Travel to Punjab

Punjab is one of the most prosperous states in India. Well-watered by the 5 rivers from which it derives its name, the state is an agricultural idyll of golden wheat and cornfields punctuated by groves of tall trees and canals flush with water.

Punjab is easy to travel to, being well connected by air, road and rail with the rest of India.

There are 3 airports at Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. There are high-speed express trains connecting most places in Punjab to major cities across the country and the roads are among the best in India.

Accommodation suiting various budgets is available at relatively short notice at most places. The best time to travel to Punjab is between September and April. Travelers to the state in December and January may need to carry light woolen clothing.

Culture buffs that are willing to endure the beginnings of the hot Indian summer, may visit in mid-April during the Baisakhi festival. This harvest festival commemorates the New Year according to the traditional Punjabi solar calendar.

Feasting and revelry, the highlight of which is the vigorous Bhangra dance performed by people attired in brilliantly colored clothing, mark it. Many of the tourist spots in Punjab are places connected with the Sikh religion.

• Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, is India’s first fully planned city designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. It has a beautifully laid-out rock garden.
• Bhakra Nangal, a few hours’ drive from Chandigarh is an imposing 740-foot dam on the River Sutlej. It has a large and picturesque reservoir, the Gobind Sagar.

Punjab Travel Guide

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• Anandpur Sahib, not far away from Bhakra Dam is of historical and religious importance. It is the place where Gobind Singh, the 10th and last Guru of the Sikhs started the Khalsa, an armed religious order to defend the Sikh faith against Mughal and Afghan invasion.

• Amritsar, 8 hours from Chandigarh, is the Mecca of the Sikhs. It has the famous Golden Temple or Har Mandir Sahib, the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith, built by the 5th guru, Arjan Dev, between 1588 and 1604. Not far from the Golden Temple is the famous Jallianwalla Bagh, which in 1919 witnessed the worst massacre of peaceful civilians in British India. A person recognized its importance in our post-colonial age no less than Queen Elizabeth II, who visited it in 1997.

Punjabi cuisine is one of the most easily available and well known both in India and internationally. Apart from delicacies like Tandoori chicken and tikkas that are too famous to need discussion here, a traveler can sample dishes like Amritsari Macchli (Fish), Makkai di Roti (tortillas) and Sarson ka Saag (made with mustard leaves).

Maps of Punjab

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Another delight (not for the calorie conscious!) is the khera parshaad (‘parshhad/prasaad’ is consecrated food which is ritually offered to the divine and then distributed among the faithful at holy places) at Sikh Gurudwaras. It generally consists of a halwa prepared from broken whole wheat and ghee, flavored with saffron or cardamom and garnished with nuts and raisins.

Punjab travel gives you a chance to explore the luscious mustard and wheat fields, which are the major items harvested in Punjab. Hence a travel to Punjab will help you to also explore the rich, elaborate, internationally accepted Punjabi food like sarson (mustard leaves) ka saag (vegetable), maakai (maize) ki roti (bread). Punjab travel is worth it to see the amount of progress the state has made due to the green revolution, which took place in this state some few days ago.