Hello, Local Guides,
So the next destination of #WorldChallenge #StateChallenge by @Denise_Barlock @Kwiksatik & @jayasimha78 in Punjab Pakistan.
Punjab (Land of the Five Rivers) is the largest land area of Pakistan and is famous for its culture. Which shares most of its cultural and carnival values with Subcontinent culture. If we look according to the population, then 56 percent of the total population of the country resides in Punjab province. Punjab has a total of 36 districts and contributes about 50-60% to the economy.
“Jinnay Lahore nai vekhaya o jamya nai” (you haven’t been born yet if you haven’t seen Lahore)
My last visit to Punjab province was in 2015 when I visited Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Murree, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Islamabad. And it was one of the memorable journeys for me, although I don’t have a lot of photos, I can still remember the beautiful weather and their wonderful gestures.
Firstly I would like to share some facts about Punjab first.
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Punjab is Pakistan’s most populous province, with a population of about 110,000,000.
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Punjabi culture is believed to be one of the oldest in the history of the world from ancient times to modern times.
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Punjab province is adjoined by Sindh to the south, the province of Balochistan to the southwest, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, and the Islamabad Capital Territory and Azad Kashmir in the north.
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Punjab borders Jammu and Kashmir in the north and the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east. Punjab is connected by road and rail to India, China, and Afghanistan, and its major cities are connected by road.
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Punjab is Pakistan’s Second-largest province by area after Balochistan with an area of 205,344 square kilometers (79,284 square miles).
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Punjab contains 25.8% of the total landmass of Pakistan.
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The main and native language spoken in Punjab is Punjabi (which is written in the Urdu script in Pakistan) and Saraiki is mostly spoken in southern Punjab, Hindko, and Pashto, spoken in some parts of northwest Punjab, especially in Attock District and Mianwali District near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
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Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is one of the leading colleges in Pakistan and is located in Lahore, the capital of Punjab.
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Punjab has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan, at 79.21%
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The capital and largest city are Lahore, an artistic, chronological, financial, and cosmopolitan center of Pakistan where the country’s cinema industry, and much of its fashion industry, are based.
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Other important cities of Punjab encompass Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Jhelum, and Sahiwal.
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The Land of Five Rivers Punjab, and the rivers are the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej.
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Multan, the famous City of Punjab, and City of My dearest friend and Connect Moderator @OmerAli is Pakistan’s 6th largest city, famous for its large number of Sufi shrines, including the unique rectangular tomb of Shah Gardez that dates from the 1150s and is covered in blue enameled tiles typical of Multan.
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One of the Indian Prime Ministers, Manmohan Singh’s Birth place is Gah, Chakwal Punjab .
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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan The Legend from Subcontinent Indo-Pak Born in Faisalabad, he had a unique Guinness World Record for the “Most Qawwali Recordings”, having recorded over 125 qawwali albums before his death.
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Sialkot, located in Pakistan, is the world’s largest producer of handsewn footballs. Local factories in the region produce 40-60 million footballs a year, which is roughly 50-70% of the world’s total production. The football manufacturing industry now consists of more than 200 factories.
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The Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad can accommodate 100,000 worshipers at a time. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993.
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Pakistan is also one of the top producers and exporters of surgical instruments in the world. According to a source, almost 99% of these instruments are produced in Sialkot.
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Allama Muhammad Iqbal born in Sialkot is the National Poet of Pakistan.
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Economy:
Punjab is Pakistan’s most industrialized province, with the industrial sector making up 24% of the province’s gross domestic product.
- Wheat and cotton are the main crops. Other crops include rice, sugarcane, millet, maize, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Livestock and poultry are raised in large numbers.
- Tourism :
Mosques abound all over Punjab and vary in architectural style.
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The descriptions of bricks and tiles of the Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) at Multan is an outstanding example of architectural calligraphy.
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The tile-work of Emperor Shah Jahan is of a richer and more detailed nature. The pictured wall of Lahore Fort is the last line in the tile-work in the entire world.
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Khewera Salt Mine is the second largest salt mine in the world, located in Jhelum district near Islamabad, Punjab.
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The Badshahi Masjid and Shalimar Gardens are located in Lahore, Punjab from the Mughal rule from 1524-1739.
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Jahangir’s tomb and Badshahi Mosque in Lahore are important places in Pakistan. Data Darbar is a very sacred place in Punjab and most of the people visit Data Saheb every year.
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The province is home to several ancient sites, including the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, the Badshahi Mosque, the Rohtas Fort, and the ruins of the ancient city of Harappa.
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The Anarkali Market and Jahangir’s Tomb are central in the city of Lahore as is the Lahore Museum.
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There are a few famous hill stations, encompassing Murree, Bhurban, Patriata, and Fort Monroe.
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History, Arts and Culture :
The founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Sahib, was born in the Punjab town of Nankana Sahib near Lahore. Few cities in Punjab are more important to the Sikh community all over the world. So Sikhs from different parts of the world come and visit Punjab.
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The scope, history, complexity, and density of culture are vast. Some of the main areas of Punjabi culture include Punjabi cuisine, philosophy, poetry, art, music, architecture, traditions and values, and history.
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Many festivals are celebrated in Punjab like Basant. (Spring Festival) Kite festival, and some other religious festivals.
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Bhangra is generally the main dance of Punjab. Punjabis are very fond of folk songs/music, Qawwali and Punjabi music is recognized all over the world. The tabla, dhol, dholki, chimta, flute, and sitar are all common instruments of this delightful culture.
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The province has been strongly influenced by Sufism, with various Sufi shrines dissipating across Punjab which attracts millions of devotees annually.
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The ruins of Harappa show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 8000 years ago. Ancient Taxila, another historic landmark, also stands out as proof of the achievements of the area in knowledge, arts, and crafts.
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Punjab is also the site of the Katasraj Temple, which features prominently in Hindu mythology. Several UNESCO World Heritage.
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Among the Punjabi poets, the names of Baba Farid, Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, and Mian Muhammad Baksh are well known.
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People of Punjab have a keen interest in sports. After Cricket, Punjabis are fond of Kabaddi and Wrestling, which is also popular in other parts of Pakistan.
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The craft of Punjab is its core soul. Embroidery, weaving, carpets, stone crafts, jewelry, metalwork along with truck art and other woodwork are famous.
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Food :
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The Capital of Punjab, Lahore is a busy, beautiful metropolis that was once at the center of the Mughal Empire. Today, it is informally known as the food and culture capital of Pakistan or, more commonly, a citadel for foodies. As they say “Jinnay Lahore nai vekhaya o jamya nai” (you haven’t been born yet if you haven’t seen Lahore)
Food Street Lahore is not a new place. It was initiated back in the 1950s after India Pakistan migration. It started from small food stalls in front of the houses. Then, it prevailed in the corners of the street. Each stall has something different to offer.
In 2000 the street was officially declared as Food Street. Then the heavy crowd caused issues and the food street was reopened at Fort in 2012. To make it convenient for people it was opened only to pedestrians.
Besides food, Food street presents such an exotic view that you forget everything. At the time you step into its streets, it makes you speechless and spellbound.It is all covered with beauty and Mughal Architectural designs. Badshahi mosque can be clearly seen from its streets which enhances beauty. If you step into the roof of any restaurant, the veranda of Badshahi mosque can be clearly seen.
Breakfast is something which is very important in people of Punjab’s life. Breakfast recipes about different regions within Punjab vary. Common ones are chana Puri, Paya nan, Chholey Kulchey, Aloo paratha, Keema Paratha, paneer paratha, paratha with yogurt, paratha with butter, halwa poori, Makhni doodh, tea, Dahi, khoya, paya, paneer with milk. In upper Punjab Pakistan, the Lahori Katlama is famous for breakfast as well.
Normally in Lunch & Dinner people of Punjab love to eat a variety of delicious dishes.
The following is a list of some foods of which Punjab & especially Lahore is renowned for having unique tastes.
Chicken Desi Lahori karahi is a speciality of Lahore.
Dal gosht, Murgh Cholay/Channay Murgh Musallam, Seekh kababs, Gol gappa, Dahi bhallay,Shawarma, Chicken tikka, Biryani, Haleem, Nihari, Paya Qulcha, Lahori Fried Fish, Chargha (Lahori-style roast chicken), Daal Chawal , Lahori Steamed Chicken Charga, Lahori Daal Murgh, Lahori Red Chicken Karahi
Hareesa - (A mixture of Mutton & Lentils) Fried fish
Chikar Chholay, Chicken pakora - Chicken Sajji and many other dishes are famous in Punjab.
My Experience in Punjab was awesome, I started my travel from Karachi to IslamAbad, it was around one hour 30 minutes flight by local airline. And on the next day I have to visit another province KPK for 4 days.
After coming back again to IslamAbad, I had more two days there for my flight, so I decided to explore Queen of the Hills “Murree”. Murree is about 30 km northeast of Islamabad. It has average altitude of 2,291 metres. It’s a famous tourist attraction for whole Pakistan, so never dare to visit there on public holidays especially Eid days.
The main attractions of Murree are Mall Road, Kashmir Point, Patriata, Bhurban and many others, where you can enjoy the calmness and beauty of the nature.
After Murree I was back to IslamAbad, and then my favourite city of Punjab “Lahore”.
Where I was going to fulfil my wish to visit Wahgah Border. The border between India and Pakistan is also called the Berlin wall of South Asia.
So the visit of Wahgah Border was an amazing experience, besides the whole flah show, I was enjoying to see that Indians were happy to see Pakistanis, we all were waving each other, even in silent moments we can talk with each other by shouting. It was my first time that I was so near to the place where I want to visit desperately. From the place where I was, Amritsar was just 28 kilometers and Delhi was 485 kilometers far.
For Punjab , I can write more and more, but of course, I don’t want to make this post more lengthier 
(Facts and Figures from Internet for this post)
Know more About Punjab? Please check following posts :
Bike Tour to old Forts - Rohtas Fort(1st Part)**By @Muhammad_Usman **
Mankiala Stupa an ancient Buddhist Stupa
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore
The Royal Noor Mehal of Bahawalpur South Punjab, Pakistan**by @Muhammad_Irfan **
So let’s meet on Saturday 10th July, 09:00 Pm Pakistan Standard time. The Meet-up Links will be share privately to all who wants to participate in this quiz by Denise Barlock and Jayasimha.
Note : When you join, please “mute”
your microphone. Always leave the microphone on “mute” unless you are talking.
This Meet-up is a part of Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide Birthday Celebrations Meet-ups.
What is our #StateChallenge meet-up schedule for the next couple of months?
# |
State |
Meet-up date |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Punjab, Pakistan - Host - @Kashifmisidia #WorldChallenge | July 10, 2021 |
| 48 | Happy Birthday, Connect and Local Guides!!! 11:30am NY - Guest Host - @JaneBurunina 3:00pm NY - Guest Host - @SilvyC / @CeciliaRatto (in Spanish) 8:00pm NY - Guest Host - @PennyChristie |
July 17, 2021 |
| 49 | South Sulawesi, Indonesia - Host @Velvel #WorldChallenge | July 24, 2021 |
| 50 | Save our Oceans - Guest Host - @Erna_LaBeau #AwarenessChallenge |
July 31, 2021 |
| 51 | Buenos Aires, Argentina - Host - @SilvyC #WorldChallenge #CityChallenge | August 7, 2021 |
| 52 | State to be determined - Guest Host - @JaneBurunina | August 14, 2021 |
Would you like to help? We’d love help with creating the questions!!! If you are willing… please send me 5 to 10 questions via private message with the correct answer along with 3 wrong answers. Maybe one or more of your questions will be on the Trivia Quiz!!! Please send any you created by mid-day Friday. Any help would be appreciated!!!
********************************************** REMINDER
ALL meet-up URLs will ONLY be provided from the #Statechallellenge Google Group. If you want to attend a #StateChallenge meet-up, you MUST join https://groups.google.com/g/local-guide-statechallenge where the meet-up URLs will be posted. To be approved as a member of the group, you MUST provideeither your Connect ID, Connect Profile URL, or Google Maps Profile URL to validate that you are a Local Guide. Thank you 
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The #StateChallenge is c****urrently being run by @jayasimha78 and @Denise_Barlock .
- It was originally organized by @Kwiksatik and @Denise_Barlock. If you want to find out more, check out this post.
- You can also find other submissions by searching the #StateChallenge hashtag
