The Biiig Boring Post(but it has some meaning...)

The Spirit of Punjab

Punjab da culture
There are many reasons why I venerate Punjab. The first thing that comes to my mind, and probably to anyone’s mind is the rich cultural heritage of Punjab. The importance which they give to their culture, the discipline with which they follow their customs is commendable. Punjabis strictly follow their Khalsa code of conduct, “The Five K’s” or “Panj Kakke” which consists of-

Kesh(uncut hair)

Kangha(comb)

Kara(iron or steel bangle)

Kirpan(sword or dagger)

Kach(shorts)

This uniform evidently kept Punjabis united and distinct!

But the best thing about this community is that they educate the forthcoming generations about their customs and practices, they explain them the significance of their culture, and teach them to respect their rich culture; which many Indians are failing to do. This is what makes Punjab glorious –its values and customs.And this is the reason why Punjab’s cultural values are still alive.

Punjab ki hariyaali

The sight which comes to my mind when I think of Punjab is that of the lush green fields and the lovely villages which they have(dur dur tak lehrate khet), like the ones in Yash Raj movies. And its no exaggeration.Punjab is really as beautiful as it is shown in Yash Raj movies.Punjab has got rich farmers and vast well irrigated farms.Its not surprising that most of the large farmers hail from Punjab. The state has struck a right balance between agriculture and industrial growth, a rare and ideal balance which is very important for augmenting the economic growth of the country.

Punjab de Gabru Jawaan

Sikhs are also known for their courage and valour. The Sikh Regime, Jat Regime are the oldest and one of the most powerful troops of Indian Army. This fighter spirit of Punjabis is as old as Khalsa, which trained the Sikhs to fight like soldiers.

Punjab di soni kudiyaan

Till date I’ve never seen an ugly Punjabi gal or guy(I’m talking about this generation. Not the hefty aunties or thick mustached uncles with hanging bellies).The guys and girls are so tall, fair and beautiful. Take Kuljeet ma’am or Manpreet for example. Manpreet is the most beautiful girl of our class, and Kuljeet ma’am, the most beautiful mam. And both are Punjabis. But when it comes to guys, I think they are smart and good looking, only till they don’t open their mouth. Most of the sikh guys I’ve come across are really Sickh, with their male chauvinistic attitude and stupid English. But hey, they do look good!

Punjabi Dhabas & the world famous mouth watering Chicken Tikka

Talking about Punjab and not talking about Punjabi food is like talking about cricket and not talking bout Sachin. One can find scores of Punjabi dhabas on any highway in India. They have made their way not only on the highway but also in the heart of the cities. Some of the best items of the Indian cuisine are dishes from Punjab. Tandoor, butter chicken and the finger smacking chicken tikka masala were concocted by Punjabis after all! They are unhealthy, have loads of calories but they are irresistibly tasty and unavoidable.

Punjabi music-Bhangra/Fusion

When talking about food, music cant be far behind. The world dances to the tunes of Punjab. Punjabi songs have been ruling bollywood for more than a decade now. People keep humming the songs since they cant sing it properly. Everytime we think the Punjabi music is going to lose its charm sooner or later, we find a new chartbuster ready to sway the crowds.

The new avatar of Punjabi music-the fusion mix is driving the world crazy. It has created a new genre of music. Come London and you can find many DJs mixing Punjabi songs in their pubs. Punjabi hip hop is the in thing now.

Communal unity and harmony

Their communal unity and harmony sets an example for the rest of the communities. Be it the langars in Gurudwara or the Lohri in winter season, they keep strengthening their unity and erases the socio-economic barriers

Highly Successful People

Some of the most successful people and high ranked officials are born on the soil of Punjab. Be it Bhagat Singh or Kalpana Chawla, Manmohan Singh or Juhi Chawla! ;) (Sorry. Bad joke). No I mean seriously there are many famous people hailing from Punjab, like Malvinder Singh(CEO & MD of Ranbaxy), Kapil Dev, Harbhajan Singh, Siddhu and Khushwant Singh..:)

The Great Indian Laughing Stock:)

Siddhu and Khushwant Singh se yaad aaya…how can we talk about Punjabis without mentioning about the jokes on them?! Despite all the above points suggesting the greatness of Punjab, they are still ridiculed to be pin heads. One thing which I want to mention here is-Not everyone has the courage to laugh at themselves. One needs courage to laugh at oneself. Though Punjabis often become the laughing stock, they laugh it out and think that atleast they could bring a smile on others face.

Community Power

Punjabis are spread all over India. One can find them in hage numbers in Canada, U.K & U.S.A. Their unity even in abroad has earned them a lot of power. The senators in the U.S Presidential Elections are leaving no stone unturned to plese this community & other Indian Americans. Barack Obama once sarcastically referred Senator Hillary Clinton as the “Democrat from Punjab”(D-Punjab), because of the close ties with the community, for which Obama had to apologize, fearing that it will affect his performance in the Presidential Elections.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the loud energetic Punjabis and the Punjabi culture& unity, together create the Spirit of Punjab. The rest of India should learn to respect their culture from them. Their tenacity to their culture have made them popular, and made them what they are today. If we don’t respect our values and spread them popularly then how can we expect others to respect our values. Punjabis are the soul of India and they are the ones who represent India outside India.

Listen all you Indians- Our Culture is amazing. Every bit of it has its own significance. That is the reason why even foreigners find it fascinating. So Learn it and Learn To Respect It.

P.S.-I know this article is very very lengthy and boring. Sorry for that:(. So you need not go through the entire article to understand it. Just read the side headings and you’ll get the picture. (Oh I think I should have mentioned it in the starting, not at the end!)