The land of 5-rivers, population-wise the largest, and once known as the granary of east, the Punjab is the lifeline of Pakistan. | ||
To the north of the Punjab is the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and the Federal capital area of Islamabad. To the north east is the Azad Kashmir. To its east and south is India (Indian Punjab & Rajesthan). To the south west is the province of Sind. To the west is Baluchistan Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). | ||
The province is predominantly on level plain. There are, however, some mountainous and hilly areas in the northwest and extreme southwest. There is also a plateau adjacent to the mountains known as the Potohar plateau and a desert belt in the south eastern part known as Cholistan. | ||
All the major rivers of the country namely Indus, Jhelum, Chanab, Ravi, & Sutlaj flow through this province. They originate from the Himalayas and pass from north west to south west. They are primeval in nature and the volume of water increases in summer after monsoon rains, resulting sometimes in floods. | ||
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan. According to 1998 census, the population of the Province is 7,25,85,000. The population density is 353 persons per square kilometer as compared to the national figure of 164. It contains several major cities of the country: Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala. | ||
Punjab economy is mainly agricultural, although industry makes a substantial contribution. | ||
The province is playing a leading role in agricultural production. It contributes about 68% to annual food grain production in the country. 51 million acres is cultivated and another 9.05 million acres are lying as cultivable waste in different parts of the province. | ||
Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity. | ||
Punjab has also more than 48 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 11,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 6,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries. | ||
Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods. | ||
Punjab is also a mineral rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, rock-salt, dolomite, gypsum, silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a dozen economically viable projects. | ||
Because of its strategic location in the Indian sub-continent, wave after wave of migrants poured into the area and settled on its fertile lands and today, although originally belonging to the Aryan stock, the people of Punjab are descendants of the Iranians, Turks, Afghans and Arabs who came individually or in groups. | ||
The people mutually share a living tradition of values. Their traditional hospitality and love for strangers is an obvious feature of their character and behaviour. They are loving people and know the courteous way of returning love to others. |
The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of sufi saints. The sufi saints spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have the funs and festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in three categories consisting of (i) religious & seasonal fairs/festivals, (ii) devotional fairs or Urs and (iii) industrial and commercial fairs.
The fairs held at the shrines of Sufi saints are called Urs. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important Urs are: Urs of Data Ganj Bukhsh at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Mian Mir at Lahore, Urs of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar at Pakpattan, Urs of Hazrat Bahaudin Zakria at Multan, Urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at Dera Ghazi Khan, Urs of Shah Hussain at Lahore, Urs of Hazrat Bullehe Shah at Kasur and Urs of Hazrat Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at Rawalpindi-Islamabad. |
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A big fair is organized at Jandiala Sher Khan in district Sheikhupura on the Mausoleum of Syed Waris Shah who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his work known as Heer Ranjha. | |
Exhibitions and Annual Horse Shows in all Districts and National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. National Horse and Cattle Show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronizes agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colorful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the Province with its strong rural roots. |
Since ancient times the weavers of the region have produced colourful fabrics of silk and cotton. The hand-woven cotton cloth like khaddar of Kamalia, are popular. The cloth woven on handlooms is either block printed or beautifully embroidered. Multan is famous for beautiful hand-woven bed covers.
The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts which flourished in the urban centers particularly in Lahore. The former include cotton textiles, basketry, embroidery etc. while the latter are tile and woodwork skills, ivory, silver and gold work, naqqashi and architectural crafts.
Hand knotted carpets of fine quality are made in Punjab since the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar in the 15th century established the first factory in Lahore. While carpets were made for the rich, rough rugs (known as namdas) were made by the common people for their own use. Lahore is the center of hand-made carpets.
The folk heritage of the Punjab is the traditional urge of thousands of years of its history. While Urdu is the official language of the Province, there are a number of local dialects through which the people communicate. These include Punjabi, Pothohari, Seraiki, Jatki and Jangli. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.
There are a number of folk tales which are popular in different parts of Punjab. These are the folk tales of Mirza Sahiban, Saiful Maluk, Yousuf Zulaikhan, Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahinwal, Dulla Bhatti, Poran Bhughat, and Sassi Punnu. | |
The mystic folk songs include the Kafees of Khwaja Farid in Seraiki, Punjabi and Shalooks by Baba Farid Shakar Ganj. They also include baits, dohras, loris, Sehra, and Jugni, | |
The most famous of the romantic love songs are Mayhiahand Dhamaal, Jhoomar, Bhangra and Luddi. Punjabi romantic dances include Giddha, Dhola and Summin. |
For the popular taste, however, light music, particularlyGhazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Nur Jehan, Malika Pukhraj , Farida Khanum and Roshen Ara Begum are well-known Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Jhoomer, Bhangrah and Sammin depict the joy of living. Love legends of Hir Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Muluk are sung in different styles
Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.
Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Sultan Bahu, Bullehe Shah and Mian Muhammad Waris Shah and folk singers like Sain Marna and Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Inyat Hussain Bhatti, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, Arif Lohar and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as Malika-i-Mauseequi (Queen of the Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.
Classical music forms are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music.
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