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About
Punjab
 Punjab, the land of five rivers and integrated cultural
history,is a treasure trove for an avid tourist.For this land
of the great gurus not only boasts of ancient monuments but
throbs with historical embodiments.It is no secret that
whoever comes to this land of yellow fields with blue
mountains providing the romantic and picturesque backdrop has
never gone back without imbibing the essence of Punjab. There
is no dearth of breathtaking palaces,for Punjab was the seat
of royality,as the imposing Quila Mubarak will tell you.
Museums galore and so are the religious places with the Golden
Temple offering succour to the mind and soul of any one
visiting.If you are a wild life freak,then Punjab can take you
on a tour of the sanctuaries,which are hot favourites with
migratory birds.
Since this state borders
Pakistan,there are two main posts from which you can peep into
the land that was once an integral part of Punjab and
experience the feelings of the people separated by a line. The
much truncated India's portion of present Punjab is divided
into three natural regions :the Majha,the Doaba and the
Malwa.Punjab is the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization,
more than 4000 years old. Archaeological excavations,
throughout the state, have revealed evidences of the
magnificent cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, that lived and
died along the banks of the mighty Indus and its
tributaries.
 The Mahabharata, which narrates life
between the 7th and 5th century BC, contains rich descriptions
of the land and people of Punjab at that time. It is believed
that parts of the Ramayana too, were written around the Shri
Ram Tirath Ashram, near Amritsar; and it was in these forests
that Lav and Kush grew up.Other great historical discoveries
have been unearthed at Ropar, Kiratpur, Dholbaha, Rohira and
Ghuram. These relics throw light on the culture and changing
architectural styles of Punjab, since the Harappan age. At
Sanghol, in Fatehgarh Sahib district near Ludhiana, sites
associated with great Mauryan Dynasty, have yielded remarkable
relics that record the presence of Buddhism in the region.
Amritsar
Amritsar was founded
by Guru Ramdas in 1577. Amritsar is the centre of Sikh
religion. The command body of the sikhs "Akal Takth" is based
in Amritsar in the premises of the magnificient Golden Temple.
Golden Temple was initially built in 1761. It was laden with
gold plated copper plates in 1802 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. On
the 300 th aniversary of the Khalsa panth couple of years
back. The copper plates were replaced with original gold
plates. Entire gold weighing hundreds of tons was donated by
sikhs from all over the world. |
