Punjab

History, Archeology, Society and Culture

• Land of Ancient Civilizations and Epics
• Historical Background
  
  • Going back 6000 years in the History of Punjab
  • Punjab- A confluence of Cultures
  • Archeological wonders
  • The Protected Monuments
  • Guru Nanak Dev and a New Vision of humanity
• Sikhism
  
  • An Introduction
  • The Order of the Khalsa-Significance in World History and Civilization
• Struggle for freedom in Punjab
• Scenario after Independence
• Punjabi Society and Culture
  
  • Rural Sports
  • Sports Personalities
  • Music
  • Dance
  • The Punjabi Personality

Land of Ancient Civilizations and Epics

Punjab is the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than 4000 years old. Archaeological excavations, throughout the state, have revealed evidences of the magnificent cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, that lived and died along the banks of the mighty Indus and its tributaries. The Mahabharata, which narrates life between the 7th and 5th century BC, contains rich descriptions of the land and people of Punjab at that time. It is believed that parts of the Ramayana too, were written around the Shri Ram Tirath Ashram, near Amritsar; and it was in these forests that Lav and Kush grew up.

Other great historical discoveries have been unearthed at Ropar, Kiratpur, Dholbaha, Rohira and Ghuram. These relics throw light on the culture and changing architectural styles of Punjab, since the Harappan age. At Sanghol, in Fatehgarh Sahib district near Ludhiana, sites associated with great Mauryan Dynasty, have yielded remarkable relics that record the presence of Buddhism in the region.

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