News: Ministry of Tourism organises a webinar titled “Punjab- A historic perspective” under Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series.
Facts:
- Punjab: It is called ‘the land of Five Waters’ referring to the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas.
- Who controlled it? Much of the frontier was occupied by Maharaja Ranjit Singh also known as Sher-e-Punjab in the early 19th century and then taken over by the East India Company when it annexed the Punjab in 1849.
- Important Festivals of Punjab: Teej, Lohri, Basant Panchami, Baisakhi and Hola Mohalla.
- Popular dance forms: Bhangra and Giddha.
- Important tourist attractions: Kali Temple, Baradari Garden, Sheesh Mahal, Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Qila Mubarak complex, Gobindgarh fort and Wagah border.
- Golden Temple: It is a major pilgrimage destination for devotees from around the world.The Gurdwara is built around a man-made pool (sarovar) that was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das in 1577.Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of Sikhism requested Sai Mir Mian Mohammed, a Muslim Pir of Lahore to lay its foundation stone in 1589.
- Virasat-e-Khalsa: It is a museum of Sikhism which celebrates 500 years of the Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the birth of Khalsa, based on the scriptures written by the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
- Partition Museum: It is a public museum located in the town hall in Amritsar, India.The museum aims to become the central repository of stories, materials and documents related to the post-partition riots that followed the division of British India into two independent countries: India and Pakistan.
