Punjab, in North India is a gateway to beauty and traditions. If you are traveling in Punjab, there are certain things that you cannot afford to miss in this agricultural state. From the food to the lifestyle of the people here, everything will make you fall in love with this place. Some of the must do things in Punjab are listed below. Also when you think of Punjab, the first thing that comes to your mind is their traditional folk dance. It is definitely something you should not miss when you visit Punjab.
Things Not to Miss in Punjab
Following are the list of things you must not miss on while traveling in Punjab
Gurudwara Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple is located in Amritsar. Its first sight leaves you astonished and fills you with admiration. This temple is located amidst a jam-packed market selling everything from Juttis to Papads. It reflection in water is a treat for the eyes. It's worth visiting this place twice, once in the morning and evenings. In the Mornings, you can admire the serenity and calmness of this place while the evening view of this temple will tell you exactly why it is called the Golden temple.
The temple is filled with resonant sounds of the kirtans and you see many volunteers serving you prasad and maintaining the crowd. This place is mostly crowded as they serve food during langars. It is one of the top tourist spots of Punjab and you can definitely not afford to miss this one.
The Historic Jallianwala Bagh
This historic place in Amritsar reminds you of the innocent lives that were killed here. It takes you back to the times of struggle against Britishers where thousands of l8ives were lost due to the open firing ordered by General Dyer. You can still have a look at the marks of the bullets which can be seen on the walls. The well where many people had jumped and died is still there. There is also an eternal flame of remembrance and Martyrs gallery. Your hair will stand at its end hearing the massacre story and this historic place in Punjab is worth not a miss.
Parantha, Saag and Lassi
If you are Punjab, you must grab on some delicious Punjabi dishes round the corner including their famous Butter Parathas, Makke di roti, Sarson da saag, Lassi and many more. All the main cities of Punjab including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana has many food joints serving Yummy food. You can also try eating at the dhabas where the food tases equally good like any other restaurant. Some of the popular restaurants of Punjab includes Brothers dhaba and Kesar dhaba in Amritsar.
Punjab Naatshala
This Naatshala is located near Khalsa college in Amritsar. This is the only theater in the state which offers a 3-D experience. Other unique factor is its revolving stage, one of a kind in this whole country. This theater also has a network of sprinklers which help in creating artificial rain. The theatre has a rooftop which can be opened to feel an open air arena. There are a lot of national as well as international dramas which are organized in this theater. Make sure you check the programme list on their website and enjoy the plays organised by them.
Tel: 0183 2220129; punjabnaatshala.com
Roopam Dupatta Centre of Amritsar
This shop located in Adalat bazaar of Patiala is very famous for its Phulkari embroidered rumalas, phulkari dupattas and khaddar bagh prints. This shop was opened in 1984 by Harvinder Singh and it homes certain rare works of phulkari.
Also Tukri embroidered duppatas are available at this shop. You can also buy bed sheets with phulkari work, Phulkari saris, salwar and kamees and kurtis. You can also buy juttis from Qila bazaar which is at a walking distance from this place . The Phulkari works is available in the range from 500 Rs to 5000Rs.
Tel: 0175 5019613.
Wagah Border
Located about 30kms from Amritsar, the Wagah border is also known as the Berlin Wall of Asia. Every day in the evening, this place is filled with masses of crowd from both the sides, sticking around to watch the changing of the guards ceremony. Wagah is an army outpost on the border. The ceremony involves gate slamming, much synchronized foot stamping after which both the countries lower their National flags which is done by guards in extravagant head gears. The feeling of being a proud Indian can be felt amongst the crowd cheering for your country. This is one thing you would definitely not and should not miss out in
Punjab.
Ram Tirath near Amritsar
It is located on Choganwan Road at a distance of 16 kms from Amritsar. It is the ashram of great Maharishi Valmiki. This Tirath is filled with many temples and also homes an ancient tank. The Ramayana is said to be composed by Valmiki in his ashram. There is also the hut where Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush. There is still existence of a well which was dug by hanuman which is an indication of her stay.
Dhanaula in Barnala
This place in Barnala district has many toy shops selling wooden toys which are handicrafted. Tractors, miniature trucks, oil tankers, jeeps, gypsies and many more miniature in bright colours are displayed by them. You can also customise your order. They make an excellent artefact for your house. So in case you happen to Dhanaula, make sure you buy some to decorate your houses or to gift anybody. The range of the toys varies from 70 Rs to 5000 depending on the size of the toy.
The Rural Museum in Ludhiana
This museum is located in Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana. The museum has central arched entrance with finely carved doors. A long red stone path of about 100 yards with water channels belted on both the sides leads to the museum's entrance. This museum is filled with traditional architecture and rural sculptures. You get a feel of the old and traditional Punjab in this museum. You can visit this museum on all weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
Tel: 0161 2401960; pau.edu
The Victory Tower in Mohali
It is located in Chappar Chiri in Mohali at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial. It is a war memorial devoted to and is named after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. He was the one who established Sikh Rule in 1711. The main highlight of this memorial is Fateh Burj which is India's tallest victory tower of about 328 ft which signifies the victory of this great Sikh warrior.
Raunak Punjab Jutti from Amritsar
If you ae traveling in Punjab, then its a must to buy their traditional juttis made of leather. You should visit Raunak Punjab Jutti in Hall bazaar of Amritsar to see various types of juttis made by them. Some juttis are embroidered with zari, and stones while some have sequins or beads. You can also find juttis with phulkari work and their popular Maharani Juttis which has zardozi work. They also have a lot of foreigners visiting their shop. They also make customized juttis. Men can buy Pakistani Khussa which is a pointed toe jutti and is embroidered with zarkan. Men also have the option to buy Achkan jutti and Sherwani jutti. The price of these jutti start form 300 and goes up to 1500 depending on the work and leather.
Address: 16, 17 O/S. Hall Gate, Amritsar.
Tel: 09872207070.
Virasat-e-Khalsa in Anandpur
This is a rich heritage museum of Khalsa located in Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar District. This is a Rs.350-crore museum and has a depiction of history and culture of Punjab. It is build across 100 acres and you can see phulkari work, puppets, miniature art, applique work and embroideries.This museum reflects the essence of Punjab. It comprises of a Boat Building which has an outstanding panoramic view of life in Punjab. The Crescent Building illustrates the hardship the last five gurus faced in establishing the Panth. The Petal Building portrays the lives of first five Sikh gurus.
Contact: https://www.virasat-e-khalsa.net/ Punjab is a big state and it becomes difficult to cover the entire state at once. But some of the places and things mentioned above will make your trip complete and you will not regret on missing anything this wonderful state.