Know Your State Punjab – Punjab GK Notes 2021 for all Exams (Part 1)

Presently, in this blog we’ll discuss about the homeland of the Sikh community of India- Punjab. The state is a land of lush, green hilly areas and fields full of crops throughout the year that represents rural India in a true and proper sense. The state is one of the most dynamic, homely and hospitable states.

Which state is the birthplace of the Sikhism religion? In which state was the first president rule was imposed? Which state is India’s breadbasket?

Punjab is famous as ‘The land of five rivers’. The state is situated in the north-western part of India. Punjab is a state full of food, colour and happiness. This state is filled with wonderful architecture, places of worship and one of the most significant places in Indian history. Punjab is famous for its religious diversity as many religious movements were initiated in this state. This fertile land ranks amongst the most ancient civilizations in the world.

So let’s start exploring some very amazing facts about Punjab.

Before getting started, let’s know the State Symbols of Punjab.

STATE SYMBOLS OF PUNJAB:

Let’s move forward and study the topmost aspect i.e. Culture.

CULTURE Punjab GK Notes:

Punjab is a land of ethnic and religious diversity. It has shaped a number of religious movements that include Sikhism, Buddhism and Sufism. Folk songs, dance fairs, and festivals of love and war, dance, music, and literature are the characteristics of the cultural life of Punjab.

• Bhangra and Gidda are folk dances of Punjab. In Bhangra, people dance enthusiastically to the tunes of music by dholak. Gidda is an important practice played by Punjabi women.
• The traditional dress of men in Punjab is kurta-pajama with turban and women wear lehenga-kurta as their traditional dress along with Patiala suit. Phulkari is recognized for its complex work which is shawls in silk traditionally designed by Punjabi.
• Punjabi dishes are very popular in India due to their texture and ingredients. Butter chicken, tandoori chicken, Amritsari naan and kulcha, dal makhani, Saag, Missi roti and many more dishes that are eaten by Punjabis.
• Major festivals are celebrated in Punjab: Baisakhi is considered as one of the largest harvest festivals in the northwest region celebrated on the first day of April or May as the New Year according to the Saka calendar. Gurparva is celebrated by Sikhs to commemorate their gurus. Lohri is celebrated in Punjab just before the day of Makar Sankranti. The festival of Lohri is very special for the community of Punjabis.
• Punjabi is spoken as a native language by about 33 million people in India. Punjabi is the official language of Punjab. The Punjabi language found its origin in the Indo-European linguistic family that includes Persian and Latin.

Let’s discuss the geographical aspects of Punjab.

GEOGRAPHY Punjab GK Notes:

Punjab is located in the northwestern part of the subcontinent. Punjab is one of the prosperous states of the nation and home to lively, hospitable and dynamic people. The word Punjab is a compound of the Persian words panj (five) and āb (waters) that roughly means “the land of five rivers“. The five full-bodied rivers namely: Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab which flow through its vast plains of Punjab.

• Latitudinal Extension – 29°32’ N and 32°32’ N
• Longitudinal Extension – 73°55’ E and 76°50’ E
• Area – 50,363 km²

       Rank in India – 19^th  

•  Population –  30,141,373

       Rank in India – 16^th  

• Punjab is bounded by Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest and by the country of Pakistan to the west.
• Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
• The topography of Punjab can be divided into the upper portion of the sub-Shivalik area and the rest of Punjab is situated on the Sutlej – Ghaggar river basin. 
• Topographical changes in the recent geographical past gave a basin-like structure to Punjab due to the formation of Himalayas. The plain lands of Punjab lie between altitudes 180m and 300m above sea level.
• The five tributary rivers of the Indus River from which the state took its name are the Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. Sutlej, Ravi and Beas Rivers flow through the Indian Punjab and major rivers of the state.

CLIMATE Punjab GK Notes:

Punjab has an inland subtropical location, and its climate is continental, being semiarid to subhumid.  Punjab experiences three main seasons. They are:

• Hot Season (mid-April to the end of June)

Summers are very hot. In June, the warmest month, temperature reaches about 100 °F from a low in the upper 70° F. 

• Rainy Season (early July to the end of September)

Annual rainfall is highest in the Siwalik Range, which is more than 45 inches and lowest in the southwest, which may receive less than 12 inches. Statewide average annual precipitation is roughly 16 inches.

• Cold Season (early December to the end of February).

January is the coolest month; temperatures normally rise from about 7 °C to upper 10° C. Winter rains from the western cyclones, occurring from December to March account for less than one-fourth of the total rainfall.

Soil type:

The soil of central Punjab ranges from sandy loam to clayey with pH values from 7.8 to 8.5 making alkalinity and salinity problematic for this state. The alluvial soil of this zone can be widely described as arid and brown soil or tropical arid brown soil. The soil in Eastern Punjab is loamy to clayey. Punjab has a productive agricultural area due to its fertile soil. A large part of Punjab is a flat plain of fertile alluvial soil found among five rivers.

Now, it’s time to talk about the political aspects of the state.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Punjab GK Notes:

The government of Punjab is determined by the national constitution of 1950. The state is led by a governor who is appointed by the president of India. The governor is aided and advised by a Council of Ministers that is led by a chief minister and responsible to the unicameral Legislative Assembly. At the head of the judiciary is the High Court in Chandigarh that is shared with Haryana. Appeals from the High Court are directed to the Supreme Court of India. Below the High Court are district-level courts.

The state is divided into 22 districts. Each district is headed by a deputy commissioner. The districts are further divided into a number of tehsils.

Representation of Punjab in Parliament:

Assembly seats (unicameral): 117

Rajya Sabha: 7

Lok Sabha: 13

First Governor of Punjab: Chandulal Madhavlal Trivedi

First Chief Minister of Punjab: Sikander Hayat Khan

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PUNJAB:

• In Punjab, people have the enthusiasm to be a singer, actor, athlete, etc. Some legends are Gurdas Maan (Singer), Babbu Maan (Singer), Akshay Kumar (Actor), Balbir Singh Sr. (Hockey Player), Kapil Sharma (Comedian), Udham Singh (Hockey Player), Zail Singh (7th President of India), etc.
• Punjabis are the major ethnic group in Canada, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, France, Italy, Spain, Dubai, etc. In Canada, they are about 2% of the total population of Canada.
• Punjab is also called the Granary of India or Bread Basket of India. It produces 17% of India’s total wheat production, and 11% of India’s rice. Agriculture is the largest industry of the state and about 84% of the land is under cultivation.
• Religion of Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak in Punjab during the 16^th century.
• Punjab is the first state where President Rule was imposed.

Hope this blog made most of your queries clear about Punjab. In our forthcoming blog, we will be discussing about other important aspects of Punjab.

Which place is the world’s most visited place in India as per the world book of records? Where is India’s one of the oldest universities situated?

In the next blog, facets correlated with these questions will be answered certainly. If you don’t want to miss it, click here – Know your State ‘Punjab’ – Part 2. We hope it will help you in the preparation of your exams such SSC 10+2, SSC CGL, CDS, NDA, etc.

Thank you