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]