, popcorns, peanuts and some jaggery candies with sesame seeds,
Farmers thank the nature for fulfilling their needs.
With cute smiles, everyone meets and greets,
Filling their tummies with delicious sweets.
Also known as the festival of farmers and festival of harvest,
Everyone observes Lohri with full zest.
Celebrations of infinite spiritual bliss,
A festival you simply can’t miss.
Punjab and Haryana, being the state of agriculture,

Together with them, entire India will continue this traditional culture..!!

Maghi

Maghi is the occassion when Sikhs commemorate the sacrifice of forty Sikhs, who fought for Guru Gobindh Singh Ji.

Maghi, Makara Sankranti, the first day of the month of Magh. The eve of Maghi is the common Indian festival of Lohri when bonfires are lit in Hindu homes to greet the birth of sons in the families and alms are distributed. In the morning, people go out for an early-hour dip in nearby tanks. For Sikhs, Maghi means primarily the festival at Muktsar, a district town of the Punjab, in commemoration of the heroic fight of the Chali Mukte, literally, the Forty Liberated Ones, who laid down their lives warding off an attack by an imperial army marching in pursuit of Guru Gobind Singh. 

The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhab, on 29 December 1705. The bodies were cremated the following day, the first of Magh (hence the name of the festival), which now falls usually on the 13th of January. Following the custom of the Sikhs to observe their anniversaries of happy and tragic events alike, Maghi is celebrated with end-to-end recital of the Guru Granth Sahib and religious divans in almost all gurdwaras.

 Basant panchmi

"May the revered occasion of Basant Panchami, Bring the wealth of knowledge to you, May you be blessed by Goddess Saraswati… and all your wishes come true. Happy Basant Panchami."
Basant Panchami is celebrated to mark the beginning of the spring season. It is also celebrated as the birthday of the goddess of knowledge and education Goddess Saraswati, the wife of Lord Brahma. The festival is observed in all educational institutions and students observe this day to get blessing from the goddess. The Namdhari Sikhs celebrate the occasion of Basant Panchami as the birthday of the originator of Namdhari Khalsa Panth, Sri Sath Guru Ram Singh. He was born on 3rd February 1816, which was the fifth day of Basant Panchami.

The festival of Basant Panchami is also celebrated by Sufi Muslims who gather at the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi. A group of qawwals visit a close by village in Haryana where they offer mustard flowers at the tomb of various saints and dye their clothes with yellow colour hereafter they start singing and dancing the Basant Qawwali tunes.

Farmers are especially happy during the celebration of Basant Panchami. They are happy with their crop and celebrate by performing the folk dance of Bhangra. They visit gurudwaras and participate in langar organized at the gurudwara.

Holi

"Happiness is when you see brightness even in darkness,

so keep on walking with the colorful mind to bring out the best color in you!!!!Happy Holi"

Holi is the spring Hindu festival of colours which is celebrated by throwing colours on each other. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Punjabi lunar month of Chet and marks the Spring season. The festival is primarily celebrated by Hindus. But Sikhs also participate in the festival which is seasonal in its significance and secular in its celebration.
In the Indian state of Punjab, Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before. On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours on each other.

During Holi in Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to rangoli in South India, mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. This art is known as chowk-poorana or chowkpurana in Punjab and is given shape by the peasant women of the state. In courtyards, this art is drawn on cloth. The art includes drawing tree motifs, flowers, ferns, creepers, plants, peacocks, palanquins, geometric patterns along with vertical, horizontal and oblique lines. These arts add to the festive atmosphere.    

Baisakhi

"May you come up as bright as sun,

as cool as water and as sweet as honey.
Hope this Baisakhi fulfill all your desires and wishes.
Happy Baisakhi."

Baisakhi was one of the three festivals that the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das, chose to be celebrated by the Sikhs. In 1699, the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, was publicly beheaded by the Mughals. This occurred due to his willingness to oppose the Mughal invaders and protect the cultural identity of Hindus and Sikhs whom the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb wanted to convert to Islam. On Baisakhi day of 1699, his son, Guru Gobind Rai, rallied the Sikhs and inspired them through his words and actions, bestowing upon them and himself the title of Singh or lion, thus becoming Guru Gobind Singh. The five Ks of Sikhism were adopted, and the Guru system was dispelled, with Sikhs being urged to accept the Granth Sahib as the eternal guide. Thus, the festival of Baisakhi is observed as the coronation of the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, as well as the foundation of the Khalsa Panth of Sikhism, granting it a position of immense importance to Sikhism, and is one of the biggest Sikh festivals.

                                 Baisakhi was also the day of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919, when the British colonists trapped and murdered a peaceful assembly of Indians, acting as a major catalyst in the Indian freedom struggle.

Rakhi

"All other festivals may be very colourful but no festival is as powerful as Raksha Bandhan. It makes our bond stronger and stronger. Happy Raksha Bandhan!"

The Rakhri ritual is not a Sikh ritual. Its practice doesn’t fit in the Sikh philosophy.
Rakhi or Rakhri means protection. This is a custom among some Hindus. Accepting a Rakhri from a girl, sister or a cousin, means that the boy takes responsibility of protecting her if she happens to the into any trouble. As a token of his promise, he gives some money to the girl after she ties the Rakhri on his wrist. The ritual Rakhri assumes that a girl cannot protect herself. This gives second-rate status to the women. Hence, it is not an approved custom among the Sikhs.

According to historic tradition, the Rakhi or Rakhri was a magic thread tied by a Tantric Yogi, a holy person, or a fakir, to protect the wearer from evil happenings. Later, the Rakhri took the form of the present colorful bangle like thread with flowers and other decorations tied to it.

Teeyan

Teeyan, a festival of the rainy season, is celebrated on the 3rd of the bright fortnight of Sawan (July-August). The four months from Harh (June-July) to the first half of Assu (September) are called Chaumasa. During this period the sky  generally remains overcast and the weather shifts between sultriness and rainfall. Rains bring the longed-for  relief to the heat-stricken Punjabis, and the rhythm of the little and big drops of rain instills in them the enthusiasm which must seek expression in fun and frolic. A newly-married girl looks forward to the rainy days when a brother or some other male relative from the parental home may come to escort her to her father's place. This reversal from bride hood to being just a daughter again is such a liberating and thrilling experience that it cannot be put into words. One day before the Teeyan, girls apply henna to their hands and feet, and on the day of the festival they put on their best clothes and go out to the fair. The fair resounds with the songs of love and the rhythm of dance. The songs are known as Teeyan songs. The Giddha dance has become a regular and most enchanting feature of this festival. At home women make kheer, a dish specially associated with Sawan.

                           Dance and songs are an integral part of Teej celebrations in Punjab. It is also considered a very important medium to convey their heartiest thoughts and messages . Women freely express their feelings for their love or husband by singing and dancing on traditional Teej songs. Some the most popular Punjabi Teej songs are:

"Sawan Da Mahina Din Giddha De Sabhe Sahalyan Aiyan Nachan Kundan, Jhutan Pingan Piyan Vadiyan Gharan Diya Jaiyan Bhij Gai Rooh Mitra Sham Ghatan Chad Aiyan".

    

[By-Pardeep kaur]

                            

Costumes of Punjabi's.cultural2019

Costumes of Punjabi's

Punjab traditional costumes have rich culture and tradition in India. The dress is very famous costumes in India. Women interest to wear the Punjabi dresses for comfort. Hence the traditional costumes are very beautiful and attractive.

Read more.....

https://punjabculture03.blogspot.com/2019/05/punjabi-traditionsikh-religious2019.html

Sikh Costumes:-

Kesh:- Keeping one?s hair in its natural, unspoiled state by not shaving or cutting hair as removing...

Kangha:- The comb is necessary to keep the hair clean and tidy.
Kada:- The iron bracelet symbolizes restraint from inharmonious deeds.

Kachhehra:- The soldier’s shorts must be worn at all times.

Phulkari:-

The Punjabi Phulkari is of a spectacular nature. The word means flowering and it creates a flowery surface. The Phulkari stitch derives its richness from the use of darning stitch placed in different directions - vertical, horizontal and diagonal. Embroidery is done from the reverse side. The pattern is controlled by counting of thread, but quite often the outline of pattern is embroidered on the cloth in green thread. The needle picks up only one thread at a time, so that the back of pattern is delineated with single lines of colour in extremely fine stitches. In the front the stitch ranges from A1/2 to A1/4 cms in size. The stitching is done with silk thread, though occasionally cotton threads in white
 and green are used, and sometimes even woollen.

Punjabi Jutti:-

There is a wide variety of juttis (pronounced 'jeut-tii' in Punjabi or 'jeu-tea' in Hindi/Urdu) available for both men and women. During certain festivals special juttis are also fitted to the feet of cows. Elsewhere in India, Juttis are commonly also known as Mojari or while an alternative name in Pakistan is khussa, and they are now very popular in the West too. Like Mojaris, these are long shoes with the end curled upwards.They have been traditionally handed over generations with each generation contributing some variation to it. These are the traditional ethnic Indian Footwear.

Punjabi suites:-

Salwar Kameez is the traditional dress of Punjabi women. Most of the girls felt interested in wearing the salwar kameez. These Salwar Kameez costumes are like suits, wearing these costumes is the present trend of style.The dresses are mostly in white and black colors with matching dupatta. Phulkari is another traditional dress, which is wear by women on the wedding and traditional occasions. However, Punjabi women are famous for their handicraft phulkari. Phulkari costumes have embroidery work with beautiful designs. The Patiala salwar kameez dresses are also the traditional dresses of Punjab. We can see the richness of Punjab culture in their dresses. The dress is the combination Eastern and Western dresses.

 Sikh Turban:-

Among the Sikhs, the dastaar is an article of faith that represents honour, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. The Khalsa Sikh men and women, who keep the Five Ks, wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair (kesh). The Khalsa Sikhs regard the dastaar as an important part of the unique Sikh identity.

        Kangha dono vaqt kar, paag chune kar bandhai. ("Comb your hair twice a day and tie your turban carefully, turn by turn.")

The Turban is very famous to identify the people belong to Punjab. Although Turban is a traditional costume. In the past, the people wear very long Turbans, which are some up to 40 feet long. Now the turbans modify as stylish Turbans with various designs and the present turbans are very shorter to compare with old turbans.

Kurta Pajama:-

The Very famous dress is Kurta, the dress is very popular all over India. The style of wearing Kurta started in 11 century. There are different types of Kurtas, they are multani, phulkari, bandhani, and muktasari etc. Women also wear the kurtas. Kurta Pajama is the best rescuer for decades when you are tired of all the fitted outfits. We all have seen men wearing white kurta pajama for various occasions since the early years, however with the changing trend black kurta pajama has also become equally popular. The traditional look of kurta pajama has changed, now it looks more fashionable. So, you can wear a set of Kurta Pajama on various occasions such as weddings, parties, get-togethers and other traditional occasions.

     Kurta Pajama for Men Nowadays kurtas are more precisely fitted as compared to the old ones. You can buy kurta in various neck design and collar; mandarin collars are more popular these days as compared to the old regular collars. Design of pajamas has also become more fit, churidar and salwar pair up the kurta as well. For some occasion, you can pair up your kurta pajama with a Nehru jacket. A stylish jacket will accentuate the look of your outfit. Do not forget on getting a pair of mojari for you. Get a matching stole too, for perfect ethnic look.

Kurta Pyjama is all-season ethnic wear. Few people prefer white kurta pyjama as their nightwear too. We have various fabrics in kurta pajama, Banarasi silk, cotton, silk, chanderi silk, jamwar, jacquard, velvet and many more. Do not worry about missing your favorite color, we have got all for you, blue, red, orange, black, white and others. We have kurta pajamas in various style of work, resham, zari, dabka, embroidered and many more so that you can jazz up the occasion with a distinct style of kurta.  

Mehndi:-

Punjabi mehndi is the art of skin decoration by applying certain designs on the body using henna paste. These designs generally are not permanent tattoos but are
temporary drawings on the skin done for special occasions such as weddings or religious celebrations. In Hindu culture, Punjabi is just one form of mehndi
decoration. Mehndi designs feature a variety of styles, including Arabic, Indian and Rajasthani. 

 Ghagra:-

The Punjabi ghagra is a four-piece outfit known as tewar or 'ti-or' which was traditionally worn by Punjabi women throughout the Punjab region with the outfit
 comprising a head scarf, kurta or kurti, ghagra and either a suthan or the Punjabi salwar. In modern times, the ghagra is worn by women in parts of Haryana,
rural parts of south West Punjab, parts of Himachal Pradesh and during performances of Giddha in East Punjab.

Pranda:-

Paranda is one of the traditional handicrafts of Punjab. It is a colorful hanging worn by the Punjabi women in their hair. Most of the Punjabi women have long hair, which they plait and then tie a paranda at the end.

                                                                            [By-Pardeep Saini]

Cuisin of punjab.sikh religious2019

Cuisin Of Punjab

 The people in this state generally go for spicy foods and use oil and ghee to a considerably higher extent. There are no intricate marinades or exotic sauces, but an exuberant use of masalas, with a liberal addition of oil or ghee.

The food of Punjab is meant for the strong-hearted. It is rich in flavours and has a liberal dose of ghee (clarified butter) and spices. Punjab has an abundance of milk and therefore milk products are an important part of daily diet. No meal is complete without large glassfuls of butter milk or lassi (yoghurt drink). 

The people of this region are largely wheat eaters and have developed variations of breads including the stuffed aloo paratha (potato bread) and the makki ki roti (maize bread). Vegetarian delights such as sarson saag (mustard leaf curry), rajma-chawal (kidney beans with steamed rice) and kadhi (gram flour and yoghurt curry) are the most popular Punjabi dishes. 

Popular Delicacies:-
The food items that form a part of the traditional food of Punjab are so eye-catchy that you can hardly resist your temptation to taste them all. Some of the popular delicacies in the state have been listed below:

Vegetarian Dishes

• Sarson ka Saag (Mustard leaves curry)
• Dal Makhani/ Dal Handi (curry of pulses)
• Choley (generally eaten with Naan)
• Punj Ratani Dal (a mixtute of 5 lentils)
• Kadhai Paneer
• Shahi Paneer
• Sheer Korma

Non-vegetarian Dishes

Tandoori Chicken

Butter Chicken

Bhuna Ghosht (dish made of lamb)

Kebab

Amritsari Fish

Tandoori Fish

Fish tikka

Chicken Biriyani

Lamb biriyani

Keema Naans

Reshmi Tikka

Malai Tikka

Pork Pickle

Bread & Flour Preparations

Punjabi cuisine is also famous for variety of bread and flour preparations. Some of them are as below:

• Naan
• Tandoori Roti
• Kulcha
• Lachha paratha
• Phulka or chapatti
• Aloo paratha
• Mooli paratha
• Poori
• Bhatoora

Desserts

Punjabi cuisine is incomplete without the flavor of its special desserts. One of the very delicious items in their menu is called roh di kheer, which is prepared by cooking rice in sugarcane juice for a long time. Besides this, there are more of Punjabi desserts, like:

• Rice Kheer
• Jalebi
• Malpua
• Rabri
• Sawaiyyan
• Gulab Jamun
• Zarda
• Firnee
• Gaajar Halwa
• Sooji Halwa

And the list of Punjabi foods continues.

                               [By-Pardeep Kaur]

Punjabi culture & Tradition.sikh religious2019

         Punjabi Tradition

The word "Punjab" is composed of two words, 'Panj' meaning five and 'Aab' which means water.

 The invigorating and culturally rich state of Punjab is located in the area in proximity to the confluence of 5 rivers Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej, Beas and Chenab. The unique culture, festivities and spirit of people from this land make them renowned in not only India but the world. Punjabis are known for their will power and free-spirited nature. The culture of Punjab demonstrates a rich history of well-developed ancient civilizations.
  Read more.....https://punjabculture03.blogspot.com/2019/05/overview-of-punjabin-sikh-religious2019.html

Punjab’s culture and traditions are one of the most distinguished and ancient ones in the world. The unique dances of Punjab like Bhangra and Giddha, their colorful festivals of Lohri, Baisakhi, Teej and vast works in the literary field represent the highlights of the culture of Punjab. The cuisine of Punjab is loved by not only Indians but foreign nationals. Punjabi wedding ceremonies also bear the distinguishing mark of Punjabi culture. The dresses, folk dances, music, rituals and food involved in Punjabi marriages have evolved with the passage of time.

Punjabi Dance

There are a number of folk dances in Punjab, each with their own colorful history and unique style. These dances are performed on occasions like harvest, festivals and marriage ceremonies. Dances with both non-religious and religious backgrounds are popular and range from the “Giddha” and “Sammi” reserved for the girls or the high-voltage “Bhangra” performed by the men.

The Bhangra is a folk dance and music that originated from Punjab. Originally, Bhangra was performed by the farmers of the region to welcome the harvest season. The dance form has witnessed incredible evolution and has been popularized even in the West. Bhangra dance competitions are held with great fanfare in USA and England. Pop albums, Bollywood, college shows and competitions, none have been left untouched by the Bhangra dance.

Another popular Punjabi dance form is the “Giddha and Sammi”. The women stand in a circle and move their hands in characteristic swinging motion, alternated by claps. Clicking, clapping and arm movements characterize the dance. ‘Kurta’ and ‘tehmat’ are worn by the performers.

[Bhangra]

Punjabi Music

The most popular form of Punjabi music is Bhangra which has made its way into the mainstream music industry as well. Bhangra is being incorporated with other music styles in the Western countries too.

On happy occasions like marriages, Giddha, Luddi, Dhamal and Bhangra are the typical Punjabi music styles that are sung and played. Romantic songs like Boliyan, Mayhiah and Dhola are also sung. Traditional musical instruments used with Punjabi music are Dhol, Dholki, Toombi, Dhaphli, Chimta, Manjira and Kaanto.

Doabi and Majhi form the standard dialect of the Punjabi tongue, but there are a number of local dialects like Malwai, Awadhi and Malwai that are spoken by the common people. Most folk songs and literature was also composed in these dialects. The folk tales of Heer Ranjha, Dulla Bhatti, Sohni Mahiwal, Mirza Sahiban and Puran Baghat are known to every child in Punjab. Apart from these tales, the religious songs of Baba Farid and Shloks of the Sikh Gurus are also important pillars of the Punjabi culture.

Traditional Dresses of Punjab

The Turban has remained an integral part of the Punjabi attire for Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. The culture associated with turban has also evolved with time and though Hindus and Muslims have given it up, Sikhs are very proud of their traditional turban. The turban is held in high regard by the Sikh men who are forbidden to cut their hair. The traditional dress of Punjabi men is a sarong called ‘tehmat’ or a baggy ‘Pyjama’ coupled with a straight-cut ‘Kurta’. The Punjabi shoes called ‘jootis’ have retained their charm for centuries. Muktsar and Patiala are renowned for their exceptional ‘jootis’. The rural Punjabi men are often seen clad in vibrant sweaters which are knit by the women of the house.Read more..https://punjabculture03.blogspot.com/2019/06/costumes-of-punjabiscultural2019.html

All Punjabi women wear a ‘Salwar Kameez’. The ‘Salwar’ is the bottom wear while the ‘kurta’ is a fitted or loose long shirt-like garment. The ensemble is completed with a ‘duppatta’ which is a rectangular scarf. The ‘Phulkari’ work is very popular in all parts of India. The Punjabi women are skilled in this type of dense embroidery done with colorful silk thread on coarse cotton or ‘Khaddar’ fabric.

Punjabi Wedding Traditions

Punjabi Weddings are a grand affair. The traditions and rituals of a marriage bear a stamp of the Punjabi culture. The weddings in Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Sikhs are conducted by a Pundit, Qazi, Priest and Granthi respectively. However, the celebrations, attire and cuisine have many similarities.

In a traditional Sikh marriage, the couple bows before the Guru Granth Sahib at the Gurudwara. Traditional rituals are performed and Hymns from the Holy book are read, after which the 1st Lanv is recited by the priest. Along with the recitation of the 4 Lanv, the bride and groom walk around the Guru Granth Sahib in clockwise fashion.

Punjabi cuisine:-The huge variety of Punjabi dishes has made their mark in restaurants and food chains in all parts of the world.

The “sarson ka saag” and “make ki roti” is the staple of Punjabi diet and loved by everyone. Chole Bhature, Samosa, Butter Chicken, Naan and Mutter Paneer are some of the popular dishes of Punjabi cuisine. Lassi is the refreshing yoghurt drink that is consumed in large quantities in Punjab.               

Punjabi Literature

Punjabi Poetry is renowned for its deep meaning and clear use of words. It impacts the reader with the views of the Punjabi mindset. The famous Punjabi literary works have been translated in many languages around the world. The Shahmukhi and Gurumukhi scripts were commonly used in all Punjabi works.

Punjabi literature, body of writing in the Punjabi language. Punjabi developed a written literature later than most of the other regional languages of the Indian subcontinent, and some writings from its early centuries, such as those of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak (1469–1539), are in Old Hindi rather than true Punjabi.

The first work identifiable as Punjabi is the Janam-sakhi, a 16th-century biography of Guru Nanak written by his lifelong companion Bhai Bala. In 1604 Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, collected the poems of Gurus Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, Ram Das, and others into the most-famous book to originate in the Punjab (though its language is not entirely Punjabi), the Adi Granth (“First Book”). Between 1616 and 1666 a writer named Abdullah composed a major work called Bara Anva (“Twelve Topics”), which is a treatise on Islam in 9,000 couplets. Sufi Muslims such as Bulleh Shah (died 1758) also contributed many devotional lyrics, and Sufi Islam can be said to have been the main stimulus to Punjabi literature in the medieval period. Other important Sufi poets are Sheikh (Shaikh) Farid Shakarganj (1175–1266), Shah Hussain (1538–1600), Sultan Bahu (1629–90), Shah Sharaf (1659–1725), and Ali Haidar (1690–1785).

                                                             

                                                            [By-Pardeep kaur]