View source for Punjab, India

{{Short description|State in northwestern India}}
{{about|a state of India|the geographical region|Punjab|the province of Pakistan|Punjab, Pakistan|other uses of the name|Punjab (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Indian state or territory
| name = Punjablonda
| official_name = State of Punjab
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| photo1a      = Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab UNAG.jpg
| photo2a      = Virasat-e-Khalsa-Roxy.jpg
| photo2b      = Devi Talab Mandir.jpg
| photo3a      = Fateh Burj night.png
| photo3b      = Khalsa College-Monumentos de Amritsar-India16.JPG
| photo4a      = Panorama of Jallianwala Bagh-IMG 6348 (cropped).jpg
| photo4b      = Qila Mubarak In 2015.jpg
| spacing      = 2
| color_border =
| color        =
| size         = 260
| border       = no
| foot_montage = Clockwise from top: [[Golden Temple]]; [[Devi Talab Mandir|Devi Talab Mandir, Jalandhar]]; [[Khalsa College, Amritsar]]; [[Qila Mubarak, Bathinda|Qila Mubarak]]; [[Jallianwala Bagh|Jallianwala Bagh memorial]]; [[Fateh Burj]]; [[Virasat-e-Khalsa]]}}
| type = State
| image_seal = Seal of Punjab.svg
| etymology = Land of five rivers
| motto = "[[Satyameva Jayate]]"
| image_map = IN-PB.svg
| coordinates = {{coord|30.79|75.84|region:IN-PB_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}
| region = North India
| before_was = [[East Punjab]]<br/>[[PEPSU]]
| formation_date4 = 26 January 1950
| capital = Chandigarh
| largestcity = Ludhiana
| districts = [[List of districts of Punjab, India|23]]
| Governor = [[Gulab Chand Kataria]]
| Chief_Minister = [[Bhagwant Mann]]
| party = [[Aam Aadmi Party|AAP]]
| legislature_type = Unicameral
| assembly = [[Punjab Legislative Assembly]]
| assembly_seats = 117 seats
| rajya_sabha_seats = 7 seats
| lok_sabha_seats = 13 seats
| judiciary = [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]]
| area_total_km2 = 50362
| area_rank = 20th
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Know Punjab – Government of Punjab, India |url=https://punjab.gov.in/know-punjab/ |access-date=24 March 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713061012/https://punjab.gov.in/know-punjab/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| elevation_m = 300
| elevation_max_m = 1,000
| elevation_max_point = Naina Devi Range
| elevation_min_m = 105
| elevation_min_point = South Western side
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2011 pp tableA2">{{Cite web |title=Area, population, decennial growth rate and density for 2001 and 2011 at a glance for Punjab and the districts: provisional population totals paper 1 of 2011: Punjab |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_punjab.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107060612/http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_punjab.html |archive-date=7 January 2012 |access-date=26 January 2012 |publisher=Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India}}</ref>
| population_total = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 27,743,338
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank = 16th
| population_density = 550
| population_urban = 37.48%
| population_rural = 62.52%
| population_demonym = [[Punjabis]]
| 0fficial_Langs = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]<ref name="2011lang">{{Cite web |title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013) |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2016 |access-date=4 December 2016 |publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India}}</ref>
| official_script = [[Gurmukhi script]]
| GDP_footnotes = <ref name="MOSPI">{{Cite web |title=Handbook of Statistics of Indian States |url=https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Publications/PDFs/0HSIS241121FL7A6B5C0ECBC64B0ABF0A097B1AD40C83.PDF |access-date=11 February 2022 |website=[[Reserve Bank of India]] |pages=37–42 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129151430/https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Publications/PDFs/0HSIS241121FL7A6B5C0ECBC64B0ABF0A097B1AD40C83.PDF |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_total = {{Increase}}{{INRConvert|6.85|t|lk=r}}
| GDP_year = 2021–22
| GDP_rank = 16th
| GDP_per_capita = {{IncreaseNeutral}}{{INRConvert|182500|lk=r}}
| GDP_per_capita_rank = 19th
| HDI = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 0.740 {{color|#0c0|High}}<ref name="snhdi-gdl">{{Cite web |title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database |url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |archive-date=23 September 2018 |access-date=25 September 2018 |website=Global Data Lab |publisher=Institute for Management Research, Radboud University |language=en}}</ref>
| HDI_year = 2017–18
| HDI_rank = 11th
| literacy = {{Increase}} 75.84%
| literacy_year = 2011
| literacy_rank = 21st
| sex_ratio = 938[[female|♀]]/1000 [[male|♂]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sex ratio of State and Union Territories of India as per National Health survey (2019–2021) |url=https://main.mohfw.gov.in/basicpage-14 |website=Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India |access-date=8 January 2023 |archive-date=8 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108164803/https://main.mohfw.gov.in/basicpage-14 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| sexratio_year = 2021
| sexratio_rank = 25th
| iso_code = IN-PB
| registration_plate = PB
| website = punjab.gov.in
| mammal = [[Blackbuck]]
| bird = [[Eurasian goshawk|Goshawk]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=State Bird is BAAZ |url=http://www.dayandnightnews.com/2011/05/baaz-is-back-as-punjabs-state-bird |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213412/http://www.dayandnightnews.com/2011/05/baaz-is-back-as-punjabs-state-bird/ |archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>
| fish = [[Indus river dolphin]]
| flower = [[Gladiolus]]
| tree = [[Dalbergia sissoo|Shisham]]
| fruit = [[Mandarin orange|Mandarin]]
| image_highway = SH IN-PB.png
| SH_numbers = [[List of state highways in Punjab|PB SH1 - PB SH41]]
}}

'''Punjab''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=Punjab.ogg|p|ʌ<!--full vowel-->|n|ˈ|dʒ|ɑː|b}};<ref name=":2">Also {{IPAc-en|'|p|ʌ|n|dʒ|æ|b}} and other variants</ref> {{IPA-pa|pənˈdʒɑːb|lang|audio=Punjab.ogg}}) is a [[States and union territories of India|state]] in [[northwestern India]]. Forming part of the larger [[Punjab|Punjab region]] of the [[Indian subcontinent]], the state is bordered by the [[States and union territories of India|Indian states]] of [[Himachal Pradesh]] to the north and northeast, [[Haryana]] to the south and southeast, and [[Rajasthan]] to the southwest; by the Indian [[union territory|union territories]] of [[Chandigarh]] to the east and [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] to the north. It shares an international border with [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], a [[Pakistani province|province]] of [[Pakistan]] to the west.<ref name="Borders">{{Cite web |title=Border Area Development Programmes in Punjab |url=http://pbplanning.gov.in/pdf/Annexure-VI.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910030353/http://pbplanning.gov.in/pdf/annexure-vi.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2016 |access-date=22 March 2017 |publisher=Department of Planning Punjab}}</ref> The state covers an area of 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square miles), which is 1.53% of India's total geographical area,<ref name="censusofficial">{{Cite web |title=Official site of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India |url=http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_new/upload/SYB2013/ch2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203163229/http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_new/upload/SYB2013/ch2.html |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=20 July 2013}}</ref> making it [[List of states and union territories of India by area|the 19th-largest Indian state]] by area out of 28 Indian states (20th largest, if Union Territories are considered). With over 27 million inhabitants, Punjab is [[List of states and union territories of India by population|the 16th-largest Indian state by population]], comprising [[List of districts of Punjab, India|23 districts]].<ref name="2011 pp tableA2" /> [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], written in the [[Gurmukhi]] script, is the most widely spoken and the official language of the state.<ref name=":3">—{{cite web|url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf|title=Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 50th report (July 2012 to June 2013)|publisher=Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India|access-date=4 December 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708012438/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM50thReport.pdf|archive-date=8 July 2016}}<br />—{{cite web |title=Language – India, States and Union Territories |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/C-16_25062018_NEW.pdf |work=Census of India 2011 |publisher=Office of the Registrar General |pages=13–14 |access-date=19 October 2018 |archive-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114073412/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/C-16_25062018_NEW.pdf |url-status=live }}<br />—{{cite web |title=C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Punjab |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-0300.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-date=3 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003055058/https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-0300.XLSX |url-status=live }}</ref> The main ethnic group are the [[Punjabis]], with [[Sikhs]] (57.7%) and [[Hindus]] (38.5%) forming the dominant religious groups.<ref name="census2011">{{Cite web |title=Population by religion community – 2011 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW03C-01%20MDDS.XLS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923230423/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW03C-01%20MDDS.XLS |archive-date=23 September 2015 |publisher=The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India}}</ref> The state capital, Chandigarh, is a union territory and also the capital of the neighbouring state of [[Haryana]]. Three tributaries of the [[Indus River]] {{emdash}} the [[Sutlej]], [[Beas River|Beas]], and [[Ravi River|Ravi]] {{emdash}} flow through Punjab.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, ninth ed., vol. 20, Punjab, p.107</ref>

The [[history of Punjab]] has witnessed the migration and settlement of different tribes of people with different cultures and ideas, forming a civilisational melting pot. The ancient [[Indus Valley Civilisation]] flourished in the region until its decline around 1900 BCE.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Mohinder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W95iulFxS6gC |title=History and Culture of Panjab |date=1988 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers |pages=1, 12 |language=en}}</ref> Punjab was enriched during the height of the [[Vedic period]], but declined in predominance with the rise of the [[Mahajanapadas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chattopadhyaya |first=Brajadulal |title=Studying Early India: Archaeology, Texts, and Historical Issues |publisher=Permanent Black Publishers |year=2003 |isbn=81-7824-143-9}}</ref> The region formed the frontier of initial empires during antiquity including [[Alexander's empire|Alexander's]] and the [[Maurya Empire|Maurya]] empires.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Romm |first=James S. |title=The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander |publisher=Anchor Books |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-4000-7967-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Thorpe |first1=Showick |title=The Pearson General Studies Manual 2009 |last2=Thorpe |first2=Edgar |date=2009 |publisher=Pearson |isbn=978-81-317-2133-9}}</ref> It was subsequently conquered by the [[Kushan Empire]], [[Gupta Empire]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |url=https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofin00dani |title=A Brief History of India |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-89281-923-2 |author-link=Alain Daniélou |url-access=registration}}</ref> and then [[Harsha Empire|Harsha's Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNxiN5tzKOgC |title=Ancient India |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1977 |isbn=978-81-208-0436-4 |author-link=R. C. Majumdar}}</ref> Punjab continued to be settled by nomadic people; including the [[Huna people|Huna]], [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] and the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]]. Punjab came under Muslim rule {{Circa|1000 CE}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mohan |first=R. T. |title=Afghanistan Revisited: The Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab ( C.840.-1026 CE) |publisher=MLBD |year=2010}}</ref> and was part of the [[Delhi Sultanate]] and the [[Mughal Empire]].<ref>—{{Cite book | last=Lapidus | first=I. M. | title=A History of Islamic Societies | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-139-99150-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkJpBAAAQBAJ | access-date=3 July 2020 | archive-date=27 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082336/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkJpBAAAQBAJ | url-status=live }}<br />—{{Cite book | last=Jayapalan | first=N. | title=History of India | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6L6avTlqJNYC | publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Limited | year=2001 | isbn=978-81-7156-928-1 | access-date=19 March 2023 | archive-date=27 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082336/https://books.google.com/books?id=6L6avTlqJNYC | url-status=live }}<br />—[https://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/empires/mughals/ The Islamic World to 1600: Rise of the Great Islamic Empires (The Mughal Empire)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927121217/http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/empires/mughals/ |date=27 September 2011 }}<br />—{{cite web|title=Mughal Dynasty|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mughal-dynasty|website=Encyclopaedia Britannica|publisher=Britannica|access-date=15 February 2018|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224114251/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mughal-dynasty|url-status=live}}<br />—{{Cite book|title = All India Modern History Congress|last = Potdar|first = Datto Vaman|year = 1938}}</ref> [[Sikhism]], based on the teachings of [[Sikh Gurus]], emerged between the [[History of Sikhism|15th and 17th centuries]]. Conflicts between the Mughals and the later Sikh Gurus precipitated a militarisation of the Sikhs, resulting in the formation of a [[Sikh Confederacy|confederacy]] after the weakening of the Mughal Empire, which competed for control with the larger [[Durrani Empire]].<ref>—{{Cite book| last=Melton | first=J. G. | title=Faiths Across Time: 5,000 Years of Religious History | publisher=ABC-CLIO | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-61069-026-3}}{{full citation needed|date=May 2018}}<br />—{{cite book | last=Jestice | first=Phyllis | title=Holy people of the world : a cross-cultural encyclopedia | publisher=ABC-CLIO | year=2004 | isbn=978-1-57607-355-1 | oclc=57407318}}<br />—{{Cite book|title = The History of Punjab from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time|last = Latif|first = Syad Muhammad|publisher = Eurasia Publishing House (Pvt.) Ltd.|year = 1964|page = 283}}<br />—{{Cite book|title = The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Volume IV|last = Bhatia|first = Sardar Singh|publisher = Punjabi University|year = 1998|page = 396}}</ref> This confederacy was united in 1801 by [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]], forming the [[Sikh Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Grewal |first1=J. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNuPAQAACAAJ |title=The Sikhs of the Punjab |last2=Johnson |first2=Gordon |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-521-26884-4 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164803/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNuPAQAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The larger Punjab region was annexed by the [[British East India Company]] from the Sikh Empire in [[Second Anglo-Sikh War|1849]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cunningham |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/cunninghamshisto00cunnuoft |title=Cunningham's history of the Sikhs |date=1853 |access-date=24 July 2015}}</ref> At the time of the [[independence of India]] from British rule in 1947, the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab province]] was [[Partition of India|partitioned]] along [[Radcliffe Line|religious lines]] amidst widespread violence, with the Muslim-majority [[West Punjab|western portion]] becoming part of Pakistan and the Hindu- and Sikh-majority [[East Punjab|east]] remaining in India, causing a large-scale migration between the two.<ref>—{{cite journal|last1=Talbot|first1=Ian|s2cid=147110854|title=Partition of India: The Human Dimension|journal=Cultural and Social History|year=2009|volume=6|issue=4|pages=403–410|quote=The number of casualties remains a matter of dispute, with figures being claimed that range from 200,000 to 2 million victims.|doi=10.2752/147800409X466254}}<br />—{{Cite book|title=Nationbuilding, Gender and War Crimes in South Asia|last=D'Costa|first=Bina|publisher=Routledge|year=2011|isbn=978-0415565660|page=53}}<br />—{{Cite book|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/butalia-silence.html|title=The Other Side of Silence: Voices From the Partition of India|last=Butalia|first=Urvashi|publisher=Duke University Press|year=2000|access-date=3 July 2020|archive-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325043612/https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/butalia-silence.html|url-status=live}}<br />—{{Cite book|title=Muslims in India Since 1947: Islamic Perspectives on Inter-Faith Relations|last=Sikand|first=Yoginder|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|isbn=978-1134378258|page=5}}<br />—{{Cite news|url=http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/a-heritage-all-but-erased/|title=A heritage all but erased|date=25 December 2015|work=The Friday Times|access-date=26 June 2017|archive-date=24 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424215718/https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2015/12/25/a-heritage-all-but-erased/|url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[Punjabi Suba movement]], Indian Punjab was [[Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966|reorganised]] on the basis of language in 1966,<ref name="paul_brass_north_india">{{Cite book |last=Brass |first=Paul R. |title=Language, Religion and Politics in North India |publisher=iUniverse |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-595-34394-2 |page=326}}</ref> when its [[Haryanvi]]- and [[Hindi]]-speaking areas were carved out as Haryana, [[Western Pahari|Pahari]]-speaking regions attached to Himachal Pradesh and the remaining, mostly Punjabi-speaking areas became the current state of Punjab. A separatist [[Insurgency in Punjab|insurgency]] occurred in the state during the 1980s.<ref name="Cynthia_Taksal77">{{Cite book |last=Mahmood |first=Cynthia Keppley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FqvTRUrwt2UC |title=Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants |date=1996 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=9780812215922 |page=77 |access-date=8 July 2018 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409094156/https://books.google.com/books?id=FqvTRUrwt2UC |url-status=live }}</ref> At present, the [[economy of Punjab, India|economy of Punjab]] is the [[List of Indian states and union territories by GDP|15th-largest state economy]] in India with {{INRConvert|8.02|t|lk=r|year=2024-25}} in [[gross domestic product]] and a per capita GDP of {{INRConvert|264.0000000|k|year=2024-25}}, ranking [[List of Indian states and union territories by GDP per capita|17th among Indian states]].<ref name="MOSPI" /> Since independence, Punjab is predominantly an [[agrarian society]]. It is the [[List of Indian states and territories by Human Development Index|ninth-highest ranking]] among Indian states in [[human development index]].<ref name="snhdi-gdl" /> Punjab has bustling [[Tourism in Punjab, India|tourism]], [[Punjabi popular music|music]], [[Punjabi cuisine|culinary]], and [[Punjabi cinema|film]] industries.<ref name="Punjabi_culture">—{{cite web| title = How Punjab became home to India's largest non-film music industry| publisher = [[The Economic Times]]| url = https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/how-punjab-became-home-to-indias-biggest-non-film-music-industry/articleshow/64898701.cms| date = 8 July 2018| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 11 August 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210811104433/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/how-punjab-became-home-to-indias-biggest-non-film-music-industry/articleshow/64898701.cms| url-status = live}}<br />—{{cite web| title = Why Punjabi music is so euphonic| publisher = [[Business Standard]]| url = https://tbsnews.net/glitz/why-punjabi-music-so-euphonic-76528| date = 3 May 2020| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 2 July 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200702213321/https://tbsnews.net/glitz/why-punjabi-music-so-euphonic-76528| url-status = live}}<br />—{{cite web| title = Everyone's a rockstar in Mohali, the city at the heart of a Punjabi music boom| publisher = [[Hindustan Times]]| url = https://tbsnews.net/glitz/why-punjabi-music-so-euphonic-76528| date = 8 January 2019| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 2 July 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200702213321/https://tbsnews.net/glitz/why-punjabi-music-so-euphonic-76528| url-status = live}}<br />—{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfed.org/downloads/Language-wise-Region-2018-19-26062019.pdf|title=Indian Films by Language|publisher=Film Federation of India|access-date=2 July 2020|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717144150/http://www.filmfed.org/downloads/Language-wise-Region-2018-19-26062019.pdf|url-status=dead}}<br />—{{cite news|title=Kirron Kher tries to get film city for Chandigarh|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher-114082500941_1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113120346/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher-114082500941_1.html|archive-date=13 November 2014}}<br />—{{cite news|title=Kirron Kher is trying to bring a film city to Chandigarh|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/celebrity/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher_160718.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031081944/http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/celebrity/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher_160718.html|archive-date=31 October 2015}}<br />—{{cite news|title=The Globalisation of Bhangra Music|url=http://www.desiblitz.com/content/globalisation-bhangra-music|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910160719/http://www.desiblitz.com/content/globalisation-bhangra-music|archive-date=10 September 2015}}<br />—{{cite news|title=The Bhangra Breakdown – June 2014 Edition|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/punjabi/music/The-Bhangra-Breakdown-June-2014-Edition/articleshow/38063724.cms|date=June 2014|access-date=3 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115332/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/punjabi/music/The-Bhangra-Breakdown-June-2014-Edition/articleshow/38063724.cms|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref>

==Etymology==
{{Further|Punjab#Etymology}}

==History==
{{Main|History of Punjab}}
{{See also|Punjab (region)}}

=== Ancient period ===
The Punjab region is noted as the site of one of the earliest urban societies, the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]] that flourished from about 3000 B.C. and declined rapidly 1,000 years later, following the [[Indo-Aryan migrations]] that overran the region in waves between 1500 and 500 B.C.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abNDLZQ6quYC&pg=PA257 |title=Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia |date=2012 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-59884-659-1 |pages=257–259 |language=en |access-date=28 November 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082336/https://books.google.com/books?id=abNDLZQ6quYC&pg=PA257 |url-status=live }}</ref> Frequent intertribal wars stimulated the growth of larger groupings ruled by chieftains and kings, who ruled local kingdoms known as [[Mahajanapadas]].<ref name=":9" /> The rise of kingdoms and dynasties in Punjab is chronicled in the ancient Hindu epics, particularly the [[Mahabharata]].<ref name=":9" /> The epic battles described in the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' are chronicled as being fought in what is now the state of Haryana and historic Punjab. The [[Gandhara]]s, [[Kambojas]], [[Trigartas]], [[Andhra in Indian epic literature|Andhra]], [[Pauravas]], [[Bahlikas]] ([[Bactrian people|Bactrian]] settlers of the Punjab), [[Yaudheya]]s, and others sided with the [[Kauravas]] in the great battle fought at [[Kurukshetra]].<ref>Buddha Parkash, ''Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Panjab'', p 36.</ref> According to Dr{{nbsp}}Fauja Singh and Dr.{{nbsp}}L.{{nbsp}}M. Joshi: "There is no doubt that the Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Andhra, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas, Saindhavas, and Kurus had jointly contributed to the heroic tradition and composite culture of ancient Punjab."<ref>Joshi, L. M., and Fauja Singh. ''History of Panjab'', Vol I. p. 4.</ref> The bulk of the ''[[Rigveda]]'' was composed in the Punjab region between circa 1500 and 1200 BC,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin |url=https://archive.org/details/anintroductiontohinduismgavinfloodd.oupseeotherbooks_355_z/page/37/mode/2up |title=An Introduction to Hinduism |date=13 July 1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43878-0}}</ref> while later Vedic scriptures were composed more eastwards, between the [[Yamuna]] and [[Ganges]] rivers. The [[historical Vedic religion]] constituted the religious ideas and practices in Punjab during the [[Vedic period]] (1500–500 BCE), centred primarily in the worship of [[Indra]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wheeler |first=James Talboys |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSFGIqjWG14C&q=punjab |title=The History of India from the Earliest Ages: Hindu Buddhist Brahmanical revival |date=1874 |publisher=N. Trübner |pages=330 |quote=The Punjab, to say the least, was less Brahmanical. It was an ancient centre of the worship of Indra, who was always regarded as an enemy by the Bráhmans; and it was also a stronghold of Buddhism. |access-date=30 September 2022 |archive-date=3 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003135341/https://books.google.com/books?id=xSFGIqjWG14C&q=punjab |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hunter |first=W. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vdv7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA80 |title=The Indian Empire: Its People, History and Products |date=5 November 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-38301-4 |pages=80 |language=en |quote=In the settlements of the Punjab, Indra thus advanced to the first place among the Vedic divinities. |access-date=28 November 2022 |archive-date=28 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128002436/https://books.google.com/books?id=Vdv7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA80 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Virdee |first=Pippa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WYJIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 |title=From the Ashes of 1947 |date=February 2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-42811-8 |pages=24 |language=en |quote=The Rig Veda and the Upanishads, which belonged to the Vedic religion, were a precursor of Hinduism, both of which were composed in Punjab. |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164803/https://books.google.com/books?id=WYJIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn-lr|{{harvtxt|Michaels|2004|p=38}}: "The legacy of the Vedic religion in Hinduism is generally overestimated. The influence of the mythology is indeed great, but the religious terminology changed considerably: all the key terms of Hinduism either do not exist in Vedic or have a completely different meaning. The religion of the Veda does not know the ethicised migration of the soul with retribution for acts (''karma''), the cyclical destruction of the world, or the idea of salvation during one's lifetime (''jivanmukti; moksa; nirvana''); the idea of the world as illusion (''maya'') must have gone against the grain of ancient India, and an omnipotent creator god emerges only in the late hymns of the Rigveda. Nor did the Vedic religion know a caste system, the burning of widows, the ban on remarriage, images of gods and temples, Puja worship, Yoga, pilgrimages, vegetarianism, the holiness of cows, the doctrine of stages of life (''asrama''), or knew them only at their inception. Thus, it is justified to see a turning point between the Vedic religion and Hindu religions."<br />{{cite web |first1=Stephanie |last1=Jamison |first2=Michael |last2=Witzel |year=1992 |publisher=Harvard University |pages=3 |url=http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vedica.pdf |title=Vedic Hinduism}}: "... to call this period Vedic Hinduism is a contradictio in terminis since Vedic religion is very different from what we generally call Hindu religion – at least as much as Old Hebrew religion is from medieval and modern Christian religion. However, Vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of Hinduism."<br />See also {{harvnb|Halbfass|1991|pp=1–2}}|name="Michaels-legacy"|group=note}}
[[File:1500-1200_BCE_Rigveda,_manuscript_page_sample_i,_Mandala_1,_Hymn_1_(Sukta_1),_Adhyaya_1,_lines_1.1.1_to_1.1.9,_Sanskrit,_Devanagari.jpg|left|thumb|''[[Rigveda]]''&nbsp;is the oldest Hindu text that originated in the Punjab region.]]
The earliest known notable local king of this region  was known as [[King Porus]], who fought the famous [[Battle of the Hydaspes]] against [[Alexander the Great]]. His kingdom spanned between rivers ''Hydaspes'' ([[Jhelum River|Jhelum]]) and ''Acesines'' ([[Chenab River|Chenab]]); [[Strabo]] had held the territory to contain almost 300 cities.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Bosworth |first=Albert Brian |title=Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1993 |pages=125–130 |chapter=The campaign of the Hydaspes}}</ref> He (alongside [[Abisares]]) had a hostile relationship with the Kingdom of [[Taxila]] which was ruled by his extended family.<ref name=":6" /> When the armies of Alexander crossed Indus in its eastward migration, probably in [[Udabhandapura]], he was greeted by the-then ruler of Taxila, [[Taxiles|Omphis]].<ref name=":6" /> Omphis had hoped to force both Porus and Abisares into submission leveraging the might of Alexander's forces and diplomatic missions were mounted, but while Abisares accepted the submission, Porus refused.<ref name=":6" /> This led Alexander to seek a face-off with Porus.<ref name=":6" /> Thus began the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC; the exact site remains unknown.<ref name=":6" /> The battle is thought to have resulted in a decisive [[Greeks|Greek]] victory; however, A. B. Bosworth warns against an uncritical reading of Greek sources who were obviously exaggerative.<ref name=":6" />

Alexander later founded two cities—''[[Nicaea, Punjab|Nicaea]]'' at the site of victory and [[Alexandria Bucephalous|''Bucephalous'']] at the battle-ground, in memory of [[Bucephalus|his horse]], who died soon after the battle.<ref name=":6" />{{Efn|Craterus supervised the construction. These cities are yet to be identified.}} Later, [[tetradrachm]]s would be minted depicting Alexander on horseback, armed with a ''sarissa'' and attacking a pair of Indians on an elephant.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Holt |first=Frank Lee |title=Alexander the Great and the mystery of the elephant medallions |publisher=University of California Press |year=2003}}</ref> Porus refused to surrender and wandered about atop an elephant, until he was wounded and his force routed.<ref name=":6" /> When asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied "Treat me as a king would treat another king".<ref>Rogers, p.200</ref> Despite the apparently one-sided results, Alexander was impressed by Porus and chose to not depose him.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Bosworth |first=Albert Brian |title=Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1993 |chapter=From the Hydaspes to the Southern Ocean}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Anson |first=Edward M. |title=Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2013 |isbn=9781441193797 |pages=151}}</ref>{{sfn|Roy|2004|pp=23–28}} Not only was his territory reinstated but also expanded with Alexander's forces annexing the territories of Glausaes, who ruled the area northeast of Porus' kingdom.<ref name=":7" />

After Alexander's death in 323 BCE, [[Perdiccas]] became the regent of his empire, and after Perdiccas's murder in 321 BCE, [[Antipater]] became the new regent.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heckel |first=Waldemar |title=Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire |publisher=Wiley |year=2006 |isbn=9781405112109}}</ref> According to [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]], Antipater recognised Porus's authority over the territories along the [[Indus River]]. However, [[Eudemus (general)|Eudemus]], who had served as Alexander's [[satrap]] in the Punjab region, treacherously killed Porus.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Irfan Habib |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nUvGQgAACAAJ |title=Mauryan India |last2=Vivekanand Jha |publisher=Aligarh Historians Society / [[Tulika Books]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-81-85229-92-8 |series=A People's History of India |page=16 |author-link=Irfan Habib}}</ref> The battle is historically significant because it resulted in the [[syncretism]] of ancient Greek political and cultural influences to the Indian subcontinent, yielding works such as [[Greco-Buddhist art]], which continued to have an impact for the ensuing centuries. The region was then divided between the [[Maurya Empire]] and the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]] in 302 B.C.E. [[Menander I]] [[Soter]] conquered Punjab and made [[Sagala]] (present-day [[Sialkot]]) the capital of the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]].<ref name="Hazel 2013">{{Cite book |last=Hazel |first=John |title=Who's Who in the Greek World |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=9781134802241 |page=155 |quote=Menander king in India, known locally as Milinda, born at a village named Kalasi near Alasanda (Alexandria-in-the-Caucasus), and who was himself the son of a king. After conquering the Punjab, where he made Sagala his capital, he made an expedition across northern India and visited Patna, the capital of the Mauraya empire, though he did not succeed in conquering this land as he appears to have been overtaken by wars on the north-west frontier with Eucratides.}}</ref><ref name="Ahir 1971">{{Cite book |last=Ahir |first=D. C. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.49756 |title=Buddhism in the Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh |publisher=Maha Bodhi Society of India |year=1971 |page=31 |oclc=1288206 |quote=Demetrius died in 166 B.C., and Apollodotus, who was a near relation of the King died in 161 B.C. After his death, Menander carved out a kingdom in Punjab. Thus from 161 B.C. onward Menander was the ruler of Punjab till his death in 145 B.C. or 130 B.C.}}</ref> Menander is noted for having become a patron and convert to [[Greco-Buddhism]] and he is widely regarded as the greatest of the Indo-Greek kings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Menander {{!}} Indo-Greek king |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Menander-Indo-Greek-king |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=en |archive-date=21 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521113834/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Menander-Indo-Greek-king |url-status=live }}</ref> Greek influence in the region ended around 12 B.C.E. when the Punjab fell under the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanians]].

=== Medieval period ===
Following the [[muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent]] at the beginning of the 8th century, [[Arab]] armies of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] penetrated into South Asia introducing [[Islam]] into Punjab.<ref name="oxford2">{{Cite book |last1=Rambo |first1=Lewis R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U03gAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA490 |title=The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion |last2=Farhadian |first2=Charles E. |date=6 March 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971354-7 |pages=489–491 |quote=First, Islam was introduced into the southern Punjab in the opening decades of the eighth century. By the sixteenth century, Muslims were the majority in the region and an elaborate network of mosques and mausoleums marked the landscape. Local converts constituted the majority of this Muslim community, and as far for the mechanisms of conversion, the sources of the period emphasize the recitation of the Islamic confession of faith (shahada), the performance of the circumsicion (indri vaddani), and the ingestion of cow-meat (bhas khana). |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082337/https://books.google.com/books?id=U03gAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA490#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chhabra |first=G. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vF9DAAAAYAAJ |title=Advanced History of the Punjab: Guru and post-Guru period upto Ranjit Singh |date=1968 |publisher=New Academic Publishing Company |page=37 |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082337/https://books.google.com/books?id=vF9DAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>  In the ninth century, the [[Hindu Shahis|Hindu Shahi]] dynasty emerged in the Punjab, ruling much of Punjab and eastern Afghanistan.<ref name=":9" /> The [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] [[Ghaznavids]] in the tenth century overthrew the Hindu Shahis and consequently ruled for 157 years, gradually declining as a power until the [[Ghurid]] conquest of [[Lahore]] by [[Muhammad of Ghor]] in 1186, deposing the last Ghaznavid ruler [[Khusrau Malik]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehta |first=Jaswant Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUk5k5AN54sC&pg=PA76 |title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India |date=1979 |publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd |isbn=978-81-207-0617-0 |pages=76 |language=en |access-date=28 November 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082342/https://books.google.com/books?id=iUk5k5AN54sC&pg=PA76#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the death of [[Muhammad of Ghor]] in 1206, the Ghurid state fragmented and was replaced in northern India by the [[Delhi Sultanate]]. The Delhi Sultanate ruled the Punjab for the next three hundred years, led by five unrelated dynasties, the [[Mamluk dynasty (Delhi)|Mamluks]], [[Khalji dynasty|Khalajis]], [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughlaqs]], [[Sayyid dynasty|Sayyids]] and [[Lodi dynasty|Lodis]]. A significant event in the late 15th century Punjab was the formation of [[Sikhism]] by [[Guru Nanak]].<ref group="lower-roman">"Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikh originated in India."{{Cite book |last1=Moreno |first1=Luis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N5lpveRnSxEC&pg=PA207 |title=Diversity and Unity in Federal Countries |last2=Colino |first2=César |date=2010 |publisher=McGill Queen University Press |isbn=978-0-7735-9087-8 |page=207 |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082837/https://books.google.com/books?id=N5lpveRnSxEC&pg=PA207#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Singh|2006|pp=12–13}}{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=6}} The history of the Sikh faith is closely associated with the history of Punjab and the socio-political situation in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th century.<ref>Almasy, Steve. 2018 [2012]. "[https://edition-m.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/religion-what-is-a-sikh/index.html Who are Sikhs and what do they believe?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326043425/https://edition-m.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/religion-what-is-a-sikh/index.html |date=26 March 2023 }}" ''[[CNN International]]''. US: [[Turner Broadcasting System]].</ref><ref name="Nesbitt2005">{{Cite book |last=Nesbitt |first=Eleanor M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fvTK_CfkeasC |title=Sikhism: a very short introduction |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-280601-7 |pages=21–23 |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082839/https://books.google.com/books?id=fvTK_CfkeasC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Nirbhai Singh 1990 1–3">{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Nirbhai |url=https://archive.org/details/philosophyofsikh0000nirb/page/n26 |title=Philosophy of Sikhi: Reality and Its Manifestations |date=1990 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |pages=1–3 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="Opinderjit Kaur Takhar 2016 147">{{Cite book |last=Takhar |first=Opinderjit Kaur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UaeoDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT147 |title=Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs |date=2016 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=978-1-351-90010-2 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |page=147}}</ref>
[[File:Ranjit_Singh_at_Harmandir_Sahib_-_August_Schoefft_-_Vienna_1850_-_Princess_Bamba_Collection_-_Lahore_Fort.jpg|thumb|250x250px|[[Ranjit Singh|Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] listening to [[Guru Granth Sahib]] being recited near the [[Akal Takht]] and [[Golden Temple, Amritsar]]. Painting by [[August Schoefft]] (1850)]]
The hymns composed by [[Guru Nanak]] were later collected in the [[Guru Granth Sahib]], the central religious scripture of the Sikhs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i_htgAACAAJ |title=A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469–1839 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1991 |page=46}}</ref> The religion developed and evolved in times of [[Religious persecution#Persecutions of Sikhs|religious persecution]], gaining converts from both Hinduism and Islam.<ref name="Singh2008">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pritam |title=Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy |date=2008 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-134-04945-5 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |quote=A large number of Hindu and Muslim peasants converted to Sikhism from conviction, fear, economic motives, or a combination of the three (Khushwant Singh 1999: 106; Ganda Singh 1935: 73).}}</ref> [[Mughal Empire|Mughal rulers]] of India tortured and executed two of the Sikh gurus—[[Guru Arjan]] (1563–1605) and [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]] (1621–1675)—after [[Forced conversion#Islam|they refused to convert to Islam]].<ref name="pashauraarjan">Pashaura Singh (2005), Understanding the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan, Journal of Punjab Studies, 12(1), pp. 29–62</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Pashaura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |last2=Fenech |first2=Louis E. |date=2014 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |pages=236–238 |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811005306/https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |date=2001 |title=Martyrdom and the Execution of Guru Arjan in Early Sikh Sources |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=121 |issue=1 |pages=20–31 |doi=10.2307/606726 |jstor=606726}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |date=1997 |title=Martyrdom and the Sikh Tradition |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=117 |issue=4 |pages=623–642 |doi=10.2307/606445 |jstor=606445}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=McLeod |first=Hew |author-link=William Hewat McLeod |date=1999 |title=Sikhs and Muslims in the Punjab |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |volume=22 |issue=sup001 |pages=155–165 |doi=10.1080/00856408708723379}}</ref> The persecution of Sikhs triggered the founding of the ''[[Khalsa]]'' by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as an order to protect the [[freedom of conscience]] and [[Freedom of religion|religion]],<ref name="pashauraarjan" /><ref name="Gandhi">{{cite book |last=Gandhi |first=Surjit Singh |title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708 |date=1 February 2008 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |isbn=978-81-269-0857-8 |location=New Delhi |pages=676–677}}</ref> with members expressing the qualities of a ''[[Sant Sipahi|Sant-Sipāhī]]'' ('saint-soldier').<ref name="Chanchreek 2007 142">{{Cite book |last=Chanchreek |first=Jain |title=Encyclopaedia of Great Festivals |date=2007 |publisher=Shree Publishers |isbn=978-81-8329-191-0 |page=142}}</ref><ref name="Dugga 2001 33">{{Cite book |last=Dugga |first=Kartar |title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Last to Lay Arms |date=2001 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-410-3 |page=33}}</ref> The lifetime of Guru Nanak coincided with the conquest of northern India by [[Babur]] and establishment of the [[Mughal Empire]]. Jahangir ordered the execution of [[Guru Arjun Dev]], while in Mughal custody, for supporting his son [[Khusrau Mirza]]'s rival claim to the throne.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fenech |first1=Louis E |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |last2=McLeod |first2=W.H. |date=11 June 2014 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1442236011 |edition=3 |pages=162}}</ref> Guru Arjan Dev's death led to the sixth Guru [[Guru Hargobind]] to declare sovereignty in the creation of the [[Akal Takht]] and the establishment of a fort to defend [[Amritsar]]. Jahangir then jailed Guru Hargobind at [[Gwalior]], but released him after a number of years when he no longer felt threatened. The succeeding son of Jahangir, [[Shah Jahan]], took offence at Guru Hargobind's declaration and after a series of assaults on Amritsar, forced the Sikhs to retreat to the [[Sivalik Hills]].{{sfn|Jestice|2004|pp=345—346}} The ninth Guru, [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]], moved the Sikh community to [[Anandpur Sahib|Anandpur]] and travelled extensively to visit and preach in defiance of [[Aurangzeb]], who attempted to install [[Ramraiya|Ram Rai]] as new guru.

=== Modern period ===
The Mughals came to power in the early sixteenth century and gradually expanded to control all of the Punjab from their capital at [[Lahore]]. As Mughal power weakened, Afghan rulers took control of the region.<ref name=":9" /> Contested by [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]] and Afghans, the region was the center of the growing influence of the Sikhs, who expanded and established the [[Sikh Empire]] in 1799 as the Mughals and Afghans weakened.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 September 2015 |title=Ranjit Singh: A Secular Sikh Sovereign by K.S. Duggal. ''(Date:1989. ISBN 8170172446'') |url=http://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/IDE822/ |access-date=9 August 2009 |publisher=Exoticindiaart.com |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226032504/https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/IDE822/%20/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Cis-Sutlej states]] were a group of states in modern Punjab and [[Haryana]] states lying between the Sutlej River on the north, the Himalayas on the east, the Yamuna River and [[Delhi]] District on the south, and [[Sirsa district]] on the west. These states were ruled by the [[Sikh Confederacy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |date=14 August 2014 |title=History of Sikhs 1739–1768 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280260}}</ref> The empire existed from 1799, when [[Ranjit Singh]] captured [[Lahore]], to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered in the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]]. It was forged on the foundations of the [[Khalsa]] from a collection of autonomous [[Sikhism|Sikh]] ''[[misl]]s''.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition 1911 Page 892">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Ranjit Singh|volume=22|page=892}}</ref><ref name="Grewal2">{{Cite book |last=Grewal |first=J. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_nryFANsoYC |title=The Sikhs of the Punjab|chapter=6: The Sikh empire (1799–1849) |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1990 |isbn=0-521-63764-3 |series=The New Cambridge History of India |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927082839/https://books.google.com/books?id=2_nryFANsoYC |url-status=live }}</ref> At its peak in the 19th century, the Empire extended from the [[Khyber Pass]] in the west to western [[Tibet]] in the east, and from [[Mithankot]] in the south to [[Kashmir]] in the north. It was divided into four provinces: [[Lahore]], in Punjab, which became the Sikh capital; [[Multan]], also in Punjab; [[Peshawar]]; and Kashmir from 1799 to 1849. Religiously diverse, with an estimated population of 3.5&nbsp;million in 1831 (making it the [[List of countries by population in 1800|19th most populous country at the time]]),<ref name="ReferenceA2">[[Amarinder Singh]]'s The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore Durbar</ref> it was the last major region of the Indian subcontinent to [[Colonial India|be annexed]] by the [[British Empire]]. The Sikh Empire spanned a total of over {{cvt|200,000|sqmi}} at its zenith.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Manning |first=Stephen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sNveDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |title=Bayonet to Barrage Weaponry on the Victorian Battlefield |date=30 September 2020 |publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited |isbn=9781526777249 |quote="The Sikh kingdom expanded from Tibet in the east to Kashmir in the west and from Sind in the south to the Khyber Pass in the north, an area of 200,000 square miles" |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164802/https://books.google.com/books?id=sNveDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Barczewski |first=Stephanie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ixd8CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |title=Heroic Failure and the British |date=22 March 2016 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300186819 |page=89 |quote="..the Sikh state encompassed over 200,000 square miles (518,000 sq km)" |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164802/https://books.google.com/books?id=ixd8CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Khilani |first=N. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fGEDAAAAMAAJ&q=punjab+of+over+200,000+square+miles+khilnani |title=British power in the Punjab, 1839–1858 |date=1972 |publisher=Asia Publishing House |isbn=9780210271872 |page=251 |quote="..into existence a kingdom of the Punjab of over 200,000 square miles" |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405041653/https://books.google.com/books?id=fGEDAAAAMAAJ&q=punjab+of+over+200,000+square+miles+khilnani |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Map_of_India_1823.jpg|left|thumb|[[Sikh Empire]]]]
After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the empire was severely weakened by internal divisions and political mismanagement. This opportunity was used by the [[East India Company]] to launch the [[First Anglo-Sikh War|First]] and [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]]s. The country was finally annexed and dissolved at the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 into separate [[princely states]] and the [[Punjab (British India)|province of Punjab]]. Eventually, a Lieutenant Governorship was established in Lahore as a direct representative of [[the Crown]].<ref name="hibb 19802">{{Cite book |last=Hibbert |first=Christopher |title=The great mutiny: India 1857 |date=1980 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-004752-3 |location=Harmondsworth}}</ref>{{rp|221}}

==== Colonial era ====
[[File:Punjab_1909.jpg|thumb|[[Punjab Province (British India)|British Punjab Province]], before 1947]]
The Punjab was annexed by the [[East India Company]] in 1849. Although nominally part of the [[Bengal Presidency]] it was administratively independent. During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], apart from [[Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal|Revolt led by Ahmed Khan Kharal]] and [[Murree rebellion of 1857]], the Punjab remained relatively peaceful.<ref name="auto12">{{Cite book |last1=Arielli |first1=N. |title=Transnational Soldiers: Foreign Military Enlistment in the Modern Era |last2=Collins |first2=B. |date=28 November 2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1137296634}}</ref> In 1858, under the terms of the Queen's Proclamation issued by [[Queen Victoria]], the Punjab came under the direct rule of Britain. Colonial rule had a profound impact on all areas of Punjabi life. Economically it transformed the Punjab into the richest farming area of India, socially it sustained the power of large landowners and politically it encouraged cross-communal co-operation among land owning groups.<ref name="Punjab and the Raj, 1849-1947">{{Cite book |last=Talbot |first=Ian |title=Punjab and the Raj, 1849–1947 |date=1988 |publisher=Riverdale Company |isbn=0913215287}}</ref> The Punjab also became the major centre of recruitment into the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]]. By patronising influential local allies and focusing administrative, economic and constitutional policies on the rural population, the British ensured the loyalty of its large rural population.<ref name="Punjab and the Raj, 1849-1947" /> Administratively, colonial rule instated a system of bureaucracy and measure of the law. The 'paternal' system of the ruling elite was replaced by 'machine rule' with a system of laws, codes, and procedures. For purposes of control, the British established new forms of communication and transportation, including post systems, railways, roads, and telegraphs. The creation of [[Punjab Canal Colonies|Canal Colonies]] in western Punjab between 1860 and 1947 brought 14 million acres of land under cultivation, and revolutionised agricultural practices in the region.<ref name="Punjab and the Raj, 1849-1947" /> To the agrarian and commercial class was added a professional middle class that had risen the social ladder through the use of the English education, which opened up new professions in law, government, and medicine.{{sfn|Grewal|1990|p=131}} Despite these developments, colonial rule was marked by exploitation of resources. For the purpose of exports, the majority of external trade was controlled by British export banks. The Imperial government exercised control over the finances of Punjab and took the majority of the income for itself.{{sfn|Grewal|1990|pages=128—129}}

In 1919, [[Reginald Dyer]] ordered his troops to fire on a crowd of demonstrators, mostly Sikhs in [[Amritsar]]. The [[Jallianwala Bagh massacre|Jallianwala massacre]] fuelled the [[Indian independence movement]].<ref name=":9" /> Nationalists declared the independence of India from Lahore in 1930 but were quickly suppressed.<ref name=":9" /> The struggle for Indian independence witnessed competing and conflicting interests in the Punjab. When the Second World War broke out, nationalism in British India had already divided into religious movements.<ref name=":9" /> The landed elites of the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities had loyally collaborated with the British since annexation, supported the [[Unionist Party (Punjab)|Unionist Party]] and were hostile to the Congress party led independence movement.<ref name="autogenerated542">Pritam Singh, Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy, Routledge, 19 February 2008, p.54</ref> Amongst the peasantry and urban middle classes, the Hindus were the most active [[Indian National Congress|National Congress]] supporters, the Sikhs flocked to the [[Akali movement]] while the Muslims eventually supported the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]].<ref name="autogenerated542" /> Many Sikhs and other minorities supported the Hindus, who promised a secular multicultural and multireligious society. In March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed the [[Lahore Resolution]], demanding the creation of a separate state from Muslim majority areas in British India. This triggered bitter protests by the Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab, who could not accept living in a Muslim Islamic state.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Tan |first1=Tai Yong |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5zEtBxk72wC&pg=PA100 |title=The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia |last2=Kudaisya |first2=Gyanesh |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-415-28908-5 |page=100 |quote=In March 1930 the All-India Muslim League passed its famous Lahore Resolution, demanding the creation of a separate state from Muslim majority areas in India ... [it] sparked off an enormous furore amongst the Sikhs in the Punjab ... the professed intention of the Muslim League to impose a Muslim state on the Punjab (a Muslim majority province) was anathema to the Sikhs ... Sikhs launched a virulent campaign against the Lahore Resolution. |author-link=Tan Tai Yong |author-link2=Gyanesh Kudaisya |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/https://books.google.com/books?id=O5zEtBxk72wC&pg=PA100 |archive-date=28 January 2016 |url-status=live |orig-year=First published in 2000}}</ref>

After the partition of the subcontinent had been decided, special meetings of the Western and Eastern Section of the Legislative Assembly were held on 23 June 1947 to decide whether or not the Province of the Punjab be partitioned. After voting on both sides, partition was decided and the existing Punjab Legislative Assembly was also divided into [[West Punjab]] [[Legislative Assembly]] and the [[East Punjab]] Legislative Assembly. This last Assembly before independence, held its last sitting on 4 July 1947.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pap.gov.pk/uploads/previous_members/S-1946-1947.htm |title=Punjab Legislative Assembly 1946 |access-date=28 November 2022 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207162416/http://www.pap.gov.pk/uploads/previous_members/S-1946-1947.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> During this period, the British granted separate independence to India and Pakistan, setting off massive communal violence as Punjabi Muslims fled to Pakistan and Hindu and Sikh Punjabis fled east to India.<ref name=":9" /> The Sikhs later demanded a Punjabi-speaking Punjab state with an autonomous Sikh government.<ref name=":9" />

==== Post-colonial era ====
During the [[British Raj|colonial era]], the various districts and princely states that made up [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]] were religiously eclectic, each containing significant populations of [[Punjabi Muslims]], [[Punjabi Hindus]], [[Punjabi Sikhs]], [[Punjabi Christians]], along with other ethnic and religious minorities. However, a major consequence of independence and the partition of Punjab Province in 1947 was the sudden shift towards religious homogeneity occurred in all districts across province and region owing to the new international border that cut through the subdivision.

The demographic shift was captured when comparing decadal census data taken in 1941 and 1951 respectively, and was primarily due to wide scale migration but also caused by large-scale [[Religious persecution#Religious cleansing|religious cleansing]] riots which were witnessed across the region at the time. According to historical demographer [[Tim Dyson]], in the eastern regions of Punjab that ultimately became Indian Punjab following independence, districts that were 66% Hindu in 1941 became 80% Hindu in 1951; those that were 20% Sikh became 50% Sikh in 1951. Conversely, in the western regions of Punjab that ultimately became [[Punjab, Pakistan|Pakistani Punjab]], all districts became almost exclusively Muslim by 1951.{{sfn|Dyson|2018|pp=188–189}}
[[File:International_border_at_Wagah_-_evening_flag_lowering_ceremony.jpg|thumb|[[Wagah Border]] is situated between [[Amritsar]] and [[Lahore]], became the main border crossing after [[partition of Punjab]] and is known for its [[Wagah border ceremony|elaborate ceremony]]]]
Following independence, several small Punjabi princely states, including Patiala, [[Instrument of Accession|acceded]] to the Union of India and were united into the [[PEPSU]]. In 1956 this was integrated with the state of East Punjab to create a new, enlarged Indian state called simply "Punjab". ''Punjab Day'' is celebrated across the state on 1 November every year marking the formation of a Punjabi language speaking state under the Punjab Reorganisation Act (1966).<ref>{{Cite web |last=The Tribune News |date=2 November 2018 |title=Punjab Day celebrated |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/punjab-day-celebrated/677569.html |access-date=4 November 2019 |website=The Tribune |archive-date=4 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104135205/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/punjab-day-celebrated/677569.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rao |first=Madhu |date=1 November 2019 |title=Formation day: These Indian states were formed on November 1 |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/fyi/rajyotsava-indian-states-formation-day-november-1-560506 |access-date=4 November 2019 |website=India TV |language=en |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930235413/https://www.indiatvnews.com/fyi/rajyotsava-indian-states-formation-day-november-1-560506 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1966, following Hindu and Sikh Punjabi demands, the Indian government divided Punjab into the state of Punjab and the Hindi majority-speaking states of [[Haryana]] and [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":9" />

During the 1960s, Punjab was known for its prosperity within India, largely due to its fertile lands and industrious inhabitants. However, a significant portion of the Sikh community felt a sense of disparity from the central government of India. The roots of such grievances stretched back several decades, with the primary issue revolving around the distribution of water from the trio of rivers – Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej – that flowed across the Punjabi territory.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Jetly |first=Rajshree |date=2008 |title=THE KHALISTAN MOVEMENT IN INDIA: The Interplay of Politics and State Power |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41421658 |journal=International Review of Modern Sociology |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=61–75 |issn=0973-2047 |jstor=41421658 |access-date=18 May 2023 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409031644/https://www.jstor.org/stable/41421658 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although Punjab had these waterways running across its lands, it was lawfully granted only a quarter of the water, precisely 24%, as per the [[Interstate River Water Disputes Act|Inter-State Water Disputes Act]]. The rest, a staggering 76%, was assigned to Rajasthan and Haryana. To many Punjabis, especially the farming community who heavily depended on these waters for irrigation, this allocation seemed inequitable. The water distribution was a significant contributing factor to the growing sense of disgruntlement against the central government.<ref name=":5" />

The seeds of discontent further sprouted with the advent of the Green Revolution during the 1960s. This initiative sought to boost agricultural output by introducing high-yield seed varieties, and enhancing the use of fertilisers and irrigation. In the midst of this transformative phase, Punjab became known as India's "food basket", contributing considerably to the nation's agricultural production. Yet, the financial profits garnered from this agricultural surge weren't fairly distributed.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Jodhka |first=Surinder S. |date=2001 |editor-last=Purewal |editor-first=Shinder |editor2-last=Puri |editor2-first=H. K. |editor3-last=Judge |editor3-first=P. S. |editor4-last=Shekhon |editor4-first=J. S. |editor5-last=Singh |editor5-first=Gurharpal |editor6-last=Singh |editor6-first=Pritam |editor7-last=Thandi |editor7-first=Shinder Singh |title=Looking Back at the Khalistan Movement: Some Recent Researches on Its Rise and Decline |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4410511 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=36 |issue=16 |pages=1311–1318 |issn=0012-9976 |jstor=4410511 |access-date=18 May 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518002114/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4410511 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The majority of the gains were hoarded by landowners, who typically owned large plots and were best positioned to exploit the emerging technologies and farming practices. The working class and economically underprivileged segments of society, who often toiled as labourers on these farms, were left with only minor benefits. This uneven distribution of wealth conflicted sharply with Sikh religious customs, which preached economic justice and fair wealth distribution.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last1=Siraj |first1=Dr Uzma |last2=Dashti |first2=Dr Asghar Ali |last3=Ahmad |first3=Dr Mamnoon |date=19 January 2023 |title=The Transformation Of Ethno-Nationalist Movements Into Secessionist Movements: A Case Study Of The Khalistan Movement |url=https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/15253 |journal=Journal of Positive School Psychology |language=en |pages=743–752 |issn=2717-7564 |access-date=18 May 2023 |archive-date=18 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518004853/https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/15253 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Green Revolution dealt a severe blow to Punjab's small farmers. The larger landowners, with their access to abundant resources and capital, were well-suited to adopt the agricultural innovations brought by the Revolution. This situation sparked further resentment among small farmers, many of whom were forced to relinquish their lands, unable to compete, thereby intensifying the economic chasm.<ref name=":5" />

Beyond the farming sector, Punjab lacked substantial employment opportunities. An excessive focus on agriculture resulted in the state's industrial sector's neglect, leaving it notably underdeveloped. This skewed concentration on agriculture meant that many economically challenged peasants, without feasible employment alternatives, felt cornered and disgruntled.<ref name=":8" />

Even the affluent landowners, the initial beneficiaries of the Green Revolution, felt the economic pinch due to soaring prices of farming inputs like fertilisers and pesticides, and the dearth of essential resources like electricity and water.<ref name=":10" />

Although the Green Revolution was primarily conceived to amplify productivity, it couldn't sustain this increased output over a prolonged period. The introduction of novel crop varieties led to a decline in genetic diversity, thus introducing a new ecological risk. Furthermore, these new crops demanded more water and were highly dependent on chemical fertilisers, both of which had deleterious environmental consequences. Overuse of water led to groundwater resource depletion, and heavy chemical usage adversely affected soil and water systems, further undermining long-term productivity.<ref name=":5" />

From 1981 to 1995 the state suffered a 14-year-long [[Insurgency in Punjab, India|insurgency]]. Problems began due to disputes between Punjabi Sikhs and the central government of the Republic of India. Tensions escalated throughout the early 1980s and eventually culminated with [[Operation Blue Star]] in 1984; an Indian Army operation aimed at the dissident Sikh community of Punjab. Shortly thereafter, Indian Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] was [[Assassination of Indira Gandhi|assassinated]] by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The decade that followed was noted for widespread inter-communal violence and accusations of genocide on the Sikh community by the Indian government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sikh separatism |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Sikh-separatism |access-date=14 July 2020 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |archive-date=15 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215183441/https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Sikh-separatism |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=Britannica is tertiary, need WP:SCHOLARLY sources|date=July 2024}}

==Geography==
Punjab is in northwestern India and has a total area of {{convert|50362|km2|mi2}}. Punjab is bordered by Pakistan's [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab province]] on the west, [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] on the north, [[Himachal Pradesh]] on the northeast and [[Haryana]] and [[Rajasthan]] on the south.<ref name="Borders" /> Most of Punjab lies in a fertile, alluvial plain with perennial rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system.<ref name="ReferenceB" /> A belt of undulating [[Shiwalik Hills|hills]] extends along the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Himalayas. Its average elevation is {{convert|300|m|ft}} above sea level, with a range from {{convert|180|m|ft}} in the southwest to more than {{convert|500|m|ft}} around the northeast border. The southwest of the state is semi-arid, eventually merging into the [[Thar Desert]]. Of the five Punjab rivers, three—Sutlej, Beas and Ravi—flow through the Indian state. The Sutlej and Ravi define parts of the international border with Pakistan.

The soil characteristics are influenced to a limited extent by the topography, vegetation and parent rock. The variation in soil profile characteristics are much more pronounced because of the regional climatic differences.<ref name="Soil Types">{{Cite web |title=Status of Environment & Related Issues |url=http://punenvis.nic.in/index2.aspx?slid=205&sublinkid=1127&langid=1&mid=1 |access-date=22 March 2017 |publisher=ENVIS Centre : Punjab |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309132637/http://punenvis.nic.in/index2.aspx?slid=205&sublinkid=1127&langid=1&mid=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Punjab is divided into three distinct regions on the basis of soil types: southwestern, central, and eastern. Punjab falls under [[Earthquake hazard zoning of India|seismic zones]] II, III, and IV. Zone II is considered a low-damage risk zone; zone III is considered a moderate-damage risk zone; and zone IV is considered a high-damage risk zone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pragati Infosoft Pvt. Ltd. |title=Punjab Geography, Geography of Punjab, Punjab Location, Punjab Climate |url=http://punjabonline.in/Profile/Geography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018152516/http://punjabonline.in/Profile/Geography/ |archive-date=18 October 2007 |access-date=18 July 2010 |publisher=Punjabonline.in}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Punjab Monsoon.jpg|thumb|right|Agricultural fields of Punjab during the monsoon]]

The geography and [[subtropic]]al latitudinal location of Punjab lead to large variations in temperature from month to month. Even though only limited regions experience temperatures below {{convert|0|C|F}}, ground frost is commonly found in the majority of Punjab during the winter season. The temperature rises gradually with high [[humidity]] and overcast skies. However, the rise in temperature is steep when the sky is clear and humidity is low.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Weather & Climate Of Punjab |url=http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/seasons.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105133815/http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/seasons.htm |archive-date=5 January 2016 |access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref>

The maximum temperatures usually occur in mid-May and June. The temperature remains above {{convert|40|C|F}} in the entire region during this period. Ludhiana recorded the highest maximum temperature at {{convert|46.1|C|F}} with Patiala and Amritsar recording {{convert|45.5|C|F}}. The maximum temperature during the summer in Ludhiana remains above {{convert|41|C|F}} for a duration of one and a half months. These areas experience the lowest temperatures in January. The sun rays are oblique during these months and the cold winds control the temperature at daytime.<ref name="auto" />

Punjab experiences its minimum temperature from December to February. The lowest temperature was recorded at Amritsar ({{convert|0.2|C|F}}) and Ludhiana stood second with {{convert|0.5|C|F}}. The minimum temperature of the region remains below {{convert|5|C|F}} for almost two months during the winter season. The highest minimum temperature of these regions in June is more than the daytime maximum temperatures experienced in January and February. Ludhiana experiences minimum temperatures above {{convert|27|C|F}} for more than two months. The annual average temperature in the entire state is approximately {{convert|21|C|F}}. Further, the mean monthly temperature range varies between {{convert|9|C|F}} in July to approximately {{convert|18|C|F}} in November.<ref name="auto" />
{{Amritsar weatherbox}}
{{Ludhiana weatherbox}}

====Seasons====
Punjab experiences three main seasons. They are:
* Summer (mid-April to the end of June)
* Monsoon (early July to the end of September)
* Winter (early December to the end of February).<ref name="auto" />

Apart from these three, the state experiences transitional seasons like:
* Pre-summer season (March to mid-April): This is the period of transition between winter and summer.
* Post-[[monsoon]] season (September to end of November): This is the period of transition between monsoon and winter seasons.<ref name="auto" />

=====Summer=====
Punjab starts experiencing mildly hot temperatures in February. The actual summer season commences in mid-April and the heat continues till the end of August. High temperatures between May and August hover between 40 and 47&nbsp;°C. The area experiences atmospheric pressure variations during the summer months. The atmospheric pressure of the region remains around 987 millibar during February and it reaches 970 millibar in June.<ref name="auto" />

=====Monsoon=====
Punjab's rainy season begins in the first week of July as monsoon currents generated in the [[Bay of Bengal]] bring rain to the region. The monsoon lasts up to mid-September.<ref name="auto" />

=====Post-Monsoon transitional season=====
The monsoon begins to reduce by the second week of September. This brings a gradual change in climate and temperature. The time between October and November is the transitional period between monsoon and winter seasons. Weather during this period is generally temperate and dry.<ref name="auto" />

=====Winter=====
Temperature variation is minimal in January. The mean night and day temperatures fall to {{convert|5|C|F}} and {{convert|12|C|F}}, respectively.<ref name="auto" />

=====Post-Winter transitional season=====
The effects of winter diminish by the first week of March. The hot summer season commences in mid-April. This period is marked by occasional showers with hail storms and [[squalls]] that cause extensive damage to crops. The winds remain dry and warm during the last week of March, commencing the harvest period.<ref name="auto" />

====Rainfall====
* Monsoon Rainfall
Monsoon season provides most of the rainfall for the region. Punjab receives rainfall from the monsoon current of the Bay of Bengal. This monsoon current enters the state from the southeast in the first week of July.<ref name="auto" />
* Winter Rainfall
The winter season remains very cool with temperatures falling below freezing at some places. Winter also brings in some western disturbances.<ref name="auto" /> Rainfall in the winter provides relief to the farmers as some of the winter crops in the region of Shivalik Hills are entirely dependent on this rainfall. As per meteorological statistics, the sub-Shivalik area receives more than {{convert|100|mm|in}} of rainfall in the winter months.<ref name="auto" />

===Wildlife===
[[File:Agriculture in Punjab India.jpg|thumb|Agriculture in Punjab]]

The fauna of the area is rich, with 396 types of birds, 214 kinds of [[Lepidoptera]], 55 varieties of fish, 20 types of reptiles, and 19 kinds of mammals. The state of Punjab has large wetland areas, bird sanctuaries that house numerous species of birds, and many zoological parks. Wetlands include the national wetland [[Harike Wetland|Hari-Ke-Pattan]], the wetland of [[Kanjli Wetland|Kanjli]], and the wetlands of Kapurthala Sutlej. Wildlife sanctuaries include the Harike in the district of Tarn Taran Sahib, the Zoological Park in Rupnagar, Chhatbir Bansar Garden in Sangrur, [[Aam Khas Bagh]] in Sirhind, Amritsar's famous [[Ram Bagh Palace]], Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala, and the famous Baradari Garden in the city of Patiala.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flora And Fauna Of Punjab |url=http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/flora-and-fauna-of-punjab.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210182308/http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/flora-and-fauna-of-punjab.htm |archive-date=10 December 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref>

==== Flora ====
Punjab has the lowest forest cover as a percentage of land area of [[Forest cover by state in India|any Indian state]], with 3.6% of its total area under forest cover as of 2017.<ref name=":22">{{Cite news |date=22 August 2022 |title=In agri-rich Punjab, a fight to reclaim forest cover |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/in-agri-rich-punjab-a-fight-to-reclaim-forest-cover/articleshow/93698299.cms |access-date=1 May 2023 |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506071009/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/in-agri-rich-punjab-a-fight-to-reclaim-forest-cover/articleshow/93698299.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> During the [[Green Revolution in India|Green Revolution]], large tracts of jungles were cut-down in the state to make room for agriculture and forested areas were also cleared for road infrastructure and residential homes.<ref name=":22" /> Various NGOs are working towards afforestation and reforestation of the state by launching educational drives, planting saplings, working towards regulatory changes, and pressuring organisations to follow environmental laws.<ref name=":22" /> One NGO, EcoSikh, has planted over 100 forests, composed of native plant species, in the state using the Japanese [[Akira Miyawaki|Miyawaki methodology]] that are named 'Guru Nanak Sacred Forests'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zutshi |first=Minna |date=26 October 2020 |title=EcoSikh's Guru Nanak Sacred Forests: A reason to cheer for Ludhiana district |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/ecosikhs-guru-nanak-sacred-forests-a-reason-to-cheer-for-ludhiana-district-161221 |website=The Tribune, India |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501191348/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/ecosikhs-guru-nanak-sacred-forests-a-reason-to-cheer-for-ludhiana-district-161221 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Gurjot |date=15 March 2022 |title=EcoSikh Completes Planting 400 Sacred Forests all across the globe on Sikh Environment Day 2022 |url=https://www.sikhnet.com/news/ecosikh-completes-planting-400-sacred-forests-all-across-globe-sikh-environment-day-2022 |access-date=1 May 2023 |website=SikhNet |language=en |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501192854/https://www.sikhnet.com/news/ecosikh-completes-planting-400-sacred-forests-all-across-globe-sikh-environment-day-2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Banerji |first=Aparna |date=1 July 2019 |title='Nanak jungles' to increase state's green cover |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/-nanak-jungles-to-increase-state-s-green-cover-795601 |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501204100/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/-nanak-jungles-to-increase-state-s-green-cover-795601 |url-status=live }}</ref> Native plant species are facing the risk of extirpation from the state but planting mini-forests throughout the land can help prevent this from occurring.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Seema |date=22 March 2019 |title=Punjab's native tree species disappearing from forest areas: Expert |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-native-tree-species-disappearing-from-forest-areas-expert/articleshow/68505578.cms |access-date=1 May 2023 |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501204622/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-native-tree-species-disappearing-from-forest-areas-expert/articleshow/68505578.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to the Green Revolution, ''[[Butea monosperma]]'' (known as 'dhak' in Punjabi) trees were found in abundance in the state.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zutshi |first=Minna |date=23 May 2018 |title=Ludhiana's Dhak Forest a treat for nature lovers |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/ludhiana/ludhiana-s-dhak-forest-a-treat-for-nature-lovers-593519 |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501210332/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/ludhiana/ludhiana-s-dhak-forest-a-treat-for-nature-lovers-593519 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Fauna====
[[File:Inlaid stone art (jaratkari) from the walls of the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar depicting a predatory cat hunting an antelope.jpg|thumb|[[Sikh art|Inlaid stone art]] (jaratkari) from the walls of the [[Golden Temple]] shrine in Amritsar depicting a predatory cat hunting a blackbuck antelope]]
A few of the rivers in Punjab have crocodiles, including reintroduced [[gharial]]s in the [[Beas River]] after half a century of their extirpation from the state.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 December 2021 |title=24 gharials released into Beas |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/24-gharials-released-into-beas-346745 |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501195135/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/24-gharials-released-into-beas-346745 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Vivek |date=7 December 2020 |title=Gharials bounce back in Punjab but the real test is breeding |url=https://india.mongabay.com/2020/12/gharials-bounce-back-in-punjab-but-the-real-test-is-breeding/ |access-date=1 May 2023 |website=Mongabay-India |language=en-US |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501195136/https://india.mongabay.com/2020/12/gharials-bounce-back-in-punjab-but-the-real-test-is-breeding/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasudeva |first=Vikas |date=18 December 2021 |title=Reintroduced gharials thriving in Beas reserve: experts |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/reintroduced-gharials-thriving-in-beas-reserve-experts/article37986822.ece |access-date=1 May 2023 |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501195135/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/reintroduced-gharials-thriving-in-beas-reserve-experts/article37986822.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Indus river dolphin]]s can be found in the [[Harike Wetland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Puri |first=Gurbax |date=16 April 2022 |title=Tarn Taran diary: Harike, an abode for birds, rare Indus dolphins |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/harike-an-abode-for-birds-rare-indus-dolphins-386808 |website=The Tribune |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501193456/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/harike-an-abode-for-birds-rare-indus-dolphins-386808 |url-status=live }}</ref> The extraction of silk from silkworms is another industry that flourishes in the state. Production of bee honey is done in some parts of Punjab. The southern plains are desert land; hence, camels can be seen. [[Water buffalo|Buffaloes]] graze around the banks of rivers. The northeastern part is home to animals like horses. Wildlife sanctuaries have many more species of wild animals like the otter, wild boar, wildcat, fruit bat, hog deer, flying fox, squirrel, and mongoose. Naturally formed forests can be seen in the Shivalik ranges in the districts of Ropar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. Patiala is home to the Bir forest while the wetlands area in Punjab is home to the Mand forest.<ref name="auto13">{{Cite web |title=Animals and Birds in Punjab |url=http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/flora-and-fauna-of-punjab.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210182308/http://www.discoveredindia.com/punjab/the-green-granary-of-india/flora-and-fauna-of-punjab.htm |archive-date=10 December 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref> The local subspecies of blackbuck, ''A. c. rajputanae'', is facing the risk of [[extirpation]] from the state.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Srinivasulu |first=C. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/794056010 |title=South Asian mammals : their diversity, distribution, and status |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |others=Bhargavi Srinivasulu |isbn=978-1-4614-3449-8 |location=New York, NY |pages=364 |oclc=794056010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/297209812 |title=Biodiversity and environment |date=2006 |publisher=A P H Pub. Corp |others=B. N. Pandey, G. K. Kulkarni, National Symposium on Recent Advances in Animal Research with Special Emphasis on Invertebrates |isbn=81-313-0042-0 |location=New Delhi |pages=172 |oclc=297209812}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vasudeva |first=Vikas |date=17 February 2019 |title=Caught down the wire: Punjab's blackbuck fight for existence |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/caught-down-the-wire-punjabs-blackbuck-fight-for-existence/article26297808.ece |access-date=13 March 2023 |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=13 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313193614/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/caught-down-the-wire-punjabs-blackbuck-fight-for-existence/article26297808.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

Botanical gardens exist throughout Punjab. There is a zoological park and a tiger safari park, as well as three parks dedicated to deer.<ref name="auto13" />

The state bird is the [[Northern goshawk|northern goshawk (baz)]] (''Accipiter gentilis''),<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 September 2017 |title=Lost in flight: State bird of Punjab missing from the state! |language=en |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/lost-in-flight-state-bird-of-punjab-missing-from-the-state/story-SRHFwdiPKInSobd1xHoulL.html |access-date=12 January 2021 |archive-date=14 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114050205/https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/lost-in-flight-state-bird-of-punjab-missing-from-the-state/story-SRHFwdiPKInSobd1xHoulL.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the state animal is the [[blackbuck]] (''Antilope cervicapra''), the state aquatic animal is [[Indus river dolphin]] (''Platanista minor''), and the state tree is the shisham (''[[Dalbergia sissoo]]'').<ref name="ReferenceB2">{{Cite web |title=State Profile – About Punjab |url=http://punjabgovt.gov.in/StateProfile.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106125012/http://punjabgovt.gov.in/StateProfile.aspx |archive-date=6 November 2011 |access-date=18 July 2010 |publisher=Punjab Government}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Punjab (India)|List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population}}

{{Historical populations
|1881|{{formatnum:6607699}}
|1901|{{formatnum:7679645}}
|1911|{{formatnum:6830507}}
|1921|{{formatnum:7262881}}
|1931|{{formatnum:8123076}}
|1941|{{formatnum:9757161}}
|1951|{{formatnum:9160500}}
|1961|{{formatnum:11135069}}
|1971|{{formatnum:13551060}}
|1981|{{formatnum:16788915}}
|1991|{{formatnum:20281969}}
|2001|{{formatnum:24358999}}
|2011|{{formatnum:27743338}}
|title=Population Growth
|align=right
|source=[[Census of India]]{{efn|name=Punjab1881|1881 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1881 census data here:<ref name="punjab1881"/><ref name="punjab1881B"/><ref name="punjab1881C"/>}}{{efn|name=Punjab1901|1901 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1901 census data here:<ref name="punjab1901"/>{{rp|34}}}}{{efn|name=Punjab1911|1911 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1911 census data here:<ref name="punjab1911"/>{{rp|27}}<ref name="punjab1911B"/>{{rp|27}}}}{{efn|name=Punjab1921|1921 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1921 census data here:<ref name="punjab1921"/>{{rp|29}}}}{{efn|name=Punjab1931|1931 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1931 census data here:<ref name="punjab1931"/>{{rp|277}}}}{{efn|name=Punjab1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], and [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]] (minus [[Shakargarh Tehsil]])), and [[princely state]]s ([[Kapurthala State|Kapurthala]], [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]], [[Faridkot State|Faridkot]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], and [[Nabha State|Nabha]]) which are in the region that comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, India. See 1941 census data here:{{sfn|India. Census Commissioner|1941|p=42}}}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html |access-date=6 December 2019 |website=censusindia.gov.in |archive-date=11 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211022459/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}Punjab is home to 2.3% of India's population; with a density of 551 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. According to the provisional results of the [[2011 Census of India|2011 national census]], Punjab has a population of 27,743,338, making it the [[List of states and union territories of India by population|16th]] most populated state in India. Of which male and female are 14,639,465 and 13,103,873 respectively.<ref name="Dashboard">{{Cite web |title=Punjab Profile |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/censusinfodashboard/stock/profiles/en/IND003_Punjab.pdf |access-date=16 March 2020 |website=censusindia.gov.in |archive-date=4 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004083558/https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/censusinfodashboard/stock/profiles/en/IND003_Punjab.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> 32% of Punjab's population consists of [[Dalits]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 January 2017 |title=Dalit icon Bant Singh's shift to AAP in Punjab symbolises the Left's electoral irrelevance |publisher=Scroll India |url=https://scroll.in/article/827644/why-dalit-icon-bant-singhs-shift-to-aap-in-punjab-symbolises-the-lefts-electoral-irrelevance |url-status=live |access-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326091126/https://scroll.in/article/827644/why-dalit-icon-bant-singhs-shift-to-aap-in-punjab-symbolises-the-lefts-electoral-irrelevance |archive-date=26 March 2019}}</ref> In the state, the rate of population growth is 13.9% (2011), lower than national average. According to the nation family health survey 2019-21, total fertility rate of Punjab was 1.6 children per women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Family Health Survey-5 |url=http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-5_FCTS/Punjab.pdf |website=rchiips.org |access-date=20 July 2023 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720191537/http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-5_FCTS/Punjab.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Total Fertility Rate: Punjab &#124; Economic Indicators &#124; CEIC |url=https://www.ceicdata.com/en/india/vital-statistics-total-fertility-rate/total-fertility-rate-punjab |website=www.ceicdata.com |access-date=20 July 2023 |archive-date=20 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720192159/https://www.ceicdata.com/en/india/vital-statistics-total-fertility-rate/total-fertility-rate-punjab |url-status=live }}</ref>

Out of total population, 37.5% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.5%.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Percentage of rural and urban population in Punjab<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |title=Structure and Pattern of Urbanisation in Punjab: A Macro Level Analysis |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303070794}}</ref>
!Year
!Rural %
!Urban %
|-
|2011||62.51%||37.49%
|-
|2001||66.08%||33.92%
|-
|1991||70.45%||29.55%
|-
|1981||72.32%||27.68%
|-
|1971||76.27%||23.73%
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Numbers of rural and urban population in Punjab<ref name="auto2" />
!Year
!Rural (in millions)
!Urban (in millions)
! Total (in millions)
|-
|2011||17.32||10.3||27.70
|-
|2001||16.10||8.26||24.36
|-
|1991||14.29||5.99||20.28
|-
|1981||12.14||4.65||16.79
|-
|1971||10.33||3.22||13.55
|}

The table below gives the [[population density]] (persons per square kilometre) of Punjab through the years.<ref name="DemographyData">{{cite web |last1=Singh |first1=Charanjeet |title=Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-population-density-sq-kilometer-1981-2011 |website=data.gov.in |access-date=6 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=5 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805053306/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-population-density-sq-kilometer-1981-2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population density of Punjab by year<ref name="DemographyData"/>
!Year!! Density (persons per square kilometre)
|-
|2011||551
|-
|2001||484
|-
|1991||403
|-
|1981||333
|}

The table below shows the population density by district in Punjab, according to the 2011 census.<ref name="DemographyData"/>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population density of districts of Punjab - census 2011<ref name="DemographyData"/>
!Sr. No.!!District!!Density (persons per square kilometre)
|-
|1||Ludhiana||978
|-
|2||Amritsar||928
|-
|3||SAS Nagar||909
|-
|4||Jalandhar||836
|-
|5||Gurdaspur||647
|-
|6||Patiala||570
|-
|7||Fatehgarh Sahib||509
|-
|8||Rupnagar||505
|-
|9||Kapurthala||499
|-
|10||SBS Nagar||478
|-
|11||Hoshiarpur||469
|-
|12||Tarn Taran||464
|-
|13||Sangrur||457
|-
|14||Moga||444
|-
|15||Faridkot||424
|-
|16||Bathinda||414
|-
|17||Barnala||402
|-
|18||Ferozepur||382
|-
|19||Mansa||350
|-
|20||Sri Muktsar Sahib||348
|-
| ||Punjab||551
|}

=== Gender ===
There has been a constant decline in the [[sex ratio]] of the state. The sex ratio in Punjab was 895 females per 1000 males, which was below the [[List of states and union territories of India by sex ratio|national average]] of 940.
In June 2023, state government under [[Aam Aadmi Party]] announced that all women on the birth of a second girl child will receive 6000 rupees.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/financial-assistance-of-rs-6000-will-be-given-to-beneficiary-women-on-the-birth-of-the-second-girl-child-dr-baljit-ka-214486|title=Financial assistance of Rs. 6000 will be given to beneficiary women on the birth of the second girl child: Dr. Baljit Kaur|website=[[Punjab News Express]]|date=30 June 2023|access-date=8 July 2023|archive-date=8 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708140238/https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/financial-assistance-of-rs-6000-will-be-given-to-beneficiary-women-on-the-birth-of-the-second-girl-child-dr-baljit-ka-214486|url-status=live}}</ref>

The table below shows the sex ratio of the districts in 2011, in descending order.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/districtlist/punjab.html|title=List of districts of Punjab|website=www.census2011.co.in|access-date=2 July 2023|archive-date=2 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702130035/https://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/districtlist/punjab.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sex ratio by districts (2011)
!Sr. No.
!District
! Sex ratio
|-
|1||Hoshiarpur||961
|-
|2||Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar||954
|-
|3||Jalandhar||915
|-
|4||Rupnagar||915
|-
|5||Kapurthala||912
|-
|6||Tarn Taran||900
|-
|7||Muktsar||896
|-
|8||Gurdaspur||895
|-
|9||Moga||893
|-
|10||Firozpur||893
|-
|11||Patiala||891
|-
|12||Faridkot||890
|-
|13||Amritsar||889
|-
|14||Sangrur||885
|-
|15||Mansa||883
|-
|16||Mohali||879
|-
|17||Barnala||876
|-
|18||Ludhiana||873
|-
|19||Fatehgarh Sahib||871
|-
|20||Bathinda||868
|}

=== Literacy ===
The [[literacy rate]] rose to 75.84% as per 2011 population census, which was only slightly higher than the [[List of Indian states and union territories by literacy rate|national average]] of 74.04%. Of that, male literacy stands at 80.4% while female literacy is at 70.7%. In actual numbers, total literates in Punjab stands at 18,707,137 of which males were 10,436,056 and females were 8,271,081.

The median number of years of schooling completed in the state was 6.5 for females and 7.8 for males, as of 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/reports_and_publication/statistical_publication/social_statistics/WM17Chapter3.pdf|title=Chapter 3: Literacy and Education|website=mospi.gov.in|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328232440/http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/reports_and_publication/statistical_publication/social_statistics/WM17Chapter3.pdf|archive-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

The table given below shows the literacy rate by district for year 2011 in descending order.<ref name="auto7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiacensus.net/states/punjab/literacy|title=Punjab Literacy Rate 2023|website=www.indiacensus.net|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=1 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701144320/https://www.indiacensus.net/states/punjab/literacy|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.punjabdata.com/Literacy-Rate-In-Punjab.aspx|title=Literacy Rate In Punjab &#124; Punjab Literacy Rate|website=www.punjabdata.com|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=1 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701153303/https://www.punjabdata.com/Literacy-Rate-In-Punjab.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Literacy rate by districts - 2011 census<ref name="auto7"/><ref name="auto8"/>
!Sr. No.
!District
! Percentage
|-
|1||Hoshiarpur||84.59%
|-
|2||Mohali||83.80%
|-
|3||Jalandhar||82.48%
|-
|4||Ludhiana||82.20%
|-
|5||Rupnagar||82.19%
|-
|6||Gurdaspur||79.95%
|-
|7||Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar||79.78%
|-
|8||Fatehgarh Sahib||79.35%
|-
|9||Kapurthala||79.07%
|-
|10||Amritsar||76.27%
|-
|11||Patiala||75.28%
|-
|12||Moga||70.68%
|-
|13||Faridkot||69.55%
|-
|14||Firozpur||68.92%
|-
|15||Bathinda||68.28%
|-
|16||Sangrur||67.99%
|-
|17||Barnala||67.82%
|-
|18||Tarn Taran||67.81%
|-
|19||Muktsar||65.81%
|-
|20||Mansa||61.83%
|}

=== Language ===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption=Languages of Punjab, India<br />(First Language) (2011)<ref name="auto4">{{cite web| title = C-16: Population by mother tongue, Punjab – 2011| author = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India| url = https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10219| access-date = 8 January 2023| archive-date = 8 January 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230108145843/https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10219| url-status = live}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
|value1 = 89.8
|color1 = Pink
|label2 = [[Hindi]]
|value2 = 7.9
|color2 = Orange
|label3 = Others
|value3 = 2.3
|color3 = Grey
}}
[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] is the native and sole official language of Punjab and as of the 2011 census, is spoken as first language by {{sigfig|24.917725|3}} million people, or roughly 90% of the state's population.<ref name="2011lang" /> [[Hindi]] is spoken by {{sigfig|2.179066|3}} million, or 7.9% of the population, [[Bagri language|Bagri]] has {{sigfig|233555|3}} speakers (or 0.8%), while the remaining {{sigfig|412992|3}} (or 1.5%) spoke other languages.<ref name="auto4"/>

=== Caste ===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption=Castes of Punjab (2011)
|label1 = [[Scheduled Castes]]
|value1 = 31.9
|color1 = Blue
|label2 = [[Forward caste|Upper Castes]] (UC)
|value2 = 30
|color2 = Green
|label3 = [[Other Backward Class]]es (OBC or BC)
|value3 = 31.3
|color3 = Orange
|label4 = Religious minorities
|value4 = 3.8
|color4 = Red
|label5 = [[Rai Sikh]]s
|value5 = 3
|color5 = Violet
}}

The [[2011 Census of India]] found [[Scheduled Castes]] to account for 31.9% of the state's population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.indiaspend.com/cover-story/how-indias-scheduled-castes-tribes-are-empowering-themselves-34628|title=How India's Scheduled Castes & Tribes Are Empowering Themselves – IndiaSpend|access-date=17 October 2019|date=13 December 2013|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930091036/https://archive.indiaspend.com/cover-story/how-indias-scheduled-castes-tribes-are-empowering-themselves-34628|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Other Backward Class]]es have 31.3% population in Punjab.<ref>{{cite web | title=Quota will have little impact in Punjab | website=The Tribune | date=11 January 2019 | url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/quota-will-have-little-impact-in-punjab/711664.html | access-date=17 October 2019 | archive-date=17 October 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017172503/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/quota-will-have-little-impact-in-punjab/711664.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The exact population of [[Forward caste]]s is not known as their data from [[Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011]] is not made public as of 2019.<ref>{{cite news | last=Tripathi | first=Rahul | title=Despite promise, no OBC category yet in census 2021 | newspaper=The Economic Times | date=31 July 2019 | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/despite-promise-no-obc-category-yet-in-census-2021/articleshow/70459824.cms | access-date=17 October 2019 | archive-date=16 October 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016184617/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/despite-promise-no-obc-category-yet-in-census-2021/articleshow/70459824.cms | url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the 2011 census, 73.33% of scheduled caste people reside in rural areas and 26.67% in urban areas of Punjab. Punjab accounts for 4.3% of the SC population of the country, despite having only 2.3% of the total population. The population growth rate of SC population between 2001 and 2011 was 26.06%, compared to 13.89% for the state as a whole. Literacy rate among SCs was 64.81%, compared to 75.84% of the state as a whole.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://finance.punjab.gov.in/uploads/05Jul2022/52e95928-fcf0-4ac0-b1d3-f24c151c371f_20220705153029.pdf|title=Scheduled Castes Sub Plan|website=finance.punjab.gov.in|access-date=2 July 2023|archive-date=2 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702135933/https://finance.punjab.gov.in/uploads/05Jul2022/52e95928-fcf0-4ac0-b1d3-f24c151c371f_20220705153029.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

As per [[National Family Health Survey]] (NFHS-4, 2015–16), the [[infant mortality rate]] was 40 per 1000 live births before the age of one year for [[scheduled castes]], compared to 29 per 1000 births for the state as a whole. The infant mortality rate for [[Other Backward Castes]] (OBC) was 21 per 1000 live births and 22 per 1000 for those who are not from SC and OBC classes. Although the prevalence of [[anaemia]] (low levels of haemoglobin in the blood) has been found quite high among all population groups in Punjab, it was still higher among the SC population than other groups. For the women between the ages of 15 and 49 years, the prevalence of anaemia among SC women was 56.9%, compared to 53.5% for the state as a whole. Among the children between the ages of 6 and 59 months, the rate of anaemia for SC children was 60%, compared to 56.9% for the state as a whole.<ref name="auto1"/>

Below is the list of districts according to the percentage of their SC population, according to 2011 census.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-percentage-total-population-1971-2011|title=District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes as percentage to Total Population from 1971 to 2011|website=punjab.data.gov.in|date=21 January 2022 |access-date=3 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803140834/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-percentage-total-population-1971-2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-total-population-1971-2011|title=District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes (Total) Population from 1971 to 2011|website=punjab.data.gov.in|date=21 January 2022 |access-date=3 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803142346/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-total-population-1971-2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-female-population-1971-2011|title=District-wise no. of Scheduled Castes (Female) Population from 1971 to 2011|website=punjab.data.gov.in|date=21 January 2022 |access-date=3 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803142342/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-no-scheduled-castes-female-population-1971-2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Scheduled Caste population by district (2011)<ref name="auto5"/>
!Sr. No.
!District
! Percentage
|-
|1||Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar||42.51%
|-
|2||Muktsar||42.31%
|-
|3||Fazilka||42.27%
|-
|4||Firozpur||42.07%
|-
|5||Jalandhar||38.95%
|-
|6||Faridkot||38.92%
|-
|7||Moga||36.50%
|-
|8||Hoshiarpur||35.14%
|-
|9||Kapurthala||33.94%
|-
|10||Tarn Taran||33.71%
|-
|11||Mansa||33.63%
|-
|12||Bathinda||32.44%
|-
|13||Barnala||32.24%
|-
|14||Fatehgarh Sahib||32.07%
|-
|15||Amritsar||30.95%
|-
|16||Pathankot||30.60%
|-
|17||Sangrur||27.89%
|-
|18||Ludhiana||26.39%
|-
|19||Rupnagar||25.42%
|-
|20||Patiala||24.55%
|-
|21||Gurdaspur||23.03%
|-
|22||SAS Nagar||21.74%
|}

=== Religion ===
{{See also| Religion in the Punjab|Demographics of Punjab, India}}
Punjab has the largest population of [[Sikhs]] in India and is the only state where Sikhs form a majority, numbering around 16 million forming 57.7% of the state population.<ref name="census2011" /> [[Hinduism]] is the second largest religion in the Indian state of Punjab numbering around 10.68&nbsp;million and forming 38.5% of the state's population and a majority in [[Doaba]] region. [[Islam]] is followed by 535,489 accounting 1.9% of the population and are mainly concentrated in [[Malerkotla]] and [[Qadian]]. Other smaller segments of religions existing in Punjab are [[Christianity]] practised by 1.3%, [[Jainism]] practised by 0.2%, [[Buddhism]] practised by 0.1% and others 0.3%. Sikhs form a majority in 17 districts out of the total 23 districts while Hindus form the majority in 5 districts, namely, [[Pathankot district|Pathankot]], [[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], [[Fazilka district|Fazilka]] and [[Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district|Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar]] districts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Religion by districts – Punjab |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW03C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=census.gov.in |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923230423/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW03C-01%20MDDS.XLS |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religion in Punjab, India (1881–2011)
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in India|Religious]]<br>group
! colspan="2" |1881<ref name="punjab1881">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057656 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057656 |access-date=7 April 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. I. |year=1881 }}</ref><ref name="punjab1881B">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057657 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057657 |access-date=7 April 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. II. |year=1881 |pages=14 }}</ref><ref name="punjab1881C">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057658 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057658 |access-date=7 April 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. III. |year=1881 |pages=14 }}</ref>{{efn|name=Punjab1881}}
! colspan="2" |1901<ref name="punjab1901">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363739 |jstor=saoa.crl.25363739 |access-date=10 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province. |year=1901}}</ref>{{rp|34}}{{efn|name=Punjab1901}}
! colspan="2" |1911<ref name="punjab1911">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393788 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393788 |access-date=3 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1911}}</ref>{{rp|27}}<ref name="punjab1911B">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.62718 |access-date=3 March 2024 |title=Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II |year=1911 |author=Kaul, Harikishan}}</ref>{{rp|27}}{{efn|name=Punjab1911}}
! colspan="2" |1921<ref name="punjab1921">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430165 |jstor=saoa.crl.25430165 |access-date=17 February 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1921}}</ref>{{rp|29}}{{efn|name=Punjab1921}}
! colspan="2" |1931<ref name="punjab1931">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242 |jstor=saoa.crl.25793242 |access-date=4 February 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1931}}</ref>{{rp|277}}{{efn|name=Punjab1931}}
! colspan="2" |1941{{sfn|India. Census Commissioner|1941|p=42}}{{efn|name=Punjab1941}}
! colspan="2" |2001<ref name="religion2001">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Total population by religious communities|publisher=Censusindia.gov.in|access-date=9 October 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119031333/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|archive-date=19 January 2008}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011<ref name="religion2011">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=9 October 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015}}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]{{efn|name=ad-dharmi|1931-1941 census: Including [[Ad-Dharmi]]s}}
| 2,839,995
|{{Percentage | 2839995 | 6607699 | 2 }}
| 3,278,620
|{{Percentage | 3278620 | 7679645 | 2 }}
| 2,383,954
|{{Percentage | 2383954 | 6830507 | 2 }}
| 2,462,215
|{{Percentage | 2462215 | 7262881 | 2 }}
| 2,351,417
|{{Percentage | 2351417 | 8123076 | 2 }}
| 2,597,038
|{{Percentage | 2597038 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 8,997,942
|{{Percentage | 8997942 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 10,678,138
|{{Percentage | 10678138 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 2,440,888
|{{Percentage | 2440888 | 6607699 | 2 }}
| 2,898,114
|{{Percentage | 2898114 | 7679645 | 2 }}
| 2,515,774
|{{Percentage | 2515774 | 6830507 | 2 }}
| 2,686,598
|{{Percentage | 2686598 | 7262881 | 2 }}
| 3,072,619
|{{Percentage | 3072619 | 8123076 | 2 }}
| 3,748,410
|{{Percentage | 3748410 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 382,045
|{{Percentage | 382045 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 535,489
|{{Percentage | 535489 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| 1,311,139
|{{Percentage | 1311139 | 6607699 | 2 }}
| 1,479,072
|{{Percentage | 1479072 | 7679645 | 2 }}
| 1,883,572
|{{Percentage | 1883572 | 6830507 | 2 }}
| 2,043,520
|{{Percentage | 2043520 | 7262881 | 2 }}
| 2,610,810
|{{Percentage | 2610810 | 8123076 | 2 }}
| 3,281,341
|{{Percentage | 3281341 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 14,592,387
|{{Percentage | 14592387 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 16,004,754
|{{Percentage | 16004754 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
| 10,463
|{{Percentage | 10463 | 6607699 | 2 }}
| 12,306
|{{Percentage | 12306 | 7679645 | 2 }}
| 11,951
|{{Percentage | 11951 | 6830507 | 2 }}
| 11,030
|{{Percentage | 11030 | 7262881 | 2 }}
| 12,262
|{{Percentage | 12262 | 8123076 | 2 }}
| 12,480
|{{Percentage | 12480 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 39,276
|{{Percentage | 39276 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 45,040
|{{Percentage | 45040 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 5,160
|{{Percentage | 5160 | 6607699 | 2 }}
| 11,415
|{{Percentage | 11415 | 7679645 | 2 }}
| 35,125
|{{Percentage | 35125 | 6830507 | 2 }}
| 59,363
|{{Percentage | 59363 | 7262881 | 2 }}
| 75,809
|{{Percentage | 75809 | 8123076 | 2 }}
| 103,477
|{{Percentage | 103477 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 292,800
|{{Percentage | 292800 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 348,230
|{{Percentage | 348230 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| 22
|{{Percentage | 22 | 6607699 | 4 }}
| 108
|{{Percentage | 108 | 7679645 | 3 }}
| 131
|{{Percentage | 131 | 6830507 | 3 }}
| 138
|{{Percentage | 138 | 7262881 | 3 }}
| 145
|{{Percentage | 145 | 8123076 | 3 }}
| 90
|{{Percentage | 90 | 9757161 | 3 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
| 1
|{{Percentage | 1 | 6607699 | 4 }}
| 3
|{{Percentage | 3 | 7679645 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 6830507 | 4 }}
| 17
|{{Percentage | 17 | 7262881 | 4 }}
| 10
|{{Percentage | 10 | 8123076 | 4 }}
| 4
|{{Percentage | 4 | 9757161 | 4 }}
| 41,487
|{{Percentage | 41487 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 33,237
|{{Percentage | 33237 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 6
|{{Percentage | 6 | 7679645 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 6830507 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 7262881 | 4 }}
| 4
|{{Percentage | 4 | 8123076 | 4 }}
| 25
|{{Percentage | 25 | 9757161 | 4 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| Others{{efn|1901-1941 censuses: [[Tribal religions in India|Tribals]], others, or not stated.}}
| 31
|{{Percentage | 31 | 6607699 | 4 }}
| 1
|{{Percentage | 1 | 7679645 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 6830507 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 7262881 | 4 }}
| 0
|{{Percentage | 0 | 8123076 | 4 }}
| 14,296
|{{Percentage | 14296 | 9757161 | 2 }}
| 8,594
|{{Percentage | 8594 | 24358999 | 2 }}
| 98,450
|{{Percentage | 98450 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|-
! Total Population
! 6,607,699
!{{Percentage | 6607699 | 6607699 | 2 }}
! 7,679,645
!{{Percentage | 7679645 | 7679645 | 2 }}
! 6,830,507
!{{Percentage | 6830507 | 6830507 | 2 }}
! 7,262,881
!{{Percentage | 7262881 | 7262881 | 2 }}
! 8,123,076
!{{Percentage | 8123076 | 8123076 | 2 }}
! 9,757,161
!{{Percentage | 9757161 | 9757161 | 2 }}
! 24,358,999
!{{Percentage | 24358999 | 24358999 | 2 }}
! 27,743,338
!{{Percentage | 27743338 | 27743338 | 2 }}
|}
{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption=Religion in Punjab, India (2011)<ref name="census2011" />|label1=[[Sikhism]]|value1=57.69|color1=gold|label2=[[Hinduism]]|value2=38.49|color2=orange|label3=[[Islam]]|value3=1.93|color3=Green|label4=[[Christianity]]|value4=1.26|color4=blue|label5=[[Jainism]]|value5=0.16|color5=pink|label6=[[Buddhism]]|value6=0.12|color6=yellow|value7=0.35|label7=Others/not stated|color7=black}}The table below shows the literacy rate by religion in Punjab, according to 2001 census.<ref name="auto6">{{Cite web|url=http://sikhinstitute.org/oct_2012/5-divjot.pdf|title=Literacy of Major Religious Groups in India: A Geographical Perspective|website=sikhinstitute.org|access-date=3 August 2023|archive-date=14 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714135729/http://sikhinstitute.org/oct_2012/5-divjot.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Literacy rate by religion in Punjab - Census 2001<ref name="auto6"/>
!Sr. No.
! Religion
! Percentage
|-
|1||Jains||95.9%
|-
|2||Hindus||74.6%
|-
|3||Buddhists||72.7%
|-
|4||Sikhs||67.3%
|-
|5||Christians||54.6%
|-
|6||Muslims||51.2%
|-
| ||All religious groups||69.7%
|}

{{multiple image
| align = left
| total_width = 400
| image1 = Golden_Temple_Amritsar.jpeg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = [[Golden Temple]]
| image2 = Durgiana Temple, Amritsar.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = [[Durgiana Temple]]
| }}
The [[Sikh]] shrine, [[Golden Temple]] ([[Harmandir Sahib]]), is in the city of Amritsar, which houses the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]], the topmost Sikh religious body. The [[Sri Akal Takht Sahib]], which is within the Golden Temple complex, is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. Of the five Takhts (Temporal Seats of religious authority) of [[Sikhism]], three are in Punjab. These are Sri Akal Takht Sahib, [[Damdama Sahib]] and [[Anandpur Sahib]]. At least one Sikh [[Gurdwara]] can be found in almost every village in the state, as well as in the towns and cities (in various architectural styles and sizes).

[[Mandir|Hindu Mandirs]] can be found all over Punjab with the [[Durgiana Temple|Shri Durgiana Mandir]] in Amritsar, and the [[Devi Talab Mandir|Shri Devi Talab Mandir]] in Jalandhar visited by many pilgrims every year. A segment of [[Punjabi Hindus]] exhibit [[Religious syncretism|syncretic religious traditions]] in spiritual kinship with Sikhism. This not only includes veneration of the Sikh Gurus in private practice but also visit to Sikh Gurdwaras in addition to Hindu Mandirs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Raj |first1=Dhooleka Sarhadi |title=Where Are You From? Middle-Class Migrants in the Modern World |date=2003 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=9780520233836 |page=80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W6YwDwAAQBAJ&dq=punjabi+hindus+syncretic&pg=PA80 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415130733/https://books.google.com/books?id=W6YwDwAAQBAJ&dq=punjabi+hindus+syncretic&pg=PA80 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Government and politics==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2017}}
[[File:Assembly 09.jpg|thumb|[[Punjab Legislative Assembly]] building]]
{{Main|Politics of Punjab, India|Government of Punjab, India|Greater Punjab Movement, India|Punjab Legislative Assembly|List of districts of Punjab, India}}
Punjab is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy. Each of the states of India possesses a parliamentary system of government, with a ceremonial state [[List of governors of Punjab, India|Governor]], appointed by the [[President of India]] on the advice of the central government. The head of government is an indirectly elected [[List of chief ministers of Punjab, India|Chief Minister]] who is vested with most of the executive powers. The term length of the government is five years. The state legislature, the [[Vidhan Sabha]], is the unicameral [[Punjab Legislative Assembly]], with 117 members elected from single-seat constituencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.punjabassembly.nic.in/index.php/about-vidhan-sabha|title=About Vidhan Sabha|website=punjabassembly.nic.in|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=4 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004055941/http://www.punjabassembly.nic.in/index.php/about-vidhan-sabha|url-status=live}}</ref>

The capital of Punjab is [[Chandigarh]], which also serves as the capital of [[Haryana]] and is thus administered separately as a [[union territory]] of India. The judicial branch of the state government is provided by the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] in Chandigarh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebc-india.com/lawyer/hcourts.htm|title=Jurisdiction and Seats of Indian High Courts|access-date=12 May 2008|publisher=Eastern Book Company|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510190512/http://www.ebc-india.com/lawyer/hcourts.htm|archive-date=10 May 2008}}</ref>

The three major political parties in the state are the [[Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab|Aam Aadmi Party]], a centrist to left-wing party, the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]], a [[Sikh]] [[right-wing]] [[Punjabiyat]] party and the [[Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee|Indian National Congress]], a [[Ideology of the Indian National Congress|centrist]] [[Big tent|catch-all]] party.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kumar|first=Ashutosh|date=2004|title=Electoral Politics in Punjab: Study of Akali Dal|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=39|issue=14/15|pages=1515–1520|issn=0012-9976|jstor=4414869}}</ref> [[President's rule]] has been imposed in Punjab eight times so far, since 1950, for different reasons. In terms of the absolute number of days, Punjab was under the President's rule for 3,510 days, which is approximately 10 years. Much of this was in the 80s during the height of militancy in Punjab. Punjab was under the President's rule for five continuous years from 1987 to 1992.

Punjab state law and order is maintained by [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]]. Punjab police is headed by its DGP, Dinkar Gupta,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Verma |first1=Sanjeev |title=DGP Punjab: Dinkar Gupta appointed new DGP of Punjab {{!}} Chandigarh News |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/dinkar-gupta-appointed-new-dgp-of-punjab/articleshow/67881667.cms |access-date=2 November 2019 |work=The Times of India |date=7 February 2019 |language=en |archive-date=8 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190208141851/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/dinkar-gupta-appointed-new-dgp-of-punjab/articleshow/67881667.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> and has 70,000 employees. It manages state affairs through 22 district heads known as SSP.

==Administrative set-up==
[[File:Punjab district map.png|thumb|Districts of Punjab along with their headquarters]]
[[File:Administrative division of Punjab.png|thumb|Administrative divisions of Punjab]]
Punjab has 23 districts, which are geographically classified into [[Majha]], [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa]], [[Doaba]] and [[Puadh]] regions, as under: –
* [[Majha]] (4)
** [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]]
** [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]]
** [[Pathankot district|Pathankot]]
** [[Tarn Taran district|Tarn Taran]]
* [[Doaba]] (4)
** [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]]
** [[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]]
** [[Kapurthala district|Kapurthala]]
** [[Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district|Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar]]
* [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa]] (12)
** [[Barnala district|Barnala]]
** [[Bathinda district|Bathinda]]
** [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]]
** [[Fazilka district|Fazilka]]
** [[Faridkot district|Faridkot]]
** [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]]
** [[Moga district|Moga]]
** [[Malerkotla district|Malerkotla]]
** [[Mansa district, Punjab|Mansa]]
** [[Sri Muktsar Sahib district|Sri Muktsar Sahib]]
** [[Patiala district|Patiala]]
** [[Sangrur district|Sangrur]]
* [[Puadh]] (3)
** [[Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district|SAS Nagar (Mohali)]]
** [[Rupnagar district|Rupnagar]]
** [[Fatehgarh Sahib district|Fatehgarh Sahib]]

[[File:Dialects Of Punjabi.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Dialects of Punjabi]]{{Punjabis}}

These districts are officially divided among 5 administrative divisions: Faridkot, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Patiala and Ropar(created on 31 December 2010, which was a part of Patiala Division earlier).<ref>{{cite web|title=Punjab District Map|url=https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/punjab/punjab-district.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613164514/http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/punjab/punjab-district.htm|archive-date=13 June 2017|access-date=6 December 2019|website=Maps of India}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Administrative Divisions and Corresponding Districts of Punjab
!S. No.
!Name of the Division
!No. of districts
!Name of the Districts
|-
|1
|Faridkot
|3
|[[Bathinda district|Bathinda]], [[Faridkot district|Faridkot]], [[Mansa district, India|Mansa]]
|-
|2
|Ferozepur
|4
|[[Fazilka district|Fazilka]], [[Firozpur district|Ferozepur]], [[Moga district|Moga]], [[Sri Muktsar Sahib district|Sri Muktsar Sahib]]
|-
|3
|Jalandhar
|7
|[[Amritsar district|Amritsar]], [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur]], [[Hoshiarpur district|Hoshiarpur]], [[Jalandhar district|Jalandhar]], [[Kapurthala district|Kapurthala]], [[Pathankot district|Pathankot]], [[Tarn Taran district|Tarn Taran]]
|-
|4
|Patiala
|6
|[[Barnala district|Barnala]], [[Fatehgarh Sahib district|Fatehgarh Sahib]], [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]], [[Malerkotla district|Malerkotla]], [[Patiala district|Patiala]], [[Sangrur district|Sangrur]]
|-
|5
|Ropar
|3
|[[Rupnagar district|Rupnagar]], [[Mohali district|SAS Nagar]], [[Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district|SBS Nagar]]
|}
Each district is under the administrative control of a [[District magistrate|District Collector]]. The districts are subdivided into 93 [[tehsil]]s, which have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records comes under the administrative control of a [[Tehsildar]]. Each Tehsil consists of blocks which are total 150 in number. These blocks consist of [[Revenue Village]]s. There are total number of revenue villages in the state is 12,278. There are 23 [[District council (India)|Zila Parishads]], 136 [[Municipal governance in India|Municipal Committees]] and 22 Improvement Trusts looking after 143 towns and 14 [[Cities in India|cities]] of Punjab.

The capital city of the state is [[Chandigarh]] and largest city of the state is [[Ludhiana]]. Out of total population of Punjab, 37.48% people live in urban regions. The absolute urban population living in urban areas is 10,399,146 of which 5,545,989 are males and while remaining 4,853,157 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 37.48%. The major cities are [[Ludhiana]], [[Amritsar]], [[Jalandhar]], [[Mohali]], [[Patiala]] and [[Bathinda]].

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Punjab (India)|E-governance in Punjab}}
{{See also|Measurement of land in Punjab}}
Punjab's [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] is {{INRConvert|5.42|t|lk=r}}.<ref name="MOSPI" /> Punjab is one of the most fertile regions in India. The region is ideal for wheat-growing. [[Rice]], sugar cane, [[fruits]] and [[vegetables]] are also grown. Indian Punjab is called the "Granary of India" or "India's bread-basket".<ref name="ReferenceA">[http://punjabgovt.nic.in/punjabataglance/LeadingbyExample.htm Welcome to Official Web site of Punjab, India] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070417122227/http://punjabgovt.nic.in/punjabataglance/LeadingbyExample.htm|date=17 April 2007}}</ref> It produces 10.26% of India's cotton, 19.5% of India's wheat, and 11% of India's rice. The [[Firozpur]] and [[Fazilka]] Districts are the largest producers of wheat and rice in the state. In worldwide terms, Indian Punjab produces 2% of the world's cotton, 2% of its wheat and 1% of its rice.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Punjab ranked first in GDP per capita among Indian states in 1981 and fourth in 2001, but has experienced slower growth than the rest of India, having the [[List of Indian states and union territories by GDP per capita#Historical NSDP per capita of Indian states|second-slowest GDP per capita]] growth rate of all Indian states and UTs between 2000 and 2010, behind only [[Economy of Manipur|Manipur]].<ref>{{cite web| title = How Punjab [sic] economy can be revived| publisher = [[Tribune India]]| url = https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/how-punjab-economy-can-be-revived-645211| date = 31 August 2018| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 8 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210308134214/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/how-punjab-economy-can-be-revived-645211| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = What's in store for India's Punjab?| publisher = [[Brookings Institution]]| url = https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2017/03/03/whats-in-store-for-indias-punjab/| date = 3 March 2017| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 12 November 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201112042052/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2017/03/03/whats-in-store-for-indias-punjab/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Punjab's Slowing Economy|newspaper= Bw Businessworld|publisher= Business World|url= http://www.businessworld.in/article/Punjab-s-Slowing-Economy/03-02-2017-112433/|date= 3 February 2017|access-date= 2 July 2020|last1= Tripathi|first1= Manoj|archive-date= 25 February 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210225061753/http://www.businessworld.in/article/Punjab-s-Slowing-Economy/03-02-2017-112433/|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Punjab, a state in decline| publisher = LiveMint| url = https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ph7Wxdf9c3FOkhL7k4k4jI/Punjab-a-state-in-decline.html| date = 14 October 2010| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 9 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210309044630/https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ph7Wxdf9c3FOkhL7k4k4jI/Punjab-a-state-in-decline.html| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Punjab, Star of India's Rise, Faces Steep Fall| publisher = Wall Street Journal| url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703730804576322330472250792| date = 15 May 2011| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 10 October 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211010102705/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703730804576322330472250792| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Guruswamy |first1=Mohan |last2=Baitha |first2=Ramnis Attar |last3=Mohanty |first3=Jeevan Prakash |title=Centrally Planned Inequality: The Tale of Two States – Punjab and Bihar |url=http://cpasindia.org/reports/07-Centrally-Planned-Inequality-Punjab-Bihar.pdf |date=15 June 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326210152/http://cpasindia.org/reports/07-Centrally-Planned-Inequality-Punjab-Bihar.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2009 |location=New Delhi, India |publisher=Centre for Policy Alternatives |access-date=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_releases_statements/State_series_as_on_15032020.xls|title=MOSPI Net State Domestic Product, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India.|access-date=2 July 2020|archive-date=14 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014073538/http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_releases_statements/State_series_as_on_15032020.xls|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
[[File:A Cotton Farm (South-West Punjab).jpg|thumb|350x350px|A Cotton Farm in (South-West Punjab)]]
{{Further|Punjab Agri Export Corporation}}
Punjab's economy has been primarily agriculture-based since the [[Green Revolution in India|Green Revolution]] due to the presence of abundant water sources and fertile soils;<ref>{{cite web|title=Punjab|url=http://m.oifc.in/Our-Partners/State-Partners/Punjab|publisher=Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre|access-date=8 September 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010150641/http://m.oifc.in/Our-Partners/State-Partners/Punjab|archive-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> most of the state lies in a fertile alluvial plain with many rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=http://punjabgovt.gov.in/StateProfile.aspx|title=State Profile – About Punjab|publisher=Punjab Government|access-date=18 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106125012/http://punjabgovt.gov.in/StateProfile.aspx|archive-date=6 November 2011}}</ref> The largest cultivated crop is [[wheat]]. Other important crops are [[rice]], [[cotton]], [[sugarcane]], [[pearl millet]], [[maize]], [[barley]] and [[fruit]]. Rice and wheat are doublecropped in Punjab with rice stalks being burned off over millions of acres prior to the planting of wheat. This widespread practice is polluting and wasteful.<ref name="Guardian12712">{{cite news|title=Fields on fire: making farming more sustainable in India – in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2012/dec/07/farming-sustainable-india-in-pictures|access-date=9 December 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 December 2012|location=London|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502042059/http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2012/dec/07/farming-sustainable-india-in-pictures|archive-date=2 May 2014}}</ref> Despite covering only 1.53%<ref name="censusofficial" /> of its geographical area, Punjab makes up for about 15–20%<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of India – Agricultural Statistics at a glance 2018|url=https://eands.dacnet.nic.in/PDF/Agricultural%20Statistics%20at%20a%20Glance%202018.pdf|access-date=3 December 2020|website=eands.dacnet.nic.in|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102133525/http://eands.dacnet.nic.in/PDF/Agricultural%20Statistics%20at%20a%20Glance%202018.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India production of Wheat|url=https://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/india%20production/India_Productions.aspx?cat=Agri&hscode=1013|access-date=3 December 2020|website=agriexchange.apeda.gov.in|archive-date=11 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911131110/https://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/india%20production/India_Productions.aspx?cat=Agri&hscode=1013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=23 October 2018|title=Top 5 wheat producing states in India: Facts and Figures|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/top-5-wheat-producing-states-in-india-facts-and-figures-1373402-2018-10-23|access-date=3 December 2020|work=India Today|language=en|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307004901/https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/top-5-wheat-producing-states-in-india-facts-and-figures-1373402-2018-10-23|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=18 March 2019|title=States with highest and lowest production of wheat in last four years|url=https://zeenews.india.com/economy/states-with-highest-and-lowest-production-of-wheat-in-last-four-years-2188480.html|access-date=3 December 2020|work=Zee News|language=en|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129104658/https://zeenews.india.com/economy/states-with-highest-and-lowest-production-of-wheat-in-last-four-years-2188480.html|url-status=live}}</ref> of India's wheat production, around 12%<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Production of Rice|url=http://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/india%20production/India_Productions.aspx?cat=Agri&hscode=1011|access-date=12 December 2020|website=Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Ministry of Commerce & Industry]], [[Govt. of India]]|archive-date=1 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201011818/http://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/india%20production/India_Productions.aspx?cat=Agri&hscode=1011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=A status note on Rice in India|url=https://www.nfsm.gov.in/StatusPaper/Rice2016.pdf|access-date=12 December 2020|website=National Food Security Mission (NFSM), [[Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare]], [[Govt. of India]]|archive-date=2 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402163352/https://nfsm.gov.in/StatusPaper/Rice2016.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=State-wise Production of Rice from 2010–11 to 2014–15|url=https://data.gov.in/resources/state-wise-production-rice-2010-11-2014-15-ministry-agriculture-and-farmers-welfare|access-date=12 December 2020|website=National Informatics Centre (NIC), [[Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology]], [[Govt. of India]]|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101150748/https://data.gov.in/resources/state-wise-production-rice-2010-11-2014-15-ministry-agriculture-and-farmers-welfare|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 rice producing states in India: Rice production and area under cultivation|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/top-10-rice-producing-states-in-india-rice-production-and-area-under-cultivation-1343024-2018-09-18|access-date=12 December 2020|website=[[India Today]]|archive-date=24 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524184533/https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/top-10-rice-producing-states-in-india-rice-production-and-area-under-cultivation-1343024-2018-09-18|url-status=live}}</ref> of its rice production, and around 5%<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India – Opportunities in Dairy Sector in India|url=https://mofpi.nic.in/sites/default/files/OpportunitiesinDairySectorinIndia.pdf|access-date=3 December 2020|website=mofpi.nic.in|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727050437/https://mofpi.nic.in/sites/default/files/OpportunitiesinDairySectorinIndia.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India – milk production by state 2019|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/622808/milk-production-by-state-india/|access-date=3 December 2020|website=Statista|language=en|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613071751/https://www.statista.com/statistics/622808/milk-production-by-state-india/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nation Dairy Development Board, Government of India – Milk Production by States/UTs|url=https://www.nddb.coop/information/stats/milkprodstate|website=nddb.coop|access-date=3 December 2020|archive-date=24 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024111904/https://www.nddb.coop/information/stats/milkprodstate|url-status=live}}</ref> of its milk production, being known as [[Breadbasket#Asia|India's breadbasket]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jayan |first1=T. V. |title=India's bread basket has no dough |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/indias-bread-basket-has-no-dough/article9735319.ece |access-date=11 September 2020 |work=@businessline |date=12 January 2018 |language=en |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190027/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/indias-bread-basket-has-no-dough/article9735319.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Know Punjab">{{cite web| title = Know Punjab| publisher = Government of Punjab, India| url = https://punjab.gov.in/know-punjab/| access-date = 2 July 2020| archive-date = 13 July 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210713061012/https://punjab.gov.in/know-punjab/| url-status = live}}</ref> About 80%<ref name="Taylor, S. 2007">Taylor, S., Singh, M., Booth, D. (2007) Migration, development and inequality: Eastern Punjabi transnationalism. School of Social Sciences and Law, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, UK; Department of Sociology, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India.</ref>-95%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/18221|title=Caste System Among Sikhs in Punjab|author=Ratan Saldi|date=6 June 2009|publisher=Asian Tribune|access-date=2 July 2020|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806153018/http://www.asiantribune.com/node/18221|url-status=dead}}</ref> of Punjab's agricultural land is owned by its [[Jat Sikh]] community despite it only forming 21%<ref name="India Today 2012">{{cite web | title=The Jats in Punjab comprise only 21% population of the total 60% Sikhs, yet they have been ruling and dominating politics in Punjab for decades. | website=India Today | date=16 January 2012 | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dalit-votes-to-decide-ruling-party-of-punjab/1/169026.html | access-date=27 February 2016 | archive-date=13 October 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013021353/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dalit-votes-to-decide-ruling-party-of-punjab/1/169026.html | url-status=live }}</ref> of the state's population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=farmer protest: What the Punjab farmer wants is not what the Punjab farmer needs |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/what-the-punjab-farmer-wants-is-not-what-the-punjab-farmer-needs/articleshow/107687409.cms |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ranjan |first=Rahul |title=Harvesting Progress: Bridging gender gaps and embracing innovation in Indian agriculture – Punjab and Bihar |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/blackslate-corner/harvesting-progress-bridging-gender-gaps-and-embracing-innovation-in-indian-agriculture-punjab-and-bihar/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 February 2024 |title=Samyukta Kisan Morcha rejects Centre's MSP proposal for 5 crops, calls it Punjab-oriented |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/samyukta-kisan-morcha-rejects-centre-msp-proposal-crops-punjab-9169610/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

In Punjab the consumption of fertiliser per hectare is 223.46&nbsp;kg as compared to 90&nbsp;kg nationally. The state has been awarded the National Productivity Award for agriculture extension services for ten years, from 1991 to 1992 to 1998–99 and from 2001 to 2003–04. In recent years a drop in productivity has been observed, mainly due to falling fertility of the soil. This is believed to be due to excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides over the years. Another worry is the rapidly falling water table on which almost 90% of the agriculture depends; alarming drops have been witnessed in recent years. By some estimates, groundwater is falling by a meter or more per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/qa-upmanu-lall-gives-insight-to-indias-nexus-of-energy-food-and-water|title=Q&A: Upmanu Lall on India's Nexus of Energy, Food and Water|publisher=[[Circle of Blue]]|author=J. Carl Ganter|access-date=4 June 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608030444/http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/qa-upmanu-lall-gives-insight-to-indias-nexus-of-energy-food-and-water/|archive-date=8 June 2010|date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Lall |first=Upmanu |author-link=Upmanu Lall |date=28 July 2009 |title=Punjab: A tale of prosperity and decline |url=http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2009/07/28/punjab-a-tale-of-prosperity-and-decline |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008034020/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2009/07/28/punjab-a-tale-of-prosperity-and-decline/ |archive-date=8 October 2010 |access-date=11 September 2009 |publisher=[[Columbia Water Center]]}}</ref>

According to the India State Hunger Index 2019-20, Punjab falls under the "Moderate" hunger category in India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mishra |first=Nandlal |date=2023-10-16 |title=How do Indian states perform as far as hunger eradication is concerned |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/food/how-do-indian-states-perform-as-far-as-hunger-eradication-is-concerned-92323 |access-date= |website=Down To Earth |language=en}}</ref>

===Industries===
Other major industries include [[financial services]], the manufacturing of [[scientific instruments]], agricultural goods, electrical goods, [[machine tools]], [[textiles]], [[sewing machines]], [[sports goods]], [[starch]], [[fertilisers]], [[bicycles]], [[garments]], and the processing of [[pine oil]] and [[sugar]].<ref name="Know Punjab"/> Minerals and energy resources also contribute to Punjab's economy to a much lesser extent. Punjab has the largest number of steel [[Rolling (metalworking)|rolling]] mill plants in India, which are in "Steel Town"—[[Mandi Gobindgarh]] in the [[Fatehgarh Sahib district]].

===Remittances===
[[Punjabi diaspora|Punjab also has a large diaspora]] that is mostly settled in the [[British Punjabis|United Kingdom]], the [[Punjabi Americans|United States]], and [[Punjabi Canadians|Canada]], numbers about 3 million, and sends back billions of USD in [[Remittances to India|remittances]] to the state, playing a major role in its economy.<ref>{{cite web | title = NRIs beat FDI, keep the money coming |publisher= Hindustan Times| url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/nris-beat-fdi-keep-the-money-coming/article1-941337.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140313025252/http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/nris-beat-fdi-keep-the-money-coming/article1-941337.aspx | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 March 2014 |date=8 October 2012| access-date = 9 July 2014}}</ref>

==Transport==
{{Main|Punjab Roadways|PEPSU Road Transport Corporation}}

=== Air ===
[[File:Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar.jpg|thumb|[[Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport in Amritsar]]]]

[[Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport]] in [[Amritsar]], is the Primary Hub Airport and Gateway to Punjab, as the airport serves direct connectivity to key cities around the world, including [[London]], [[Singapore]], [[Moscow]], [[Dubai]], [[Birmingham]] among others.

Punjab has six civil airports including two international airports: [[Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport|Amritsar International Airport]] and [[Chandigarh Airport]] at [[Mohali]]; and four domestic airports: [[Bathinda Airport]], [[Pathankot Airport]], [[Adampur Airport]] ([[Jalandhar]]) and [[Ludhiana Airport]]. Apart from these 6 airports, there are 2 airfields at Beas ([[Amritsar]]) and [[Patiala]] which do not serve any commercial flight operations, as of now.

=== Railways ===
[[File:LDH PF4.JPG|thumb|right|View of Ludhiana railway station]]
The [[Indian Railways]]' [[Northern Railway zone|Northern Railway]] line runs through the state connecting most of the major towns and cities. The [[Shatabdi Express]], India's fastest series of train connects [[Amritsar]] to [[New Delhi]] covering total distance of 449&nbsp;km. [[Amritsar Junction railway station]] is the busiest junction of the state. [[Bathinda Junction railway station|Bathinda Junction]] holds the record of maximum railway lines from a railway junction in Asia. Punjab's major railway stations are Amritsar Junction (ASR), [[Ludhiana Junction railway station|Ludhiana Junction]] (LDH), [[Jalandhar Cantonment railway station|Jalandhar Cantonment]] (JRC), [[Firozpur Cantonment railway station|Firozpur Cantonment]] (FZR), [[Jalandhar City Junction railway station|Jalandhar City Junction]] (JUC), [[Pathankot Junction railway station|Pathankot Junction]] (PTK) and [[Patiala railway station]] (PTA). The railway stations of [[Amritsar]] is included in the Indian Railways list of 50 world-class railway stations.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of 50 world-class railway stations|url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID_207.PDF|website=[[Indian Railways]]|publisher=Indian Railways|access-date=10 October 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403082516/http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/land_amen/PASSNG_AMENT/ID_207.PDF|archive-date=3 April 2013}}</ref>

====Hyperloop====
Punjab Government have signed a [[memorandum of understanding]] with [[Virgin Hyperloop One]] to explore the feasibility of running a [[Hyperloop]] between [[Amritsar]] and [[Chandigarh]] which could decrease the travel time between 2 cities from five hours by road to less than 30 minutes. It will have stops in [[Ludhiana]] and [[Jalandhar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Punjab government signs pact to study hyperloop transport feasibility |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/dec/03/punjab-government-signs-pact-to-study-hyperloop-transport-feasibility-2070913.html |access-date=5 September 2020 |work=The New Indian Express |date=3 December 2019 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309001136/https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/dec/03/punjab-government-signs-pact-to-study-hyperloop-transport-feasibility-2070913.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Roads ===
[[File:ISBT Amritsar.jpg|thumb|right|Amritsar Inter State Bus Stand]]
All the cities and towns of Punjab are connected by four-lane [[national highways of India|national highways]]. The [[Grand Trunk Road]], also known as "NH1", connects [[Kolkata]] to [[Peshawar]], passing through [[Amritsar]] and [[Jalandhar]].
National highways passing through the state are ranked the best in the country{{By whom|date=November 2014}} with widespread road networks that serve isolated towns as well as the border region. Amritsar and Ludhiana are among several Indian cities that have the highest accident rates in India.<ref name="Dipak K DashDipak K Dash 2015">{{cite news|author=Dipak K Dash|title=Road crash severity highest in Ludhiana, 3rd in Amritsar|newspaper=The Times of India|date=3 September 2015|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Road-crash-severity-highest-in-Ludhiana-3rd-in-Amritsar/articleshow/48784433.cms|access-date=6 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906143359/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Road-crash-severity-highest-in-Ludhiana-3rd-in-Amritsar/articleshow/48784433.cms|archive-date=6 September 2015}}</ref>

The following expressways will pass through Punjab:
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway]] from [[Delhi]] to [[Katra, Jammu and Kashmir|Katra]] (National Expressway 5)
* [[Amritsar–Jamnagar Expressway]] from [[Amritsar]] to [[Jamnagar]]
* [[Pathankot–Ajmer Expressway]] from [[Pathankot]] to [[Ajmer]]
{{div col end}}

The following national highways connect major towns, cities and villages:
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[National Highway 1 (India, old numbering)|National Highway 1]]
* [[National Highway 10 (India, old numbering)|National Highway 10]]
* [[National Highway 15 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 15]]
* [[National Highway 1A (India, old numbering)|National Highway 1A]]
* [[National Highway 54 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 54]]
* [[National Highway 20 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 20]]
* [[National Highway 21 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 21]]
* [[National Highway 22 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 22]]
* [[National Highway 64 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 64]]
* [[National Highway 70 (India, old numbering)|National Highway 70]]
* [[National Highway 71 (India, old numbering)|National Highway 71]]
* [[National Highway 95 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 95]]
{{div col end}}

=== Urban Rapid Transit System ===
There are also a [[bus rapid transit]] system [[Amritsar BRTS]] in the holy city of Amritsar, popularly known as 'Amritsar MetroBus'<ref>{{cite news|title=BRTS project planned for Amritsar and Ludhiana was the world's most preferred transport system|url=http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/brts-project-for-amritsar-ludhiana-28121.html|url-status=live|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031200844/http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/brts-project-for-amritsar-ludhiana-28121.html|archive-date=31 October 2016}}</ref>

==Education==
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2017}}
{{Main|Education in Punjab (India)}}
{{See also|Punjab School Education Board|Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training|List of institutions of higher education in Punjab}}

===Schools===
Primary and Secondary education is mainly affiliated to [[Punjab School Education Board]]. Punjab is served by several institutions of [[higher education]], including 23 universities that provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all the major arts, humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, veterinary science, and business. Reading and writing [[Punjabi language]] is compulsory till [[matriculation]] for every student<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/punjabi-language-bill-passed/359831/|title=Punjabi language Bill passed – Indian Express|website=archive.indianexpress.com|access-date=4 November 2019|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925184840/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/punjabi-language-bill-passed/359831/|url-status=live}}</ref> failing which the schools attract fine or cancellation of licence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-government-calls-for-strict-implementation-of-2008-languages-act/article7843632.ece|title=Punjab government calls for strict implementation of 2008 Languages Act|date=5 November 2015|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 November 2019|agency=PTI|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=4 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104135959/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-government-calls-for-strict-implementation-of-2008-languages-act/article7843632.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

The table below shows the district level [[student teacher ratio|teacher to pupil ratio]] from class 1 to 5 in Punjab, as of 2017.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-1-5-1989-2017-30th-september|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730040019/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-1-5-1989-2017-30th-september|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 July 2023|title=District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 1 to 5 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-6-8-1989-2017-30th-september|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730034509/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-6-8-1989-2017-30th-september|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 July 2023|title=District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 6 to 8 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-9-10-1989-2017-30th-september|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730040025/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-9-10-1989-2017-30th-september|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 July 2023|title=District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 9 to 10 from 1989 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-11-12-1992-2017-30th-september|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730040013/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-stage-wise-teacher-pupil-ratio-class-11-12-1992-2017-30th-september|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 July 2023|title=District-wise Stage wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 11 to 12 from 1992 to 2017 (As on 30th September) {{!}} Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022 }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+District-wise Teacher-Pupil Ratio of Class 1 to 5 in 2017 (As on 30 September)<ref name="auto3"/>
!Sr. No.!! District!! Ratio
|-
|1||Hoshiarpur||15
|-
|2||Rupnagar||16
|-
|3||Fatehgarh Sahib||16
|-
|4||SAS Nagar||17
|-
|5||SBS Nagar||18
|-
|6||Gurdaspur||18
|-
|7||Pathankot||19
|-
|8||Kapurthala||20
|-
|9||Faridkot||20
|-
|10||Sri Muktsar Sahib||20
|-
|11||Jalandhar||21
|-
|12||Sangrur||21
|-
|13||Patiala||22
|-
|14||Ludhiana||24
|-
|15||Bathinda||24
|-
|16||Barnala||26
|-
|17||Fazilka||27
|-
|18||Amritsar||30
|-
|19||Ferozpur||30
|-
|20||Mansa||30
|-
|21||Moga||31
|-
|22||Taran taran||46
|}

The table below shows the average population per school in each district of Punjab as of 2011 census and the total number of schools as of 2017. This includes government schools, affiliated schools, recognised and aided schools.<ref name="papers.ssrn.com">{{Cite web |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID3690812_code4196221.pdf?abstractid=3674584&mirid=1 |title=Status of the Education Facilities in Punjab by Mridula Pushkarna :: SSRN |date=4 January 2017 |access-date=25 August 2023 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927083347/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3674584 |url-status=live }}</ref> Note:- Pathankot and Fazilka were part of Gurdaspur and Ferozepur respectively, before 2011, so separate data for them regarding the average population per school is not available.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+District-wise average price per school as of 2011 census and total number of schools as of 2017<ref name="papers.ssrn.com"/>
!Sr. No.!! District!! Average population per school (2011)!! Total number of schools (2017)
|-
|1||SBS Nagar||2,251||272
|-
|2||Kapurthala||2,433||335
|-
|3||Fatehgarh Sahib||2,480||242
|-
|4||Gurdaspur||2,582||637
|-
| ||Pathankot||----||193
|-
|5||Hoshiarpur||2,584||614
|-
|6||Moga||2,613||381
|-
|7||Faridkot||2,616||236
|-
|8||Rupnagar||2,706||253
|-
|9||Sangrur||2,908||569
|-
|10||Sri Muktsar Sahib||2,918||309
|-
|11||Mansa||2,937||262
|-
|12||Ferozpur||3,023||419
|-
| ||Fazilka||----||252
|-
|13||Patiala||3,251||583
|-
|14||Barnala||3,403||175
|-
|15||Jalandhar||3,476||631
|-
|16||Bathinda||3,533||393
|-
|17||Amritsar||3,722||669
|-
|18||Ludhiana||3,770||928
|-
|19||SAS Nagar||3,812||261
|-
|20||Taran taran||4,373||372
|}

===Colleges and universities===
[[Punjab Agricultural University]] is a leading institution globally for the study of agriculture and played a significant role in Punjab's [[Green Revolution]] in the 1960s–70s. Alumni of the [[Panjab University, Chandigarh]] include [[Manmohan Singh]], the former [[Prime Minister of India]], and [[Har Gobind Khorana]], a [[biochemistry]] [[nobel laureate]]. One of the oldest institutions of medical education is the [[Christian Medical College, Ludhiana]], which has existed since 1894.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050815/asp/knowhow/story_5105265.asp An Indian doctor's triumph] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513120742/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050815/asp/knowhow/story_5105265.asp |date=13 May 2011 }} ''The Telegraph'', 15 August 2005</ref> There is an existing gap in education between men and women, particularly in rural areas of Punjab. Of a total of 1 million 300 thousand students enrolled in grades five to eight, only 44% are women.<ref>[http://mhrd.gov.in/rashtriya_madhyamik_shiksha_abhiyan Ministry of Human Resource Development, G. o. (29 August 2013). Department of School Education and Literacy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213091235/http://mhrd.gov.in/rashtriya_madhyamik_shiksha_abhiyan |date=13 February 2014 }}, mhrd.gov.in; accessed 9 December 2016.</ref>

Punjab has 23 universities, of which ten are private, 9 are state, one is central and three are [[deemed universities]]. Punjab has 104,000 (104,000) engineering seats.<ref name="Service2">{{cite news|title=Nil admission in MCA at PTU|newspaper=Tribune India|date=11 August 2015|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/education/nil-admission-in-mca-at-ptu/118336.html|access-date=11 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813213836/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/education/nil-admission-in-mca-at-ptu/118336.html|archive-date=13 August 2015}}</ref>

Punjab is also increasingly becoming known for education of yoga and naturopathy, with its student slowly adopting these as their career. The Board of Naturopathy and Yoga Science (BNYS) is located in the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bnys.online|title=BNYS ONLINE|website=bnys.online|access-date=10 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814170157/http://www.bnys.online/|archive-date=14 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Regional College Dinanagar is the first college to be opened in Dinanagar Town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exam.herci.in/|title=Herci|website=exam.herci.in|access-date=10 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107234141/http://exam.herci.in/|archive-date=7 January 2018}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Khalsa College-Monumentos de Amritsar-India16.JPG|[[Khalsa College, Amritsar]]
File:Guru Nanak Dev University3.jpg|The [[Ranjit Singh]] Block at [[Guru Nanak Dev University]]
File:PUP GGSB.jpg|[[Guru Gobind Singh]] Bhawan at [[Punjabi University]]
</gallery>

==Health==
{{Main|Health in Punjab, India}}

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data from 2015–16, the rate [[Stunted growth|stunting]] (low height for age) for children between the ages of 0–59 months was 26%, which was lower than the national average of 38%. As of 2015-16, 56.6% children between the ages of 0–57 months were said to be having some degree of [[anaemia]] in Punjab.<ref>{{cite web |title=India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16 |url=http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf |website=Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Government of India |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821192850/http://rchiips.org/NFHS/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the national family health survey of 2020-21, anaemia rate increased to 71.1%.<ref name="NFHS2019-21">{{cite web |title=National Family Health Survey 2019 - 21 |url=https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/NFHS-5_Phase-II_0.pdf |website=Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Government of India |access-date=25 September 2023 |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922160100/https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/NFHS-5_Phase-II_0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the National Family Health Survey 2020-21, the percentage of people in Punjab above the age of 15 who consume [[Alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] was 22.8% for men and 0.3% for women. The rate of [[tobacco]] usage in the same age group was 12.9% for men and 0.4% for women. According to the same report, the percentage of males in the age group of 15-49 who were [[obese]] or [[overweight]] was 32.2% in 2020-21, which an increase from the 27.8% in 2015-16. For women in the same age group, the number in 2020-21 was 40.8% which was an increase from 31.3% in 2015-16. Moreover, according to the same report, 63.1% of the men and 72.8% of the women have high risk [[waist-to-hip ratio]], as of 2020-21.<ref name="NFHS2019-21"/>

The table below shows the district wise number of registered doctors and other registered medical personnel in Punjab, in year 2018.<ref name="Doc 1968 to 2018">{{cite web |title=District wise Registered Number of Doctors in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-registered-number-doctors-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810233426/https://data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-registered-number-doctors-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Nurse 1968 to 2018">{{cite web |title=District-wise Registered Nurses in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-registered-nurses-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811000435/https://data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-registered-nurses-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref>
Note:- The ranks of the districts in this table are in the descending order of the number of registered doctors.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+District wise number of registered doctors and other medical personnel in Punjab, in year 2018<ref name="Doc 1968 to 2018"/><ref name="Nurse 1968 to 2018"/><ref>{{cite web |title=District_wise Number of registered Midwives in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-number-registered-midwives-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811020022/https://data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-number-registered-midwives-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref>
!Sr. No.!!District!!Doctors!! Nurses!!Midwives
|-
|1||Ludhiana||4,989||10,904||8,121
|-
|2||Amritsar||4,141||6,531||4,018
|-
|3||Patiala||3,935||3,279||1,963
|-
|4||Jalandhar||3,268||5,119||4,081
|-
|5||Hoshiarpur||1,640||3,944||2,806
|-
|6||Sangrur||1,286||2,567||3,374
|-
|7||Gurdaspur||1,058||6,118||6,472
|-
|8||Ferozpur||1,036||4,459||3,096
|-
|9||Bathinda||898||2,104||2,774
|-
|10||Rupnagar||864||2,409||2,159
|-
|11||Kapurthala||737||2,165||766
|-
|12||SAS Nagar||545||2,790||1,788
|-
|13||Faridkot||499||2,997||3,037
|-
|14||Mansa||325||2,616||3,424
|-
|15||Moga||312||3,172||2,084
|-
|16||Sri Muktsar Sahib||283||2,648||839
|-
|17||SBS Nagar||262||2,516||383
|-
|18||Barnala||200||2,037||825
|-
|19||Fatehgarh Sahib||198||2,064||306
|-
|20||Fazilka||162||460||987
|-
|21||Pathankot||145||50||120
|-
|22||Tarn Taran||84||3,378||2,370
|-
| ||Outside State Territory||630||2,855||989
|-
| ||Punjab||29,772||77,182||56,782
|}

The table below shows the population served per doctor, per [[nurse]] and per [[midwife]]  by districts of Punjab, in the year 2018.<ref name="Paramedical">{{cite web |title=District-wise Population Served per Medical and Para Medical Personnel in Punjab |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/catalog/district-wise-population-served-medical-and-para-medical-personnel-punjab |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812124524/https://punjab.data.gov.in/catalog/district-wise-population-served-medical-and-para-medical-personnel-punjab |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Population served by Docs"/><ref name="Pop served by Nurses">{{cite web |title=District_wise Population served per Nurse in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-nurse-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812124518/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-nurse-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Pop served by Midwives">{{cite web |title=District_wise Population served per Midwife in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-midwife-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812124529/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-midwife-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref>
Note:- The ranks of the districts in the table are in the ascending order of the population served per doctor.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population served per doctor, per nurse and per midwife in districts of Punjab, in year 2018<ref name="Paramedical"/><ref name="Population served by Docs">{{cite web |title=District_wise Population served per Doctor in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-doctor-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811055422/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/districtwise-population-served-doctor-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Pop served by Nurses"/><ref name="Pop served by Midwives"/>
!Sr. No.!!District!!Doctor!!Nurse!!Midwife
|-
|1||Faridkot||499||224||225
|-
|2||Patiala||551||161||1,172
|-
|3||Amritsar||661||424||689
|-
|4||Jalandhar||729||465||5,943
|-
|5||Ludhiana||780||357||506
|-
|6||Rupnagar||844||302||340
|-
|7||Bathinda||898||744||585
|-
|8||Hoshiarpur||1,017||423||654
|-
|9||Gurdaspur||1,058||284||280
|-
|10||Ferozpur||1,083||251||377
|-
|11||Kapurthala||1,171||398||1,226
|-
|12||Sangrur||1,404||703||558
|-
|13||Mansa||2,073||319||2,376
|-
|14||SAS Nagar||2,264||442||739
|-
|15||SBS Nagar||2,408||250||2,183
|-
|16||Barnala||3,212||320||714
|-
|17||Fatehgarh Sahib||3,286||315||2,745
|-
|18||Moga||3,456||339||318
|-
|19||Sri Muktsar Sahib||3,561||380||1,375
|-
|20||Pathankot||4,943||14,336||7,389
|-
|21||Fazilka||7,089||2,496||1,258
|-
|22||Tarn Taran||15,210||378||568
|-
| ||Punjab||522||1,234||950
|}

The table given below shows the population served per doctor in Punjab, by years.<ref name="Population served by Docs"/>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population served per doctor in Punjab, by years<ref name="Population served by Docs"/>
!Year!! Population!!Year!! Population
|-
|2018||522||2000||1,490
|-
|2012||1,170||1999||1,485
|-
|2010||1,250||1998||1,483
|-
|2008||1,225||1997||1,472
|-
|2007||1,316||1996||1,499
|-
|2006||1,263||1995||1,487
|-
|2005||1,388||1994||1,501
|-
|2004||1,468||1993||1,608
|-
|2003||1,489||1992||1,481
|-
|2002||1,324||1991||1,514
|-
|2001||1,472||1990||1,589
|}

The table below shows the district wise population served per bed.<ref name="Bed 1968 to 2018">{{cite web |title=District-wise Population served per bed in Punjab from 1968 to 2018 (April to March) |url=https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-population-served-bed-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |website=data.gov.in |access-date=12 August 2023 |language=en |date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812144847/https://punjab.data.gov.in/resource/district-wise-population-served-bed-punjab-1968-2018-april-march |url-status=live }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population served per bed in districts of Punjab, in year 2018<ref name="Bed 1968 to 2018"/>
!Sr. No.!! District!! Population
|-
|1||Faridkot||800
|-
|2||Amritsar||822
|-
|3||Patiala||941
|-
|4||Hoshiarpur||1,051
|-
|5||SBS Nagar||1,101
|-
|6||Rupnagar||1,103
|-
|7||Kapurthala||1,141
|-
|8||Fatehgarh Sahib||1,218
|-
|9||Barnala||1,262
|-
|10||Tarn Taran||1,402
|-
|11||Jalandhar||1,411
|-
|12||Sri Muktsar Sahib||1,427
|-
|13||Gurdaspur||1,437
|-
|14||Mansa||1,523
|-
|15||Sangrur||1,612
|-
|16||Pathankot||1,694
|-
|17||Ferozpur||1,700
|-
|18||Moga||1,700
|-
|19||SAS Nagar||1,704
|-
|20||Fazilka||1,709
|-
|21||Bathinda||1,927
|-
|22||Ludhiana||2,397
|-
| ||Punjab||1,338
|}

==Media==
{{Main|List of Punjabi media|List of Punjabi-language newspapers|List of Punjabi-language television channels}}
''[[Daily Ajit]]'', ''[[Jagbani]]'' and ''[[Punjabi Tribune]]'' are the largest-selling Punjabi newspapers while ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' is most selling English newspaper. A vast number of weekly, biweekly and monthly magazines are under publication in Punjabi. Other main newspapers are ''[[Daily Punjab Times]], [[Rozana Spokesman]], [[Nawan Zamana]]'', etc.

[[Doordarshan]] is the broadcaster of the [[Government of India]] and its channel ''[[DD Punjabi]]'' is dedicated to Punjabi. Prominent private [[List of Punjabi-language television channels|Punjabi channels]] include news channels like ''[[BBC Punjabi]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-41360801|title=BBC launches new Indian services|date=2 October 2017|access-date=7 October 2019|language=en-GB|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930235413/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-41360801|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[ABP Sanjha]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/anns-abp-sanjha-bbc-global-news-india-granted-tv-channel-licences-by-mib-190410|title=ANN's ABP Sanjha, BBC Global News India granted TV channel licences by MIB|date=10 April 2019|website=Indian Television Dot Com|language=en|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001000918/https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/anns-abp-sanjha-bbc-global-news-india-granted-tv-channel-licences-by-mib-190410|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Channel Punjabi|Global Punjab TV]]'',<ref name="Punjabi news">{{cite web|title=About Us|publisher=Punjabi News|url=http://www.globalpunjabtv.com/Default/AboutUs|access-date=30 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225163130/http://www.globalpunjabtv.com/Default/AboutUs|archive-date=25 December 2015}}</ref> ''News18 Punjab-Haryana-Himachal'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/network18-to-launch-news18-bharat-180414|title=Network18 to launch News18 Bharat|date=14 April 2018|website=Indian Television Dot Com|language=en|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929194037/https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/network18-to-launch-news18-bharat-180414|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal]]'', ''[[PTC News]]'' and entertainment channels like ''[[Zee Punjabi]]'', ''[[ATN GET Punjabi|GET Punjabi]]'', ''[[ATN Alpha ETC Punjabi|ETC Punjabi]]'', ''Chardikla Time TV'', ''[[PTC Punjabi]]'', ''[[Colours Punjabi]]'', ''[[ATN JUS Punjabi|JUS Punjabi]]'', ''[[ATN MH 1|MH1]]'' and ''[[9x Tashan]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/music-and-youth/itv-network-readies-punjabi-music-channel-180524|title=ITV Network readies Punjabi music channel|date=24 May 2018|website=Indian Television Dot Com|language=en|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930040555/https://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/music-and-youth/itv-network-readies-punjabi-music-channel-180524|url-status=live}}</ref>

Punjab has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels, mainly in the cities of Jalandhar, Patiala and Amritsar, which has become hugely popular. There are government radio channels like ''[[Akashvani (radio broadcaster)|All India Radio, Jalandhar]]'', ''[[All India Radio]], [[Bathinda]]'' and ''[[AIR FM Gold|FM Gold Ludhiana]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=FM Gold Ludhiana|url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/ludhiana-becomes-first-city-punjab-get-fm-radio-channel|access-date=9 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121234744/http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/ludhiana-becomes-first-city-punjab-get-fm-radio-channel|archive-date=21 January 2017}}</ref> Private radio channels include ''[[Radio Mirchi]]'', ''[[BIG FM 92.7]]'', ''94.3 My FM'', ''[[Radio Mantra]]'' and many more.

==Culture==
[[File:Punjabi jutti at Dilli Haat.jpg|right|thumb|Punjabi [[jutti]]]]
{{Main|Punjabi culture|Punjabi people|Punjabi festivals|Punjabi clothing|Punjabi Tamba and Kurta}}
The culture of Punjab has many elements including [[Music of Punjab|music]] such as [[Bhangra (music)|bhangra]], an extensive religious and non-religious [[Punjabi dance|dance tradition]], a long [[List of Punjabi language poets|history of poetry]] in the Punjabi language, a significant [[Cinema of Punjab|Punjabi film industry]] that dates back to before Partition, a vast range of [[Punjabi cuisine|cuisine]], which has become widely popular abroad, and a number of seasonal and harvest festivals such as [[Lohri]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lohrifestival.org/harvest-festival-of-punjab.html|title=Harvest Festival of Punjab, Harvest Festival Lohri, Cultural Festival of India, Harvest Festival in India|publisher=Lohrifestival.org|access-date=18 July 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709202800/http://www.lohrifestival.org/harvest-festival-of-punjab.html|archive-date=9 July 2010}}</ref> [[Basant Kite Festival (Punjab)|Basant]], [[Vaisakhi]] and [[Teeyan]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Sikh festival celebrates women and girls|url=http://www.brantnews.com/news-story/5680153-sikh-festival-celebrates-women-and-girls|access-date=9 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714102644/https://www.brantnews.com/news-story/5680153-sikh-festival-celebrates-women-and-girls/|archive-date=14 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Celebrate mothers again|url=http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/celebrate-mothers-again|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/celebrate-mothers-again/|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Girl power on display at Teeyan da Mela festival|url=http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/girl-power-on-display-at-teeyan-da-mela-festival/article_cdc6df48-319f-11e4-aee5-0017a43b2370.html|access-date=9 December 2016|archive-date=3 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003085738/https://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/girl-power-on-display-at-teeyan-da-mela-festival/article_cdc6df48-319f-11e4-aee5-0017a43b2370.html|url-status=live}}</ref> all of which are celebrated in addition to the religious festivals of India.

A [[Punjabi Kisse|kissa]] is a Punjabi language oral story-telling tradition that has a mixture of origins ranging from the [[Arabian Peninsula]] to [[Iran]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref name="CITEREFFarinaMir">{{cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/depts/cdeisi/abstracts.html|title=Representations of Piety and Community in Late-nineteenth-century Punjabi Qisse|first=Farina|last=Mir|publisher=[[Columbia University]]|access-date=4 July 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812143426/http://www.unc.edu/depts/cdeisi/abstracts.html|archive-date=12 August 2007}}</ref>

[[Punjabi wedding traditions]] and ceremonies are a strong reflection of Punjabi culture. Marriage ceremonies are known for their rich rituals, songs, dances, food and dresses, which have evolved over many centuries.<ref>{{cite news|title=was-it-a-sikh-wedding|url=http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/was-it-a-sikh-wedding-for-shahid-kapoor-and-mira-rajput-view-pic|access-date=9 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224234905/http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/was-it-a-sikh-wedding-for-shahid-kapoor-and-mira-rajput-view-pic/|archive-date=24 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sikh groom thrown from horse during wedding procession in Surrey|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sikh-groom-thrown-from-horse-during-wedding-procession-in-surrey-1.3162639|access-date=9 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226230027/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sikh-groom-thrown-from-horse-during-wedding-procession-in-surrey-1.3162639|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref>

===Bhangra===
{{main|Folk dances of Punjab}}
[[File:Punjabi Dance - Opening Ceremony - Wiki Conference India - CGC - Mohali 2016-08-05 6392.JPG|thumb|Bhangra]]
[[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra]] ({{lang-pa|ਭੰਗੜਾ  <small>([[Gurmukhi]])</small>}}; pronounced {{IPA-pa|pə̀ŋɡᵊ.ɽäː|}}) and [[Giddha]] are forms of dance and music that originated in the [[Punjab region]].<ref name="Royal Book Company">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRYZAQAAIAAJ&q=bhangra+pakistan|quote=Bhangra refers to both a traditional dance and a form of music invented in the 1980s. Bhangra, the Punjabi folk dance that has become popular all over the world. Punjabi folk songs have been integral part of fertile provinces|title=Pakistan almanac, Volumes 2001–2002|publisher=Royal Book Company|access-date=3 November 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511203833/http://books.google.com/books?id=rRYZAQAAIAAJ&q=bhangra+pakistan&dq=bhangra+pakistan&lr=&cd=1|archive-date=11 May 2011|year=2007}}</ref>

''Bhangra'' dance began as a folk dance conducted by [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] farmers to celebrate the coming of the harvest season. The specific moves of ''Bhangra'' reflect the manner in which villagers farmed their land. This hybrid dance became ''Bhangra''. The [[Folk dances of Punjab|folk dance]] has been popularised in the western world by [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]] in England, Canada and the US where competitions are held.<ref>[http://www.bhangra.org/about/bhangra-history/ Bhangra History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217192946/http://www.bhangra.org/about/bhangra-history/ |date=17 December 2010 }}. Bhangra.org. Retrieved on 18 January 2012.</ref> It is seen in the West as an expression of [[South Asian]] culture as a whole.<ref name="Ashgate">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sMnZAAAAMAAJ&q=bhangra+pakistan|quote = The whole institution of the Bhangra and its related processes are clearly an expression of Indian/Pakistan culture in a Western setting.|title = Social control and deviance: a South Asian community in Scotland|publisher = Ashgate |access-date = 3 November 2007|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110511203826/http://books.google.com/books?id=sMnZAAAAMAAJ&q=bhangra+pakistan&dq=bhangra+pakistan&lr=&cd=12|archive-date = 11 May 2011|isbn = 9781840145885|date = 1 January 2000}}</ref> Today, ''Bhangra'' dance survives in different forms and styles all over the globe – including pop music, film [[soundtrack]]s, collegiate competitions and cultural shows.

===Punjabi folklore===
{{main|Punjabi folklore|Folk instruments of Punjab}}
The folk heritage of the Punjab reflects its thousands of years of history. While [[Majhi dialect|Majhi]] is considered to be the standard dialect of [[Punjabi language]], there are a number of [[dialects|Punjabi dialects]] through which the people communicate. These include [[Malwai dialect|Malwai]], [[Doabi dialect|Doabi]] and [[Puadhi dialect|Puadhi]]. The songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in these dialects.

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in Punjab. These are the folk tales of [[Mirza Sahiban]], [[Heer Ranjha]], [[Sohni Mahiwal]], [[Sassi Punnun]], [[Jagga Jatt]], [[Dulla Bhatti]], [[Puran Bhagat]], Jeona Maud etc.
The mystic folk songs and religious songs include the ''Shalooks'' of [[Sikh gurus]], [[Baba Farid]] and others.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080920082514/http://www.punjabilok.com/pakistan/pak_punjab.htm Pakistan Punjab], Punjabilok.com; retrieved 18 January 2012.</ref>

The most famous of the romantic love songs are ''Mayhiah'', ''Dhola'' and ''Boliyan''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tns.thenews.com.pk/talking-punjabi/|title=Talking Punjabi|date=28 April 2019|website=TNS – The News on Sunday|language=en-US|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=6 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506131449/http://tns.thenews.com.pk/talking-punjabi/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Punjabi romantic dances include [[Dhamaal]], [[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra]], [[Giddha]], [[Dhola (dance)|Dhola]], and [[Sammi (dance)|Sammi]] and some other local folk dances.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tCgxDwAAQBAJ&q=Dhamaal+Bhangra+Giddha+Dhola+Sammi&pg=PT199|title=Bhangra Moves: From Ludhiana to London and Beyond|last=Roy|first=AnjaliGera|date=5 July 2017|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781351573993|language=en|access-date=9 October 2020|archive-date=27 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927083346/https://books.google.com/books?id=tCgxDwAAQBAJ&q=Dhamaal+Bhangra+Giddha+Dhola+Sammi&pg=PT199#v=snippet&q=Dhamaal%20Bhangra%20Giddha%20Dhola%20Sammi&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literature===
{{See also|Punjabi literature}}
Most early Punjabi literary works are in verse form, with prose not becoming more common until later periods. Throughout its history, [[Punjabi literature]] has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain. The Punjabi language is written in several different scripts, of which the [[Shahmukhi]], the [[Gurmukhī]] scripts are the most commonly used.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/punjab-storybooks-syllables-that-bind-5432998/|title=Syllables that Bind|date=4 November 2018|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929192534/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/punjab-storybooks-syllables-that-bind-5432998/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music===
{{See also|Music of Punjab|Folk music of Punjab|Bhangra (music)}}
[[Folk music of Punjab|Punjabi Folk Music]] is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of Punjab region.<ref>{{cite news|title=Punjabi folk mingles with new-age music|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/489064/punjabi-folk-mingles-age-music.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/489064/punjabi-folk-mingles-age-music.html|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Revisiting Punjabi classics|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/923357/revisiting-punjabi-classics|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728033156/http://tribune.com.pk/story/923357/revisiting-punjabi-classics/|archive-date=28 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tappa – gift to Punjab's classical music|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/entertainment/10-Jul-2015/tappa-gift-to-punjab-s-classical-music|date=10 July 2015|access-date=3 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065550/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/entertainment/10-Jul-2015/tappa-gift-to-punjab-s-classical-music|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

[[Bhangra (music)|Bhangra music of Punjab]] is famous throughout the world.<ref name="Punjabi_culture" />

Punjabi music has a diverse style of [[music]], ranging from folk and Sufi to classical, notably the [[Punjab gharana]] and [[Patiala gharana]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Strange as it may sound, all art forms need political support to grow. The communal upheaval that engulfed the Punjab region in 1947 forced migration of the well-established Muslim artistes from this region. This resulted in i mpoverishment of the rich traditions of classical music|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/punjab-s-forgotten-notes-of-history/61985.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711175704/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/punjab-s-forgotten-notes-of-history/61985.html|archive-date=11 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A Classical Rendition you Cannot Miss|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/A-Classical-Rendition-you-Cannot-Miss/2015/07/17/article2923952.ece|access-date=9 December 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505114133/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/A-Classical-Rendition-you-Cannot-Miss/2015/07/17/article2923952.ece|archive-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>

===Film industry===
{{See also| Cinema of Punjab}}
Punjab is home to the [[Cinema of Punjab|Punjabi film industry]], often colloquially referred to as 'Pollywood'.<ref>{{cite news|title="Pollywood Directory". The directory has the contact and other details of those related to Punjabi film industry. It is an initiative to organise Punjabi Cinema.|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher-114082500941_1.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113120346/http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/trying-to-get-film-city-for-chandigarh-soon-kirron-kher-114082500941_1.html|archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref> It is known for being the fastest growing film industry in India. It is based mainly around [[Mohali]] city. According to MP [[Manish Tewari]], the government is planning to build a film city in Mohali.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mohali to get electronic and film city: MP Manish Tewari |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/mohali-to-get-electronic-and-film-city-mp-manish-tewari/story-l239P8JsgdT0W8mZE3HoMJ.html |access-date=13 August 2020 |work=Hindustan Times |date=9 January 2020 |language=en |archive-date=16 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116104225/https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/mohali-to-get-electronic-and-film-city-mp-manish-tewari/story-l239P8JsgdT0W8mZE3HoMJ.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first Punjabi film was made in 1936. Since the 2000s Punjabi cinema has seen a revival with more releases every year with bigger budgets, homegrown stars, and Bollywood actors of Punjabi descent taking part.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

=== Crafts ===
[[File:Punjabi culture.jpg|thumb|left|Punjabi women using a traditional method of [[Spinning (textiles)|spinning]]|alt=Punjabi culture.jpg]]
The city of [[Amritsar]] is home to the craft of brass and copper [[Metalworking|metalwork]] done by the [[Thathera#UNESCO Listing and Government Programs|Thatheras of Jandiala Guru]], which is enlisted on the [[UNESCO]]'s [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|List of Intangible Cultural Heritage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-brass-and-copper-craft-of-utensil-making-among-the-thatheras-of-jandiala-guru-punjab-india-00845|title=UNESCO – Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, India|website=ich.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=1 July 2019|archive-date=7 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007132215/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-brass-and-copper-craft-of-utensil-making-among-the-thatheras-of-jandiala-guru-punjab-india-00845|url-status=live}}</ref> Years of neglect had caused this craft to die out, and the listing prompted the [[Government of Punjab, India|Government of Punjab]] to undertake a craft revival effort under Project Virasat.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/ignored-for-years-local-craft-may-soon-find-place-in-luxury-hotels/articleshow/64701026.cms|title=Ignored for years, local craft may soon find place in luxury hotels|date=22 June 2018|first1=Yudhvir|last1=Rana|work=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=1 July 2019|archive-date=16 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316053812/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/ignored-for-years-local-craft-may-soon-find-place-in-luxury-hotels/articleshow/64701026.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/alchemy-of-art-thathera-community-artisans-5662778/|title=Alchemy of Art|date=7 April 2019|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=1 July 2019|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929192536/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/alchemy-of-art-thathera-community-artisans-5662778/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Punjabi cuisine|Punjabi dhabha}}

[[File:Veg Punjabi Thaali.jpg|thumbnail|right|Vegetarian Punjabi Thaali]]

One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Inside humble trappings, vivid expressions of Punjabi cuisine|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20150531_LaBan_review_Dana_MandiI_Punjabi_cuisine.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907183449/http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20150531_LaBan_review_Dana_MandiI_Punjabi_cuisine.html|archive-date=7 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=10 Best Punjabi Recipes|url=http://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-punjabi-recipes-724174|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624133927/http://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-punjabi-recipes-724174|archive-date=24 June 2017}}</ref> Home cooked and restaurant cuisine sometimes vary in taste. Restaurant style uses large amounts of [[ghee]]. Some food items are eaten on a daily basis while some delicacies are cooked only on special occasions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-punjabi-recipes-724174|title=13 Best Punjabi Recipes {{!}} Easy Punjabi Recipes|website=NDTV Food|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111031825/https://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-punjabi-recipes-724174|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are many regional dishes that are famous in some regions only. Many dishes are exclusive to Punjab, including [[Sarson Da Saag]], [[Tandoori chicken]], [[Shami kebab]], [[makki di roti]], etc.<ref>{{cite news|title=Eating Out Park Plaza brings you the hearty Punjabi flavours at its ongoing food festival|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/sarson-da-saag-on-the-menu/article4873153.ece|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/sarson-da-saag-on-the-menu/article4873153.ece|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref>

===Festivals and traditions===
{{See also| List of Sikh festivals|Punjabi festivals|List of Hindu festivals in Punjab}}

Punjabis celebrate a number of festivals, which have taken a semi-secular meaning and are regarded as cultural festivals by people of all religions. Some of the festivals are [[Bandi Chhor Divas|Bandi Chhor Divas (Diwali)]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Bandi Chhor Divas Reflection: A Lesson In Selflessness|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rupinder-mohan-singh/reflecting-on-bandi-chhor_b_2123876.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rupinder-mohan-singh/reflecting-on-bandi-chhor_b_2123876.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sikhs celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas at Ilford gurdwara|url=http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/sikhs_celebrate_diwali_and_bandi_chhor_divas_at_ilford_gurdwara_1_3820255|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029114756/http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/sikhs_celebrate_diwali_and_bandi_chhor_divas_at_ilford_gurdwara_1_3820255|archive-date=29 October 2015}}</ref> [[Mela Maghi]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Maghi Mela: Four political parties erect stages to hold conferences|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bathinda/maghi-mela-four-political-parties-erect-stages-to-hold-conferences/article1-1306444.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721032248/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bathinda/maghi-mela-four-political-parties-erect-stages-to-hold-conferences/article1-1306444.aspx|archive-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> [[Hola Mohalla]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Hola Mohalla 2015: Facts, History, Rituals Surrounding The Sikh Festival|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/hola-mohalla-2015-facts-history-rituals-surrounding-sikh-festival-photos-1838872|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824233011/http://www.ibtimes.com/hola-mohalla-2015-facts-history-rituals-surrounding-sikh-festival-photos-1838872|archive-date=24 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Thousands converge in Punjab for ''Hola Mohalla''|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/punjab/thousands-converge-in-punjab-for-hola-mohalla_1557293.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731185007/http://zeenews.india.com/news/punjab/thousands-converge-in-punjab-for-hola-mohalla_1557293.html|archive-date=31 July 2015}}</ref> [[Rakhri]], [[Vaisakhi]], [[Lohri]], [[Gurpurb]], [[Guru Ravidass Jayanti]], [[Teeyan]] and [[Basant Kite Festival]].

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Punjab, India}}
[[File:Kabaddi.....JPG|left|thumb|[[Punjabi Kabaddi|Kabbadi (Circle Style)]]]]
[[File:LightsMohali.png|right|thumb|[[PCA Stadium]] under lights at [[Mohali]]]]
[[Punjabi Kabaddi|Kabbadi (Circle Style)]], a team contact sport originated in rural Punjab is recognised as the state game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Circle Style Kabaddi in a new avatar – World-wide Kabaddi League|url=http://www.afaqs.com/news/company_briefs/?id=57212_Circle+Style+Kabaddi+in+a+new+avatar+-+World-wide+Kabaddi+League|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.afaqs.com/news/company_briefs/?id=57212_Circle+Style+Kabaddi+in+a+new+avatar+-+World-wide+Kabaddi+League|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Kabaddi player alleges Punjab Police pushed him into drugs|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sport/kabaddi-player-alleges-punjab-police-pushed-him-into-drugs/99617.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819071519/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sport/kabaddi-player-alleges-punjab-police-pushed-him-into-drugs/99617.html|archive-date=19 August 2015}}</ref> [[Field hockey]] is also a popular sport in the state.<ref>{{cite news|title=Punjab women enter semi-finals of National Hockey Championship|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/punjab-women-enter-semifinals-of-national-hockey-championship/article1-1343137.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502230214/http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/punjab-women-enter-semifinals-of-national-hockey-championship/article1-1343137.aspx|archive-date=2 May 2015}}</ref> [[Kila Raipur Sports Festival]], popularly known as the Rural Olympics, is held annually in [[Kila Raipur]] (near [[Ludhiana]]). Competition is held for major Punjabi rural sports, include cart-race, rope pulling. [[Government of Punjab, India|Punjab government]] organises [[World Kabaddi League]],<ref>{{cite news|title=World Kabaddi League announces team franchise names and logos|url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/world-kabaddi-league-announces-team-franchise-names-logos-1634393.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729025216/http://www.firstpost.com/sports/world-kabaddi-league-announces-team-franchise-names-logos-1634393.html|archive-date=29 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=the World Kabaddi League (WKL) was launched with the promoters – Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is the president of the league while former India hockey captain Pargat Singh is the league commissioner – unveiling the eight teams, their owners and marquee players.|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/world-kabaddi-league-launched/article6246251.ece|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/world-kabaddi-league-launched/article6246251.ece|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref>

[[Punjab Games]] and annual [[Kabaddi World Cup (Circle style)|Kabaddi World Cup]] for Circle Style Kabbadi in which teams from countries like Argentina, Canada, Denmark, England, India, Iran, Kenya, Pakistan, Scotland, [[Sierra Leone]], Spain and United States participated. A major [[C.B.S.E]] event C.B.S.E Cluster Athlectics also held in Punjab at [[Sant Baba Bhag Singh University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/sierra-leone-england-win-in-kabbadi-world-cup-654278.html|title=Sierra Leone, England win in Kabbadi World Cup|website=News18|date=4 December 2013|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930015736/https://www.news18.com/news/india/sierra-leone-england-win-in-kabbadi-world-cup-654278.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Punjab state basketball team won the [[National Basketball Championship]] on many occasions, most recently in 2019 and 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matange |first1=Yash |title=70th Senior National Basketball Championship, Ludhiana: Groups, Fixtures, and Schedule |url=https://in.nba.com/news/70th-senior-national-basketball-championship-ludhiana-punjab-india-groups-fixtures-and-schedule/1i1y449r7thlb1f7sjladbwllz |access-date=3 February 2021 |work=NBA.com |date=21 December 2019 |language=en |archive-date=28 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928225108/https://in.nba.com/news/70th-senior-national-basketball-championship-ludhiana-punjab-india-groups-fixtures-and-schedule/1i1y449r7thlb1f7sjladbwllz |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Naik |first1=Shivani |title=Hoop and the hype: Meet the promising basketball talent knocking on Team India doors |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/hoop-and-the-hype-basketball-nationals-india-players-6206984/ |access-date=3 February 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=9 January 2020 |language=en |archive-date=29 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929162924/https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/hoop-and-the-hype-basketball-nationals-india-players-6206984/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Tourism==
{{Main|List of Monuments of National Importance in Punjab|Tourism in Punjab, India|Tourism in Amritsar}}[[File:Harminder sahib5.jpg|right|thumb|[[Harmandir Sahib]] in [[Amritsar]] is a major pilgrimage site in Punjab and is also widely visited for its unique architecture]]
[[File:MotiBaghPalace.jpg|left|thumb|[[Moti Bagh Palace]] in [[Patiala]]]]

Tourism in Indian Punjab centres around the historic palaces, battle sites, and the great [[Sikh architecture]] of the state and the surrounding region.<ref>{{cite news|title=World Heritage Day: 8 places to visit in Punjab|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/world-heritage-day-places-to-visit-in-punjab/article1-1338517.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717101812/http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/world-heritage-day-places-to-visit-in-punjab/article1-1338517.aspx|archive-date=17 July 2015}}</ref> Examples include various sites of the [[Indus Valley civilisation]], the ancient [[Qila Mubarak, Bathinda|fort of Bathinda]], the architectural monuments of [[Kapurthala]], [[Patiala]], and [[Chandigarh]], the modern capital designed by [[Le Corbusier]].<ref>[http://www.mapsofindia.com/stateprofiles/punjab/ Punjab] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408204307/http://www.mapsofindia.com/stateprofiles/punjab/ |date=8 April 2010 }}. Mapsofindia.com; retrieved 18 January 2012.</ref>

The [[Harmandir Sahib|Golden Temple]] in [[Amritsar]] is one of the major tourist destinations of Punjab and indeed India, attracting more visitors than the [[Taj Mahal]]. [[Lonely Planet]] Bluelist 2008 has voted the Harmandir Sahib as one of the world's best spiritual sites.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080202051110/http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/0/03d3a18aa4bdceae6525738e00199bff?OpenDocument Lonely Planet tips Mumbai as a must-see destination in 2008]. ptinews.com, 9 November 2007</ref> Moreover, there is a rapidly expanding array of international hotels in the holy city at Heritage Walk Amritsar that can be booked for overnight stays. [[Devi Talab Mandir]] is a [[Hindu temple]] located in [[Jalandhar]]. This temple is devoted to [[Goddess Durga]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhaskar.com/news/PUN-JAL-OMC-story-on-devi-talab-mandir-5139654-PHO.html |title=सुदर्शन चक्र ने किए थे देवी सती के 51 टुकड़े, यहां भी कटकर गिरा शरीर का भाग |access-date=3 August 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914170402/http://www.bhaskar.com/news/PUN-JAL-OMC-story-on-devi-talab-mandir-5139654-PHO.html |archive-date=14 September 2016 |date=12 October 2015 }}</ref> and is believed to be at least 200 years old. Another main tourist destination is religious and historic city of Sri [[Anandpur Sahib]] where large number of

tourists come to see the [[Virasat-e-Khalsa]] (Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex) and also take part in [[Hola Mohalla]] festival. [[Kila Raipur Sports Festival]] is also popular tourist attraction in [[Kila Raipur]] near [[Ludhiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/pictures-displayed-at-media-centre-attract-visitors-to-kila-raipur-games/story-WcETpdlvj9DbxBdci7rKwO.html|title=Pictures displayed at media centre attract visitors to 'Kila Raipur' games|date=2 February 2014|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=6 December 2019|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308133538/https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/pictures-displayed-at-media-centre-attract-visitors-to-kila-raipur-games/story-WcETpdlvj9DbxBdci7rKwO.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Kila Raipur sports festival begins today|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/kila-raipur-sports-festival-begins-today/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020001021/http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/kila-raipur-sports-festival-begins-today/|archive-date=20 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Kila Raipur sports festival concludes|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/kila-raipur-sports-festival-concludes/36826.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128115331/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/kila-raipur-sports-festival-concludes/36826.html|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref> Shahpur kandi fort, [[Ranjit Sagar Dam|Ranjit Sagar]] lake and Sikh Temple in [[Sri Muktsar Sahib]] are also popular attractions in [[Punjab]]. Punjab also has the world's first museum based on the Indian Partition of 1947, in Amritsar, called the [[Partition Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/partition-museum-to-ink-pact-with-manchester-museum/story-Hxc1q5a2CJ6Pn3Ah1FNxVK.html|title=Amritsar-based Partition Museum to ink pact with Manchester Museum|date=6 October 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=7 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107183652/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/partition-museum-to-ink-pact-with-manchester-museum/story-Hxc1q5a2CJ6Pn3Ah1FNxVK.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Columns-list|colwidth=18em|
* [[History of Punjab]]
* [[List of people from Punjab (India)]]
* [[Punjabi nationalism]]
* [[Greater Punjab Movement, India]]
* [[Sikh Light Infantry]]
* [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab Regiment]]
* [[Sikh Regiment]]
* [[Punjabi culture]]
* [[Provinces of India]] (British)
* [[COVID-19 pandemic in Punjab, India]]
* [[Panjab Digital Library]]
}}

==Notes==
{{notelist-lr}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|33em}}
* Radhika Chopra. ''Militant and Migrant: The Politics and Social History of Punjab'' (2011)
* Harnik Deol. ''Religion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab'' (Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia) (2000)
* Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, ''Encyclopedia of Jalandhar'', Sikh University Press, Brussels, Belgium (2005)
* Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, ''SIKH HISTORY in 10 volumes'', Sikh University Press, Brussels, Belgium (2010–11)
* J. S. Grewal. ''The Sikhs of the Punjab'' ([[The New Cambridge History of India]]) (1998)
* J. S. Grewal. ''Social and Cultural History of the Punjab: Prehistoric, Ancient and Early Medieval'' (2004)
* Nazer Singh. ''Delhi and Punjab: Essays in history and historiography'' (1995)
* Tai Yong Tan. ''The Garrison State: Military, Government and Society in Colonial Punjab, 1849–1947'' (Sage Series in Modern Indian History) (2005)
* J. C. Aggarwal and S. P. Agrawal, eds. ''Modern History of Punjab: Relevant Select Documents'' (1992)
* R. M. Chopra, ''The Legacy of The Punjab'', 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
* {{citation |author1=Zuhair Kashmeri|author2=Brian McAndrew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4nCgC4o3eoIC|title=Soft Target: The Real Story Behind the Air India Disaster – Second Edition|date=6 September 2005 |publisher=James Lorimer & Company|isbn=978-1-55-028904-6}}
* {{cite report|author=India. Census Commissioner|year=1941|series=Census of India, 1941 |volume=VI |title=Punjab |location=Delhi |jstor=saoa.crl.28215541 |jstor-access=free}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Punjab (India)}}
;Government
* {{Official website|http://www.punjabgovt.gov.in/}}
* [http://www.punjabtourism.gov.in/ Official Tourism Site of Punjab, India]

;General information
* {{GovPubs|Punjab}}
* {{Britannica|483563}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|1942686}}

{{Geographic location|Centre=Punjab
|North=[[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)]]
|Northeast=[[Himachal Pradesh]]
|East=[[Chandigarh]], capital
|Southeast=
|South=[[Haryana]]
|Southwest=[[Rajasthan]]
|West= [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]], {{flag|Pakistan}}
|Northwest=
}}

{{Punjab (Indian state)}}
{{States and territories of India}}
{{Portal bar|Punjab (India)|India}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Punjab, India| ]]
[[Category:North India|*]]
[[Category:States and union territories of India]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1956]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Punjabi-speaking countries and territories]]