Punjab, the land of five rivers and integrated cultural history, is a treasure trove for an avid tourist. For this land of the great gurus not only boasts of ancient monuments but throbs with historical embodiments. It is no secret that whoever comes to this land of yellow fields with blue mountains providing the romantic and picturesque backdrop has never gone back without imbibing the essence of
Punjab.

There is no dearth of breathtaking palaces, for Punjab was the seat of royality, as the imposing Quila Mubarak will tell you. Museums galore and so are the religious places with the Golden Temple offering succour to the mind and soul of any one visiting. If you are a wild life freak, then Punjab can take you on a tour of the sanctuaries, which are hot favourites with migratory birds. Since this state  shares the borders with  Pakistan, there are two main posts from which you can peep into the land that was once an integral part of Punjab and experience the feelings of the people separated by a line. The much truncated India's portion of present Punjab is divided into three natural regions :the Majha, the Doaba and the Malwa.

Ancient Punjab formed a part of the vast Indo-Iranian region. It was subjected to repeated onslaughts from the Persians, Mauryans, Seithians, Parthians, Kushans and the Muslims. 

The 15th and 16th centuries marked a watershed in the history of Punjab. In this period, the Bhakti movement received a great impetus with the advent of Sikhism on the scene. This was a socio-religious movement, which was directed at fighting the evils in religion, and society of the times. However, over a period of time, Sikhism acquired a militant flavour and challenged Mughal rule in northern India. Sikh Gurus like Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith, Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Harkishen and Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh Guru played important roles in the evolution of Sikhism, and also in the history of Punjab.

Arab Muslims under the leadership of Mohammad Bin Qasim raided Sind and Multan in 713 AD; that was Punjab’s involvement with the next phase of military, political and cultural conflicts. Other armies from West and Central Asia followed over the next 1000 years. The Ghoris, Mongols and Ghaznavids swept across the Khyber Pass and down into Punjab to plunder, but they were not interested in establishing their rule and staying in the country permanently. During this convulsive period the Natha mendicants kept alive the cardinal spirit of India. The clash of cultures was also responsible for the birth of the Sufi tradition. Khwaja Moinuddin Chist, one of the greatest of the Sufis, arrived at Lahore in 1190. Farid-ud-Din Ganj-i-Shakar (1 173-1265) is the first Sufi poet, who wrote in Punjabi – then a sort of North Indian lingua franca. It was an amalgamation of Hindi and Multani. Other Sufis like Shah Hussain, All Haider and Ghulam Farid identified themselves with what is commonly termed as Punjabiat, and sang in the language of the land the songs of love, humanity and God.

Punjab, the land of milk and honey, boasts of a robust climate where the agricultural revolution has reaped rich dividends. The land of plenty, in keeping with the Zeitgeist, has a cuisine which caters to the characteristic needs of the people.

Punjabi cuisine is not subtle in its flavour. There are no intricate marinades or exotic sauces but it has full-bodied masalas (spices) cooked with liberal amount of desi ghee (clarified butter) always served with a liberal helping of butter or cream. Milk and its products are an essential part of everyday cookery; curd and buttermilk are also an essential concomitant with every Punjabi meal.

Predominantly wheat eating people the Punjabis cook rice only on special occasions. It's never eaten plain or steamed, for steamed rice implies that somebody is sick. Rice is eaten always with a bagar (flavouring) of cummin or fried onions with Rajma or Kadhi, Rajma with rice or rice With Kadhi is eaten on holidays or on festive days. In winter rice is cooked with jaggary known as gurwala chawal or with peas called matarwale chawal or as a delicacy called Rao Ki Kheer which is rice cooked on very slow fire for hours together with sugar cane juice.

In Punjab itself, there are differences in flavours and style. For example, people around Amritsar prefer well-fried stuffed paraunthas and milk sweets. The people of Doaba region eat more of them; in the Malwa region Bajra (ground maize) khitchadi (kedgree) is a delicacy. There are of course certain dishes which are part and parcel of Punjab and their very mention conjures up the rich flavour of the state. Mah ki Dal, Sarson Ka Saag and Makkee Ki Roti, meat curry like Roghan Josh and stuffed paraunthas can be found in no other state except Punjab. The food is suitable for those who burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields and tilling their small acres. For the urban folk, however, eating even one dish is enough because life in the cities is so sedentary. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic, ginger and a lot of tomatoes fried in pure ghee.