Contest | Exploring the rich culture of our country
I live in Punjab and have grown up seeing these cultures around me. Which are changing with the passage of time and increase of literacy rate. However, some people are still bound to these cultures.
Let's talk about some prominent cultures of Punjab.
It's the celebration of the wheat harvesting season in April or May.
When the crop is ready to harvest people celebrate in lok melas(gathering of people). Where they dance on the flute of dhol and tabla, sing folk songs on hand clap.
This makes them on ease before the inauguration of wheat harvesting. They look for prosperity in their crop through this celebration.
Some people gather on the shrines.
After the celebrations harvesting begins, which could be done in one whole day.
In the below pictures you can see wheat harvesting: a harvestor is used to cut the wheat stalk and segregate its grain from it. It cuts the stalk into small fine pieces which blows in the wind in every household.
During my childhood, we used to cook food: Roti, Chicken, and Halwa for the people harvesting our crop in the fields.
I remember during this season rain would definitely start to pour, which is native to rabi season i guess.
We have this culture of sweet distribution when a son is born.
For instance: if a woman has given birth to a son as her first child, ladoos are distributed in the family and neighbours.
This doesn't happen on the birth of a girl.
A couple having daughters will not celebrate until their son is born. This is sad but it's seen everywhere in my society. People have chosen it as a tradition now.
I have first hand experience, when my brother was born my parents distributed ladoos in the whole village.
Basant is a festival celebrated on the arrival of spring season in the month of February or March.
Wearing yellow clothes, eating sweets, decorating home with yellow flowers, and flying kites are the norms.
In 19th century Maharaj Ranjit Singh started this festival in his reign. He along with his wife would wear yellow dresses and fly a kite.
Basant was celebrated for days, all his servants would wear yellow during these days. He organized competitions for flying kites, which passed on to us as his legacy.
That's why you'll see the sky full of kites during these months. Contests are being held is major cities like Lahore.
However,a ban on kiting was imposed more than a decade ago. When more deaths and accidents happened due to the string of the kites.
Few years ago, you could not see kites on the sky due to the raids of the police. However, things have become flexible now, so flying kites is back in culture again.
People of Punjab are know for their hospitality and love for food. Some cultural foods in Punjab are Sarson ka Saag , Makki ki Roti , paye, nihari and lassi.
These are seasonal foods, however there are some food which are eaten daily.
Among these foods are Halwa Puri, Chanay chollay, and nihari. You would see People eating them in their breakfast daily.
There are many stalls in each city that would offer this breafast from early morning to 11-12am.
I used to purchase this breakfast along with my friend on our return from Academy during our college life.
I wanted to highlight a day which is close to the culture of certain group of areas.
That is to celebrate konday on the 22nd of Rajab. As the date suggests, it is an Islamic festival.
On this day women would get up early before the prayer. They would make Niaz(food) to distribute among people and children.
Niyaz contains halwa and puri.
This culture is fading now, but still people celebrate it outta their love for halwa puri like my family.
Women would get up on 3am in the morning and kneed the flour. Some people use 40kgs of flour to make niaz. They continue making it until the sun rises.
We start making it at 5am and complete it roughly at 7-8am.
We eat it while making it, all of my cousins gather under one roof. We talk a lot along with laughing and eating. All of my family members wake up early and have breakfast(which is usually skipped).
This is the best day of our life which we celebrate while distributing food.
We also celebrate cultural day of punjab on 14th of March in our schools, colleges, and universities. Where stalls are placed showing traditional items which are made in Punjab.
One such thing is basketry, manufacturing of baskets, decor items, and plates for eating bread(called Chabbay in Punjabi) using dried stalk.
Each stalls contain such things with people wearing traditional clothes.
A few years ago, cultural dress for women was Shalwar Kameez and Dupatta, for men it was Shalwar kameez or Dhoti.
In villages, people still wear it but in urban areas people have become modern leaving their culture behind. They wear jean or pants which is equally common in both genders.
However, on weddings everybody wears traditional clothes. These includes:
- Lehanga Cholli
- Sarhi
- Sherwani
- Shirt along with churi dar
- Shalwar Kameez
On the wedding day, groom would wear a sherwani while bride would wear Red Lehanga.
This culture is rooted in 1990s, however men used to wear suits on their wedding day.
Women also wear Dupatta or scarves on their head.
That's all from my side, hope you enjoy these rich cultures of Punjab.
Thank you, friend!
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It's unfortunate that the ban on kiting had to be imposed due to safety concerns. Safety should always be a priority.
Absolutely, one should facilitate secure environment for such fun activities.
Yes, it is important to prioritize safety and ensure a secure environment for enjoyable activities.
I beleive the cultures of all tribes and provinces are beautiful in their own distinctive ways. Plus you stated a fact that people living in cities have neglected the cultures. I myself spent my whole life in Islamabad and I was unaware until today about the festivals you described above.
While living in a village only you can experience these cultures. Thankfully I have tales to tell, and memories to recall💫