Punjab, India

Coordinates: 30°47′N 75°50′E / 30.79°N 75.84°E / 30.79; 75.84
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Punjab
State of Punjab
Formation
26 January 1950
State Legislature
Unicameral
 • AssemblyPunjab Legislative Assembly (117 seats)
National ParliamentParliament of India
 • Rajya Sabha7 seats
 • Lok Sabha13 seats
High CourtPunjab and Haryana High Court
Area
 • Total50,362 km2 (19,445 sq mi)
 • Rank
Emblem of Punjab
BirdNorthern goshawk[7]
FlowerGladiolus
MammalBlackbuck, Indus river dolphin
TreeSheesham
State highway mark
State highway of Punjab
PB SH1 - PB SH41
List of Indian state symbols

Punjab (

province of Pakistan to the west.[9] The state covers an area of 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles), which is 1.53% of India's total geographical area,[10] making it the 19th-largest Indian state by area out of 28 Indian states (20th largest, if Union Territories are considered). With over 27 million inhabitants, Punjab is the 16th-largest Indian state by population, comprising 23 districts.[2] Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the most widely spoken and the official language of the state.[11] The main ethnic group are the Punjabis, with Sikhs (57.7%) and Hindus (38.5%) forming the dominant religious groups.[12] The state capital, Chandigarh, is a union territory and also the capital of the neighbouring state of Haryana. Three tributaries of the Indus River — the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — flow through Punjab.[13]

The

The larger Punjab region was annexed by the

music, culinary, and film industries.[28]

Etymology

History

Ancient period

The Punjab region is noted as the site of one of the earliest urban societies, the

Kauravas in the great battle fought at Kurukshetra.[30] According to Dr Fauja 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."[31] The bulk of the Rigveda was composed in the Punjab region between circa 1500 and 1200 BC,[32] 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.[33][34][35][i]

Rigveda is the oldest Hindu text that originated in the Punjab region.

The earliest known notable local king of this region was known as

Udabhandapura, he was greeted by the-then ruler of Taxila, Omphis.[36] 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.[36] This led Alexander to seek a face-off with Porus.[36] Thus began the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC; the exact site remains unknown.[36] 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 obviously exaggerative.[36]

Alexander later founded two cities—

Bucephalous at the battle-ground, in memory of his horse, who died soon after the battle.[36][a] Later, tetradrachms would be minted depicting Alexander on horseback, armed with a sarissa and attacking a pair of Indians on an elephant.[36][37] Porus refused to surrender and wandered about atop an elephant, until he was wounded and his force routed.[36] When asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied "Treat me as a king would treat another king".[38] Despite the apparently one-sided results, Alexander was impressed by Porus and chose to not depose him.[39][40][41] 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.[39]

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.[42] 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.[43] 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.[44][45] 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.[46] Greek influence in the region ended around 12 B.C.E. when the Punjab fell under the Sassanids.

Medieval period

Following the

Ghurid conquest of Lahore by Muhammad of Ghor in 1186, deposing the last Ghaznavid ruler Khusrau Malik.[51] 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.[ii][52][53] 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.[54][55][56][57]

(1850)

The hymns composed by

Guru Arjun Dev, while in Mughal custody, for supporting his son Khusrau Mirza's rival claim to the throne.[68] 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.[69] 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

Second Anglo-Sikh War. It was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous Sikh misls.[72][73] 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 3.5 million in 1831 (making it the 19th most populous country at the time),[74] 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 sq mi (520,000 km2) at its zenith.[75][76][77]

Sikh Empire

After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the empire was severely weakened by internal divisions and political mismanagement. This opportunity was used by the

province of Punjab. Eventually, a Lieutenant Governorship was established in Lahore as a direct representative of the Crown.[78]
: 221 

Colonial era

British Punjab Province, before 1947

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.[79] 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.[80] 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.[80] 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.[80] 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.[81] 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.[82]

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.[29] Nationalists declared the independence of India from Lahore in 1930 but were quickly suppressed.[29] 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.[29] 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.[83] Amongst 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.[83] 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.[84]

After the partition of the sub-continent 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

Legislative Assembly and the East Punjab Legislative Assembly. This last Assembly before independence, held its last sitting on 4 July 1947.[85] 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.[29] The Sikhs later demanded a Punjabi-speaking Punjab state with an autonomous Sikh government.[29]

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.[86]

elaborate ceremony

Following independence, several small Punjabi princely states, including Patiala,

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).[87][88]

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.[29]

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.[89]

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.[89]

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.[90]

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.[91]

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.[89]

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.[90]

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.[91]

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.[89]

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 part of the Sikh community by the Indian government.[92]

Geography

Punjab is in northwestern India and has a total area of 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 sq mi). Punjab is bordered by Pakistan's

hills extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas. Its average elevation is 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level, with a range from 180 metres (590 ft) in the southwest to more than 500 metres (1,600 ft) around the northeast border. The southwest of the state is semi-arid, eventually merging into the Thar Desert
. Of the five Punjab rivers, three—Sutlej, Beas and Ravi—flow through the Indian state. 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.

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.[95]

Climate

Agricultural fields of Punjab during the monsoon

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 (32 °F), 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.[96]

The maximum temperatures usually occur in mid-May and June. The temperature remains above 40 °C (104 °F) in the entire region during this period. Ludhiana recorded the highest maximum temperature at 46.1 °C (115.0 °F) with Patiala and Amritsar recording 45.5 °C (113.9 °F). The maximum temperature during the summer in Ludhiana remains above 41 °C (106 °F) 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.[96]

Punjab experiences its minimum temperature from December to February. The lowest temperature was recorded at Amritsar (0.2 °C (32.4 °F)) and Ludhiana stood second with 0.5 °C (32.9 °F). The minimum temperature of the region remains below 5 °C (41 °F) 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 (81 °F) for more than two months. The annual average temperature in the entire state is approximately 21 °C (70 °F). Further, the mean monthly temperature range varies between 9 °C (48 °F) in July to approximately 18 °C (64 °F) in November.[96]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.8
(80.2)
32.2
(90.0)
36.2
(97.2)
44.1
(111.4)
48.0
(118.4)
47.8
(118.0)
45.6
(114.1)
40.7
(105.3)
40.6
(105.1)
38.3
(100.9)
34.2
(93.6)
28.5
(83.3)
48.0
(118.4)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 22.7
(72.9)
26.1
(79.0)
32.4
(90.3)
40.6
(105.1)
44.5
(112.1)
44.6
(112.3)
39.8
(103.6)
37.0
(98.6)
36.4
(97.5)
35.3
(95.5)
30.4
(86.7)
25.2
(77.4)
45.6
(114.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.7
(63.9)
21.7
(71.1)
27.0
(80.6)
34.4
(93.9)
39.4
(102.9)
38.9
(102.0)
35.0
(95.0)
34.1
(93.4)
33.9
(93.0)
32.0
(89.6)
27.0
(80.6)
20.9
(69.6)
30.1
(86.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.0
(51.8)
14.4
(57.9)
19.0
(66.2)
25.4
(77.7)
30.7
(87.3)
31.8
(89.2)
30.3
(86.5)
29.7
(85.5)
28.2
(82.8)
24.1
(75.4)
18.1
(64.6)
12.6
(54.7)
22.9
(73.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8)
6.7
(44.1)
11.2
(52.2)
16.6
(61.9)
21.9
(71.4)
24.7
(76.5)
25.7
(78.3)
25.3
(77.5)
22.7
(72.9)
16.4
(61.5)
9.4
(48.9)
4.6
(40.3)
15.7
(60.3)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −0.3
(31.5)
2.2
(36.0)
6.1
(43.0)
10.9
(51.6)
16.6
(61.9)
19.7
(67.5)
21.8
(71.2)
21.7
(71.1)
18.5
(65.3)
11.8
(53.2)
5.2
(41.4)
0.5
(32.9)
−0.7
(30.7)
Record low °C (°F) −2.9
(26.8)
−2.6
(27.3)
2.0
(35.6)
6.4
(43.5)
9.6
(49.3)
15.6
(60.1)
18.2
(64.8)
18.8
(65.8)
13.0
(55.4)
7.3
(45.1)
−0.6
(30.9)
−3.6
(25.5)
−3.6
(25.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 27.1
(1.07)
39.8
(1.57)
32.6
(1.28)
21.9
(0.86)
20.8
(0.82)
80.9
(3.19)
181.6
(7.15)
168.9
(6.65)
90.7
(3.57)
12.3
(0.48)
5.8
(0.23)
6.8
(0.27)
689.2
(27.13)
Average rainy days 2.1 3.1 2.4 1.9 2.0 4.8 8.1 7.0 3.7 1.0 0.6 0.8 37.4
Average
relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST
)
68 58 50 32 26 40 65 70 64 52 53 63 53
Average dew point °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6)
10.0
(50.0)
13.3
(55.9)
14.0
(57.2)
15.0
(59.0)
19.5
(67.1)
25.0
(77.0)
25.6
(78.1)
23.5
(74.3)
18.3
(64.9)
12.0
(53.6)
8.0
(46.4)
15.9
(60.7)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 181.7 192.7 219.4 265.0 294.7 269.0 215.5 227.7 240.8 253.2 220.1 182.2 2,762
Average ultraviolet index 2 4 6 7 8 9 7 6 5 5 4 2 5
Source 1: India Meteorological Department[97][98][99] Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015)[100]
Source 2:
NOAA (sun 1971–1990)[101] Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020);[102] Weather Atlas[103]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.2
(84.6)
33.3
(91.9)
41.1
(106.0)
46.1
(115.0)
48.3
(118.9)
47.9
(118.2)
47.8
(118.0)
44.4
(111.9)
41.7
(107.1)
40.0
(104.0)
35.8
(96.4)
29.4
(84.9)
48.3
(118.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.9
(64.2)
21.8
(71.2)
27.3
(81.1)
34.8
(94.6)
39.0
(102.2)
38.0
(100.4)
34.1
(93.4)
33.4
(92.1)
33.1
(91.6)
31.9
(89.4)
27.1
(80.8)
20.9
(69.6)
29.9
(85.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0)
8.7
(47.7)
13.0
(55.4)
18.2
(64.8)
23.5
(74.3)
26.1
(79.0)
26.6
(79.9)
25.9
(78.6)
23.5
(74.3)
17.3
(63.1)
11.2
(52.2)
6.8
(44.2)
17.2
(63.0)
Record low °C (°F) −2.2
(28.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
1.4
(34.5)
7.1
(44.8)
11.7
(53.1)
18.0
(64.4)
17.4
(63.3)
18.0
(64.4)
15.2
(59.4)
8.4
(47.1)
0.3
(32.5)
−1.1
(30.0)
−2.2
(28.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 28.0
(1.10)
36.2
(1.43)
27.0
(1.06)
17.5
(0.69)
21.2
(0.83)
87.4
(3.44)
217.1
(8.55)
187.2
(7.37)
138.4
(5.45)
18.8
(0.74)
3.9
(0.15)
8.6
(0.34)
791.1
(31.15)
Average rainy days 2.1 2.9 2.1 1.7 1.7 4.9 8.6 8.7 5.5 1.0 0.4 0.9 40.6
Average
relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST
)
66 58 48 27 26 42 67 73 65 50 50 62 53
Average dew point °C (°F) 8
(46)
12
(54)
15
(59)
16
(61)
19
(66)
23
(73)
26
(79)
26
(79)
24
(75)
19
(66)
13
(55)
10
(50)
18
(64)
Average ultraviolet index 4 5 7 8 9 9 8 7 7 6 5 4 7
Source 1: India Meteorological Department[104][105]Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015)[106]
Source 2: Weather Atlas[107]

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).[96]

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.[96]
Summer

Punjab starts experiencing mildly hot temperatures in February. The actual summer season commences in mid-April and the heat continues till 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.[96]

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.[96]

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.[96]

Winter

Temperature variation is minimal in January. The mean night and day temperatures fall to 5 °C (41 °F) and 12 °C (54 °F), respectively.[96]

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.[96]

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.[96]

  • Winter Rainfall

The winter season remains very cool with temperatures falling below freezing at some places. Winter also brings in some western disturbances.[96] 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 millimetres (3.9 in) of rainfall in the winter months.[96]

Wildlife

Agriculture in Punjab

The fauna of the area is rich, with 396 types of birds, 214 kinds of

Ram Bagh Palace, Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala, and the famous Baradari Garden in the city of Patiala.[108]

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.[109] 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.[109] 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.[109] 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'.[110][111][112] 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.[113] Prior to the Green Revolution, Butea monosperma (known as 'dhak' in Punjabi) trees were found in abundance in the state.[114]

Fauna

Inlaid stone art (jaratkari) from the walls of the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar depicting a predatory cat hunting a blackbuck antelope

A few of the rivers in Punjab have crocodiles, including reintroduced

extirpation from the state.[120][121][122]

Botanical gardens exist throughout Punjab. There is a zoological park and a tiger safari park, as well as three parks dedicated to deer.[119]

The state bird is the northern goshawk (baz) (Accipiter gentilis),[123] 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).[124]

Demographics

Population Growth
YearPop.±%
19017,679,645—    
19116,830,507−11.1%
19217,262,881+6.3%
19318,123,076+11.8%
19419,767,161+20.2%
19519,160,500−6.2%
196111,135,069+21.6%
197113,551,060+21.7%
198116,788,915+23.9%
199120,281,969+20.8%
200124,358,999+20.1%
201127,743,338+13.9%
source:Census of India[b][c][d][e][f][131]

Punjab is home to 2.3% of India's population; with a density of 551 persons per km2. According to the provisional results of the

Dalits.[133] In the state, the rate of population growth is 13.9% (2011), lower than national average. According to the nation family health survey 2019-21, total fertility rate of Punjab was 1.6 children per women.[134][135]

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%.

Percentage of rural and urban population in Punjab[136]
Year Rural % Urban %
2011 62.51% 37.49%
2001 66.08% 33.92%
1991 70.45% 29.55%
1981 72.32% 27.68%
1971 76.27% 23.73%
Numbers of rural and urban population in Punjab[136]
Year Rural (in millions) Urban (in millions) Total (in millions)
2011 17.32 10.3 27.70
2001 16.10 8.26 24.36
1991 14.29 5.99 20.28
1981 12.14 4.65 16.79
1971 10.33 3.22 13.55

The table below gives the population density (persons per square kilometre) of Punjab through the years.[137]

Population density of Punjab by year[137]
Year Density (persons per square kilometre)
2011 551
2001 484
1991 403
1981 333

The table below shows the population density by district in Punjab, according to the 2011 census.[137]

Population density of districts of Punjab - census 2011[137]
Sr. No. District Density (persons per square kilometre)
1 Ludhiana 978
2 Amritsar 928
3 SAS Nagar 909
4 Jalandhar 836
5 Gurdaspur 647
6 Patiala 570
7 Fatehgarh Sahib 509
8 Rupnagar 505
9 Kapurthala 499
10 SBS Nagar 478
11 Hoshiarpur 469
12 Tarn Taran 464
13 Sangrur 457
14 Moga 444
15 Faridkot 424
16 Bathinda 414
17 Barnala 402
18 Ferozepur 382
19 Mansa 350
20 Sri Muktsar Sahib 348
Punjab 551

Gender

There has been a constant decline in the

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.[138]

The table below shows the sex ratio of the districts in 2011, in descending order.[139]

Sex ratio by districts (2011)
Sr. No. District Sex ratio
1 Hoshiarpur 961
2 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar 954
3 Jalandhar 915
4 Rupnagar 915
5 Kapurthala 912
6 Tarn Taran 900
7 Muktsar 896
8 Gurdaspur 895
9 Moga 893
10 Firozpur 893
11 Patiala 891
12 Faridkot 890
13 Amritsar 889
14 Sangrur 885
15 Mansa 883
16 Mohali 879
17 Barnala 876
18 Ludhiana 873
19 Fatehgarh Sahib 871
20 Bathinda 868

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.[140]

The table given below shows the literacy rate by district for year 2011 in descending order.[141][142]

Literacy rate by districts - 2011 census[141][142]
Sr. No. District Percentage
1 Hoshiarpur 84.59%
2 Mohali 83.80%
3 Jalandhar 82.48%
4 Ludhiana 82.20%
5 Rupnagar 82.19%
6 Gurdaspur 79.95%
7 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar 79.78%
8 Fatehgarh Sahib 79.35%
9 Kapurthala 79.07%
10 Amritsar 76.27%
11 Patiala 75.28%
12 Moga 70.68%
13 Faridkot 69.55%
14 Firozpur 68.92%
15 Bathinda 68.28%
16 Sangrur 67.99%
17 Barnala 67.82%
18 Tarn Taran 67.81%
19 Muktsar 65.81%
20 Mansa 61.83%

Language

Languages of Punjab, India
(First Language) (2011)[143]

  Punjabi (89.8%)
  Hindi (7.9%)
  Others (2.3%)

Punjabi is the native and sole official language of Punjab and as of the 2011 census, is spoken as first language by 24.9 million people, or roughly 90% of the state's population.[3] Hindi is spoken by 2.18 million, or 7.9% of the population, Bagri has 234,000 speakers (or 0.8%), while the remaining 413,000 (or 1.5%) spoke other languages.[143]

Caste

Castes of Punjab (2011)

  
Scheduled Castes (Dalits) (31.9%)
  Upper castes (UC) (30%)
  Other Backward Classes (OBC or BC) (31.3%)
  religious minorities (3.8%)
(3%)

The

Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 is not made public as of 2019.[146]

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.[147]

As per

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.[147]

Below is the list of districts according to the percentage of their SC population, according to 2011 census.[147][148][149][150]

Scheduled Caste population by district (2011)[148]
Sr. No. District Percentage
1 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar 42.51%
2 Muktsar 42.31%
3 Fazilka 42.27%
4 Firozpur 42.07%
5 Jalandhar 38.95%
6 Faridkot 38.92%
7 Moga 36.50%
8 Hoshiarpur 35.14%
9 Kapurthala 33.94%
10 Tarn Taran 33.71%
11 Mansa 33.63%
12 Bathinda 32.44%
13 Barnala 32.24%
14 Fatehgarh Sahib 32.07%
15 Amritsar 30.95%
16 Pathankot 30.60%
17 Sangrur 27.89%
18 Ludhiana 26.39%
19 Rupnagar 25.42%
20 Patiala 24.55%
21 Gurdaspur 23.03%
22 SAS Nagar 21.74%

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.[12] Hinduism is the second largest religion in the Indian state of Punjab numbering around 10.68 million 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.[151]

Religion in Punjab, India (1901–2011)
Religious
group
1901[125]: 34 [b] 1911[126]: 27 [127]: 27 [c] 1921[128]: 29 [d] 1931[129]: 277 [e] 1941[130][f] 2001[152] 2011[153]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Hinduism [g] 3,278,620 42.69% 2,383,954 34.9% 2,462,215 33.9% 2,351,417 28.95% 2,597,038 26.59% 8,997,942 36.94% 10,678,138 38.49%
Islam 2,898,114 37.74% 2,515,774 36.83% 2,686,598 36.99% 3,072,619 37.83% 3,748,410 38.38% 382,045 1.57% 535,489 1.93%
Sikhism 1,479,072 19.26% 1,883,572 27.58% 2,043,520 28.14% 2,610,810 32.14% 3,291,341 33.7% 14,592,387 59.91% 16,004,754 57.69%
Jainism 12,306 0.16% 11,951 0.17% 11,030 0.15% 12,262 0.15% 12,480 0.13% 39,276 0.16% 45,040 0.16%
Christianity 11,415 0.15% 35,125 0.51% 59,363 0.82% 75,809 0.93% 103,477 1.06% 292,800 1.2% 348,230 1.26%
Zoroastrianism 108 0.001% 131 0.002% 138 0.002% 145 0.002% 90 0.001%
Judaism 6 0.0001% 0 0% 0 0% 4 0% 25 0.0003%
Buddhism 3 0% 0 0% 17 0.0002% 10 0.0001% 4 0% 41,487 0.17% 33,237 0.12%
Others[h] 1 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 14,296 0.15% 8,594 0.04% 98,450 0.35%
Total Population 7,679,645 100% 6,830,507 100% 7,262,881 100% 8,123,076 100% 9,767,161 100% 24,358,999 100% 27,743,338 100%

Religion in Punjab, India (2011)[12]

  Sikhism (57.7%)
  Hinduism (38.5%)
  Islam (1.9%)
  Christianity (1.3%)
  Others (0.6%)

The table below shows the literacy rate by religion in Punjab, according to 2001 census.[154]

Literacy rate by religion in Punjab - Census 2001[154]
Sr. No. Religion Percentage
1 Jains 95.9%
2 Hindus 74.6%
3 Buddhists 72.7%
4 Sikhs 67.3%
5 Christians 54.6%
6 Muslims 51.2%
All religious groups 69.7%

The

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. Due to the open nature of their religion, a segment of Punjabis who are Punjabi Hindus continue heterogeneous religious practices 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.[155]

Government and politics

Punjab Legislative Assembly building

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

Vidhan Sabha, is the unicameral Punjab Legislative Assembly, with 117 members elected from single-seat constituencies.[156]

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.[157]

The three major political parties in the state are the

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,[159] and has 70,000 employees. It manages state affairs through 22 district heads known as SSP.

Administrative set-up

Districts of Punjab along with their headquarters
Administrative divisions of Punjab

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

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).[160]

Administrative Divisions and Corresponding Districts of Punjab
S. No. Name of the Division No. of districts Name of the Districts
1 Faridkot 3 Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa
2 Ferozepur 4 Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib
3 Jalandhar 7 Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Tarn Taran
4 Patiala 6 Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Patiala, Sangrur
5 Ropar 3 Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, SBS Nagar

Each district is under the administrative control of a

cities
of Punjab.

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.

Economy

Hall Gate of Amritsar

Punjab's

vegetables are also grown. Indian Punjab is called the "Granary of India" or "India's bread-basket".[161] 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.[161]

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

Agriculture

Punjab's economy has been primarily agriculture-based since the Green Revolution due to the presence of abundant water sources and fertile soils;[169] most of the state lies in a fertile alluvial plain with many rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system.[93] 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.[170] Despite covering only 1.53%[10] of its geographical area, Punjab makes up for about 15–20%[171][172][173][174] of India's wheat production, around 12%[175][176][177][178] of its rice production, and around 5%[171][179][180][181] of its milk production, being known as India's breadbasket.[182][183] About 80%[184]-95%[185] of Punjab's agricultural land is owned by its Jat Sikh community despite it only forming 21%[186] of the state's population.[187] [188] [189]

In Punjab the consumption of fertiliser per hectare is 223.46 kg as compared to 90 kg 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.[190][191]

According to the India State Hunger Index, Punjab has the lowest level of hunger in India.[192]

Industries

Other major industries include

garments, and the processing of pine oil and sugar.[183] 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.[193]

Transport

Air

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee 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, Moscow, Dubai, Birmingham
among others.

Punjab has six civil airports including two international airports:

Sahnewal Airport (Ludhiana). 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.

Railways

View of Ludhiana Railway Station

The

Jalandhar Cantonment (JRC), Firozpur Cantonment (FZR), Jalandhar City Junction (JUC), Pathankot Junction (PTK) and Patiala railway station (PTA). The railway stations of Amritsar is included in the Indian Railways list of 50 world-class railway stations.[194]

Hyperloop

Virgin Hyperloop One to explore the feasibility of running a Hyperloop between Amritsar and Chandigarh which could decrease the travel time between 2 cities from five hours by road to less than 30 minutes. It will have stops in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.[195]

Roads

Amritsar Inter State Bus Stand

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[by whom?] 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.[196]

The following expressways will pass through Punjab:

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

Urban Rapid Transit System

There are also a

Amritsar BRTS in the holy city of Amritsar, popularly known as 'Amritsar MetroBus'[197]

Education

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 till matriculation for every student[198] failing which the schools attract fine or cancellation of licence.[199]

The table below shows the district level

teacher to pupil ratio from class 1 to 5 in Punjab, as of 2017.[200][201][202][203]

District-wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 1 to 5 in 2017 (As on 30 September)[200]
Sr. No. District Ratio
1 Hoshiarpur 15
2 Rupnagar 16
3 Fatehgarh Sahib 16
4 SAS Nagar 17
5 SBS Nagar 18
6 Gurdaspur 18
7 Pathankot 19
8 Kapurthala 20
9 Faridkot 20
10 Sri Muktsar Sahib 20
11 Jalandhar 21
12 Sangrur 21
13 Patiala 22
14 Ludhiana 24
15 Bathinda 24
16 Barnala 26
17 Fazilka 27
18 Amritsar 30
19 Ferozpur 30
20 Mansa 30
21 Moga 31
22 Taran taran 46

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.[204] 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.

District-wise average price per school as of 2011 census and total number of schools as of 2017[204]
Sr. No. District Average population per school (2011) Total number of schools (2017)
1 SBS Nagar 2,251 272
2 Kapurthala 2,433 335
3 Fatehgarh Sahib 2,480 242
4 Gurdaspur 2,582 637
Pathankot ---- 193
5 Hoshiarpur 2,584 614
6 Moga 2,613 381
7 Faridkot 2,616 236
8 Rupnagar 2,706 253
9 Sangrur 2,908 569
10 Sri Muktsar Sahib 2,918 309
11 Mansa 2,937 262
12 Ferozpur 3,023 419
Fazilka ---- 252
13 Patiala 3,251 583
14 Barnala 3,403 175
15 Jalandhar 3,476 631
16 Bathinda 3,533 393
17 Amritsar 3,722 669
18 Ludhiana 3,770 928
19 SAS Nagar 3,812 261
20 Taran taran 4,373 372

Colleges and universities

nobel laureate. One of the oldest institutions of medical education is the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, which has existed since 1894.[205] 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.[206]

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.[207]

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.[208] Regional College Dinanagar is the first college to be opened in Dinanagar Town.[209]

Health

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data from 2015–16, the rate

anaemia in Punjab.[210] According to the national family health survey of 2020-21, anaemia rate increased to 71.1%.[211]

According to the National Family Health Survey 2020-21, the percentage of people in Punjab above the age of 15 who consume

waist-to-hip ratio, as of 2020-21.[211]

The table below shows the district wise number of registered doctors and other registered medical personnel in Punjab, in year 2018.[212][213] Note:- The ranks of the districts in this table are in the descending order of the number of registered doctors.

District wise number of registered doctors and other medical personnel in Punjab, in year 2018[212][213][214]
Sr. No. District Doctors Nurses Midwives
1 Ludhiana 4,989 10,904 8,121
2 Amritsar 4,141 6,531 4,018
3 Patiala 3,935 3,279 1,963
4 Jalandhar 3,268 5,119 4,081
5 Hoshiarpur 1,640 3,944 2,806
6 Sangrur 1,286 2,567 3,374
7 Gurdaspur 1,058 6,118 6,472
8 Ferozpur 1,036 4,459 3,096
9 Bathinda 898 2,104 2,774
10 Rupnagar 864 2,409 2,159
11 Kapurthala 737 2,165 766
12 SAS Nagar 545 2,790 1,788
13 Faridkot 499 2,997 3,037
14 Mansa 325 2,616 3,424
15 Moga 312 3,172 2,084
16 Sri Muktsar Sahib 283 2,648 839
17 SBS Nagar 262 2,516 383
18 Barnala 200 2,037 825
19 Fatehgarh Sahib 198 2,064 306
20 Fazilka 162 460 987
21 Pathankot 145 50 120
22 Tarn Taran 84 3,378 2,370
Outside State Territory 630 2,855 989
Punjab 29,772 77,182 56,782

The table below shows the population served per doctor, per

nurse and per midwife by districts of Punjab, in the year 2018.[215][216][217][218]
Note:- The ranks of the districts in the table are in the ascending order of the population served per doctor.

Population served per doctor, per nurse and per midwife in districts of Punjab, in year 2018[215][216][217][218]
Sr. No. District Doctor Nurse Midwife
1 Faridkot 499 224 225
2 Patiala 551 161 1,172
3 Amritsar 661 424 689
4 Jalandhar 729 465 5,943
5 Ludhiana 780 357 506
6 Rupnagar 844 302 340
7 Bathinda 898 744 585
8 Hoshiarpur 1,017 423 654
9 Gurdaspur 1,058 284 280
10 Ferozpur 1,083 251 377
11 Kapurthala 1,171 398 1,226
12 Sangrur 1,404 703 558
13 Mansa 2,073 319 2,376
14 SAS Nagar 2,264 442 739
15 SBS Nagar 2,408 250 2,183
16 Barnala 3,212 320 714
17 Fatehgarh Sahib 3,286 315 2,745
18 Moga 3,456 339 318
19 Sri Muktsar Sahib 3,561 380 1,375
20 Pathankot 4,943 14,336 7,389
21 Fazilka 7,089 2,496 1,258
22 Tarn Taran 15,210 378 568
Punjab 522 1,234 950

The table given below shows the population served per doctor in Punjab, by years.[216]

Population served per doctor in Punjab, by years[216]
Year Population Year Population
2018 522 2000 1,490
2012 1,170 1999 1,485
2010 1,250 1998 1,483
2008 1,225 1997 1,472
2007 1,316 1996 1,499
2006 1,263 1995 1,487
2005 1,388 1994 1,501
2004 1,468 1993 1,608
2003 1,489 1992 1,481
2002 1,324 1991 1,514
2001 1,472 1990 1,589

The table below shows the district wise population served per bed.[219]

Population served per bed in districts of Punjab, in year 2018[219]
Sr. No. District Population
1 Faridkot 800
2 Amritsar 822
3 Patiala 941
4 Hoshiarpur 1,051
5 SBS Nagar 1,101
6 Rupnagar 1,103
7 Kapurthala 1,141
8 Fatehgarh Sahib 1,218
9 Barnala 1,262
10 Tarn Taran 1,402
11 Jalandhar 1,411
12 Sri Muktsar Sahib 1,427
13 Gurdaspur 1,437
14 Mansa 1,523
15 Sangrur 1,612
16 Pathankot 1,694
17 Ferozpur 1,700
18 Moga 1,700
19 SAS Nagar 1,704
20 Fazilka 1,709
21 Bathinda 1,927
22 Ludhiana 2,397
Punjab 1,338

Media

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.

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

and many more.

Culture

Punjabi jutti

The culture of Punjab has many elements including

all of which are celebrated in addition to the religious festivals of India.

A

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.[231][232]

Bhangra

Bhangra

Punjab region.[233]

Bhangra dance began as a folk dance conducted by

South Asian culture as a whole.[235] 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

The folk heritage of the Punjab reflects its thousands of years of history. While

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

, Jeona Maud etc. The mystic folk songs and religious songs include the Shalooks of Sikh gurus, Baba Farid and others.[236]

The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiah, Dhola and Boliyan.[237] Punjabi romantic dances include Dhamaal, Bhangra, Giddha, Dhola, and Sammi and some other local folk dances.[238]

Literature

Most early Punjabi literary works are in verse form, with prose not becoming more common until later periods. Throughout its history,

Gurmukhī scripts are the most commonly used.[239]

Music

Punjabi Folk Music is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of Punjab region.[240][241][242]

Bhangra music of Punjab is famous throughout the world.[28]

Punjabi music has a diverse style of music, ranging from folk and Sufi to classical, notably the Punjab gharana and Patiala gharana.[243][244]

Film industry

Punjab is home to the

Punjabi film industry, often colloquially referred to as 'Pollywood'.[245] 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.[246]

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.[citation needed]

Crafts

Punjabi culture.jpg
Punjabi women using a traditional method of spinning

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.[247] 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.[248][249]

Cuisine

Vegetarian Punjabi Thaali

One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes.[250][251] 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.[252]

There are many regional dishes that are famous in some regions only. Many dishes are exclusive to Punjab, including

makki di roti, etc.[253]

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

Basant Kite Festival
.

Sports

Kabbadi (Circle Style)
PCA Stadium under lights at Mohali

Kila Raipur (near Ludhiana). Competition is held for major Punjabi rural sports, include cart-race, rope pulling. Punjab government organises World Kabaddi League,[262][263]

C.B.S.E event C.B.S.E Cluster Athlectics also held in Punjab at Sant Baba Bhag Singh University.[264]

The Punjab state basketball team won the

National Basketball Championship on many occasions, most recently in 2019 and 2020.[265][266]

Tourism