The name ‘Punjab’ was coined by a medieval era Muslim traveller Ibn Batuta, denoting a vast fertile land located south–west of the Himalayas and north of the Thar Desert, watered by five major rivers – Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. This introduction is for someone who doesn’t know what or where Punjab is. Nonetheless its people, food, music and culture have reached all corners of the world with none remaining oblivious to its vivacity!
Hospitality comes naturally to the people here, ever ready to welcome visitors into their homes. However tourism never took off beyond Chandigarh and Amritsar due to lack to awareness and infrastructure. I travelled to some of the unexplored places between these two cities to know what lies beyond that could interest the tourists.
Patiala, an erstwhile Princely State popular all over the world for concocting ‘Patiala Peg’, has been the cultural capital of Punjab for centuries. Visiting the old monuments with interesting architecture, undertaking a heritage walk in the old town and shopping around for local handicrafts like ‘Phulkari’ textiles, colourful hair braids ‘Parandi’ and handmade ‘Jutti’ shoes in the local bazaar can be great fun. Though the city has one decent hotel to its name, which is the erstwhile home of the Maharajah of Patiala.
Kapurthala, another erstwhile Princely State, has a couple of monuments with unique architecture worth visiting. Jagatjit Palace is modelled on the Palace in Versailles and Fontainebleau while Moorish Mosque draws its inspiration from the Grand Mosque of Marrakesh in Morocco. Jagatjit Palace houses a Military School in its premises therefore can be seen only from outside. Overnight stay is not recommended here too due to lack of a good hotel however the Town is accessible from Hoshiarpur (65 km / 1h30 drive) or Amritsar (70 km / 1h30 drive).
Punjab being an agrarian state has several Farmhouses located amidst agricultural fields. I visited one of them called Citrus County located near Hoshiarpur. Staying here gives one an authentic rural tourism experience. Taking a walk in the village to observe the village life, enjoying a tractor trolley ride through Citrus Orchards, relishing a Dhaba lunch at a rustic location, enjoying cocktails and dinner in the sprawling lawns of the farmhouse was an experience to cherish.
Anandpur Sahib where the “Khalsa” (the present sikh identity) was established has become popular due to Hola Mohalla festival celebrated here with fervour in March every year. It marks a congregation of up to 100,000 Sikh devotees from all over the country to celebrate the festival of colour and gaiety. The three days festival culminates on the day of ‘Holi festival’ celebrated all over India.
A trip to Punjab remains incomplete without a visit to Amritsar which has the best of everything Punjabi. Be it food, culture, handicrafts or faith. The Golden Temple located in the centre of the city is the holiest shrine for the Sikhs and visiting it sunset or sunrise is the most amazing experience.
I realize that there is so much more to see in Punjab than what has been on offer traditionally. The glorious history of Patiala, the magnificent architecture of Kapurthala, lovely farmhouses in the countryside, stories of valour and spiritualism in Anandpur Sahib, the authentic Punjabi cuisine and the colourful handicrafts ; all lie unexplored beckoning the tourists to come and discover them. Are you game for it?
