Punjab...what should I do when I go there!

[Pooja]

I'm going to Punjab in July....and I've only been twice and haven't seen much because most of my family lives in Delhi/Jammu so where should I go?? what should I see? I wanna do pendu things, and watch Bhangra...

I've already been to Amritsar and seen the Golden Temple, and I've been to Pathankot randomly because my masi lives there...so what else folks?

Thanks.

 

[Waleed]

This is not a pendu thing but def memorable. Go to 'Wagah crossing', this is a military post on the border of India and Pakistan. GT road crosses through the gate and connects both countries. Every evening they have a flag lowering ceremony and crowds from both nations assemble to watch the military put on a synchronized routine. Pakistani guards (in grey) and Indian guards (in brown) come face to face and try to out do each other in the routine (you'll see what I'm saying once you watch it in person).

When I used to live in Pakistan, the border was the only place where I had seen "Indians". We would look at them from behind the fence and they would look back at us and there used to be a lot of awkward silence. Thank God that both the countries have eased tensions and now there is a daily bus service that connects Lahore and Amritsar. If you're really feeling adventurous, cross the border in to Pakistan (with a visa ofcourse) and check out punjab on our side

Here is a video of Wagah:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeSX6AZ5xEI

Bonus feature: Nirmal Sidhu singing to the punjabis across the border
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsBf9dF_xvI

 

[Vick]

Climb Mt. Everest... and do what Waleed said...

 

[Mukandpuria]

well to really live up the Punjabi lifestyle and experience it you need to live in a pind...wake up in a pind and experience the same type of life style, where the guys wake up and go to the hatti(store) and just sit their and talk, drink chai. Sit with you bebe, chachi and thie and listen to their talks and see whats going on and how they react to it, ask them about the pind and any other random questions. Also if you can learn about the khaite(farming land) and how the system works like the mundi(where the farmers bring their crops to trade). Bhangra is mealy a small percent of the Punjabi culture.

I been back to Punjab dozen of times and i personally think learning the culture or experiencing it was far better than going site seeing. now when i go their its doesn't feel like i am and outsider. going through your pind and knowing everyone and talking to be people makes your day go by quick. Def love the Punjabi culture.

 

[Varun00]

did you go see jallianwala bagh?

 

[Manjot]

just go to a pind and chillllll...its pretty crazzyy, the atmosphere n stuff and also go shopping to get all the crazy stuff there lol

 

[bhangrafreak01]

The HAVELI find everything there

 

[Mukandpuria]

YES GO TO HAVELI!!!!

 

[Pooja]

where is "the haveli"?

and jallianwala bagh? is it a garden?

 

[Pooja]

I did some research....so Haveli is like a dhaba/cultural experience place in Jalandhar, if anyone's been to Rajasthan it's probably similar to Choki Dhani. sounds awesome, I shall go.

And Jallianwala Bagh is where the Amritsar Massacre was, correct?

I want to try and hit up the major cities, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, and Patiala.

 

[Manjot]

do alot of shoppin in Ludhiana/Patiala

 

[Mukandpuria]

Yea Pooja,
that is kidda it...but what makes it sick is, one is a family kinda a place and the food is insane, i can never forget the food. Also they do a mela scene outside(i never seen it but people say they have it) couple of rides and so on

its a really nice place to go to at night

 

[mafzal]

Shop, shop, shop one more place. Haha! But yeah Waga border is def somethin' to see, they play music, guards walk around, army men, traditionally-dressed ones and modern ones, and the 2 countries switch flags and do all this marching good stuff. It's cool haha. Oh, take your passport or just some ID if you show them you're American they will let you sit up front/VIP! Well, in Pakistan they let foreigners sit up close. India probably does somethin similarr.

 

[Pooja]

bumping this up.....going to Punjab next week!

I really want to see some bhangra...maybe from the universities but I dunno where to look, any thoughts? google didn't help me really.

 

[Manjot]

GGN Khalsa College Ludhiana! and PAU = Punjab Agricultural University...get another crazy recording from that kumkalan guy!!

 

[ranjit singh]

hit up chandigarh...sector 17 is the shit! and when you're there, try Hot Millions...one of the dopest restaurants ever!

 

[Mukandpuria]

LOL ranjit i was just there last December..lol good food, make sure when you go there you walk in and there is a booth with a guy, you have to pay first and order there before you can sit down, becuase no one will come to you with a menu or anything...lol

also check out Phulkari, stores is expensive as hell but cool to look at, they have nice bhangra dancing figures, also if you go all the way to the top they have 20,000 RUP paintings that are minding blowing and 6 feet tall

 

[Somi]

I wish i can tell you where to go
but i can say HAVE FUN!

 

[Gugu]

Shopping: Ludhiana Chaura bazaar and Ghumaar Mandi, my mom used to literally spend whole days shopping there

Tourism: Amritsar's the heart of Sikh history and monuments. Check out Jallianwala Bagh (read up before you go to get a better understanding of the place), Harmandar Sahib (obviously)

Nightlife: Chandigarh Sector 17, check it out its surprising how crazy nightlife in India has gotten

Bhangra: Its tough to recommend a place to check it out. You're gonna have to keep a lookout for youth festivals in unis and competitions. PAU's and GGN are only like couple miles apart in Ludhiana, those might be 2 placesyou could check out and see if anything's goin on

Food: all the dhabay on the side of highways. If you're gonna be in Ludhiana for a while, PM me and I can recommend a few places I remember (given they still exist)

 

[Summy]

When I used to live in Pakistan, the border was the only place where I had seen "Indians". We would look at them from behind the fence and they would look back at us and there used to be a lot of awkward silence.

Thats halirious, I exactly know what you mean. Like when they are filling everyone up into the stadium, and the lines kind of go across from each other, and the pakistanis are looking at us, and we are looking at them like they are aliens. Its akward as hell hahahaa, but funny at the same time. Its like, chill they are humans, you see them all the time.



Mann ohh mannn, somebody asked what jallianwala bagh is? Wow.... man, this is the kind of stuff I mean. Every punjabi should know what Jallianwala bagh. It is one of the most defining moments in Indian/ Punjabi history. I mean, the importance is beyond words, and not to know the full story, and what happened there... its a shame. I dont want to be critical, because I really dont care anymore, but do some people see why... I mean cant call yourself punjabi, if you dance bhangra. You actually have to be emerged in the culture, and understand the history, and what it entails to be a punjabi.

Not an insult, just REALLY depressing to read that kind of stuff..


If you want something to do in Punjab, visit Jallianbagh, visit the historical sites. If your into the superficiality of punjab, go to havaeli, watch the show, the comedy, eat the thali there, it costs only 150 rupeess for entrance at the Jalandhar one.

If you really want to get educated, and understand the history, which I specifically recommend for you, because it seems like you would learn a lot, then you should defintely take a different route.