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| Punjabis |
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 Punjab portal |
Punjabis are the majority ethnic group in Pakistan. [1] They celebrate a number of religious and cultural festivals:
| Part of a series on |
| Punjabis |
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| Punjab portal |
Punjabis are the majority ethnic group in Pakistan. [1] They celebrate a number of religious and cultural festivals:
Religious festivals are determined by the Islamic calendar.
| Festival | Date Observed (from year to year dates vary) | Pictures | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shab-e-Barat | Sha'ban (Islamic calendar) | Shab-e-barat (lailat ul-barat or the night of deliverance) is held in the middle of Shaban (eighth month of the Islamic calendar). It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of men for the coming year are decided and when Allah may forgive sinners. Believers offer special prayers for unity, prosperity, security and restoration of peace in the country and the prosperity and unity of entire Muslim Ummah. Mosques in places such as Lahore are decorated to celebrate the occasion while arrangements for refreshments and food are also made to facilitate worshippers. Worshippers also visit graveyards to pray for the departed souls. [2] | |
| Eid ul-Adha | Zilhij (Islamic calendar) |  | Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated to commemorate the occasion when Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, Ismail, on God's command. Abraham was awarded by God by replacing Ismail with a goat. Muslims make pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca during this time. [3] Muslims sacrifice animals including cow, goat, sheep and camel according to their purchasing power. [4] The children celebrate Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr with great pump and show and receive gifts and Eidi (money) from parents and others. [5] |
| Eid-ul-Fitr | Ramadan (Islamic calendar) | Ramadan is the time of fasting that continues throughout the ninth month. [6] On this day, after a month of fasting, Muslims express their joy and happiness by offering a congregational prayer in the mosques. Special celebration meals are served. [7] | |
| Eid-e-Milad-un- Nabi | Rabi'al-Awal (Islamic calendar) |  | Eid-e-Milad-un- Nabi is an Islamic festival in honour of the birthday of Muhammad. [8] The festival is observed in the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar called Rabi'al-Awal. [9] Various processions take place in Lahore to celebrate the festival. [10] According to Nestorovic (2016), hundreds of thousands of people gather at Minare-Pakistan, Lahore, between the intervening night of 11th and 12th Rabi' al-awwal of the Islamic calendar. [11] The festival was declared a national holiday in Pakistan in 1949. [12] |
| Muharram | Muharram (Islamic calendar) |  | Remembrance of Muharram is a set of rituals associated with both Shia and Sunni Muslims. [13] The event marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, was killed by the forces of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I at Karbala. Family members, accompanying Hussein ibn Ali, were killed or subjected to humiliation. The commemoration of the event during yearly mourning season, from first of Muharram to twentieth of Safar with Ashura comprising the focal date, serves to define Shia communal identity. [14] Various Tazia, Alam and Zuljinnah processions are taken out in Punjab. [15] |
The festivals held at shrines are determined by the Islamic calendar and the Punjabi calendar.
| Festival | Date Observed (from year to year dates vary) | Pictures | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mela Chiraghan | (Varies) |  | Mela Chiraghan is a three-day annual festival to mark the urs (death anniversary) of the Punjabi Sufi poet and saint Shah Hussain (1538-1599) [16] who lived in Lahore in the 16th century. It takes place at the shrine of Shah Hussain in Baghbanpura, on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, adjacent to the Shalimar Gardens. |
| Baha-ud-Din Zakariya | Safar (Islamic calendar) |  | Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Aror near Multan, towards the end of twelfth century. [17] The annual festival of Baha-ud-Din Zakariya's death is celebrated on 27th Safar, the second month of Islamic calendar. [18] |
| Data Baksh | Safar (Islamic calendar) |  | Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajveri al-Ghaznawi or Abul Hassan Ali Hajvari, also known as Daata Ganj Bakhsh, which means the master who bestows treasures) was a Sufi of the 11th century. He was born around 990 CE near Ghazni, present day Afghanistan, during the Ghaznavid Empire and died in Lahore in 1072 CE. Ali Hajvari is famous for his mausoleum in Lahore, which is surrounded by a large marble courtyard, a mosque and other buildings. It is the most frequented of all the shrines in that city, and one of the most famous in Pakistan and nearby countries. [19] His Urs is on the 19th of the Islamic month of Safar. [20] |
| Sakhi Sarwar urs | Baisakh (Punjabi calendar) |  | Syed Ahmad Sultan, popularly known as Sakhi Sarwar, was a 12th-century Sufi saint of the Punjab. [21] Various fairs are held in the Punjab. The shrine at Nigaha holds a week-long Baisakhi fair in the month of April. [22] |
| Sakhi Ghulam Qadir | 10 Chait (Punjabi calendar) | The urs are celebrated on 10 Chait. His shrine is about 5 kilometres away from Pak Pattan. [23] | |
| Baba Farid urs | Muharram (Islamic calendar) |  | Shaikh Farid was a thirteenth-century saint. The Urs (death anniversary) of Baba Farid, takes place at the Muharram (the first month of the Muslim calendar). [24] Up to 0.9 million devotees visited the shrine during the urs in 2016. [25] The Bahishtī Darwāza (Gate of Paradise) is opened only once a year, during the time of the Urs fair. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors from all over the country and the world come to pay homage. The door of the Bahishti Darwaza is made of silver, with floral designs inlaid in gold leaf. This "Gate to Paradise" is padlocked all year, and only opened for ten days from sunset to sunrise in the month of Muharram. Some followers believe that by crossing this door all of one's sins are washed away. [26] |
| Urs of Waris Shah | 9-11 Sawan (Punjabi calendar) | The urs of Punjabi poet and saint Waris Shah is held at Jandiala Sher Khan. [27] The urs are held on the 9-11 of the month of Sawan in the Punjabi calendar. [28] Recently the Punjab Government has decided to celebrate the urs in September. [29] The saint is famous for his composition of the love epic Heer. [30] | |
| Mian Mir fairs | Varies |  | Mian Mir died in Lahore in 1045 A.H. (1635 AD) at the advanced age of 88 years, having lived in Lahore for sixty years. In addition to the fair on the anniversary, other fairs are held at his mausoleum during the two months of the rainy season. [31] |
Cultural festivals are determined by the Gregorian calendar or the Punjabi calendar.
| Festival | Date Observed (from year to year dates vary) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| National Horse and Cattle Show | Varies |   |
| Literary festivals | Varies | Various literary festivals are held in the Punjab. One such festival is the Lyallpur Suleikh Mela which hosts the event through the medium of the Punjabi language. [34] |
| Pakistan Day | 23 March (Gregorian calendar) |    |
| Baisakhi | Vaisakh (Punjabi calendar) April |   The camel and cattle trading at the Besakhi mela in Dera Ghazi Khan surpasses the much propagated camel fair of Pushkar in Rajasthan (India). [44] |
| Basant | Magh (Punjabi calendar) | Basant is a seasonal festival and is celebrated by wearing yellow, eating food with yellow colouring such as potatoes with turmeric and saffron rice, and holding parties. [45] In the villages, the festival involves holding fairs, distributing sweets and decorating horses and cattle. [46] Another feature of Basant is flying kites. [47] However, there is a ban on kite flying around the festival period in Pakistan imposed due to kite strings ensnaring and injuring moped and motorcycle drivers when they caught on ground-level objects. [48] [49] |
Lahore is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and 26th largest in the world, with a population of over 13 million. Located in central-eastern Punjab, along the River Ravi, it is the largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Lahore is one of Pakistan's major industrial, educational and economic hubs. It has been the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region, and is one of Pakistan's most socially liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities.
The Punjabis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region, comprising areas of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. They generally speak Standard Punjabi or various Punjabi dialects on both sides.
Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi is also the date for the Indian Solar New Year.
Lohri is a popular winter Dogra and Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India. The significance and legends about the Lohri festival are many and these link the festival to the Duggar region and Punjab region. It is believed by many that the festival marks the passing of the winter solstice. Lohri marks the end of winter, and is a traditional welcome of longer days and the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere. It is observed the night before Maghi.
The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the British East India Company in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. It was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous misls. At its peak in the 19th century, the empire extended from Gilgit and Tibet in the north to the deserts of Sindh in the south and from the Khyber Pass in the west to the Sutlej in the east as far as Oudh. It was divided into four provinces: Lahore, which became the Sikh capital; Multan; Peshawar; and Kashmir from 1799 to 1849. Religiously diverse, with an estimated population of 4.5 million in 1831, it was the last major region of the Indian subcontinent to be annexed by the British Empire.
Vasant Panchami, also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later. The Vasant Utsava (festival) on Panchami is celebrated forty days before spring, because any season's transition period is 40 days, and after that, the season comes into full bloom.
Haqiqat Rai Bakhmal Puri was an 18th-century martyr from Sialkot, who was executed in Lahore during the time of Zakariya Khan.
Punjabi culture grew out of the settlements along the five rivers which served as an important route to the Near East as early as the ancient Indus Valley civilization, dating back to 3000 BCE. Agriculture has been the major economic feature of the Punjab and has therefore formed the foundation of Punjabi culture, with one's social status being determined by landownership. The Punjab emerged as an important agricultural region, especially following the Green Revolution during the mid-1960's to the mid-1970's, has been described as the "breadbasket of both India and Pakistan". Besides being known for agriculture and trade, the Punjab is also a region that over the centuries has experienced many foreign invasions and consequently has a long-standing history of warfare, as the Punjab is situated on the principal route of invasions through the northwestern frontier of the Indian subcontinent, which promoted to adopt a lifestyle that entailed engaging in warfare to protect the land. Warrior culture typically elevates the value of the community's honour (izzat), which is highly esteemed by Punjabis.
Punjabi dances are an array of folk and religious dances of the Punjabi people indigenous to the Punjab region, straddling the border of India and Pakistan. The style of Punjabi dances ranges from very high energy to slow and reserved, and there are specific styles for men and women.
Shah Hussain, also known as Madhoo Lal Hussain, was a Punjabi Sufi poet who is regarded as a pioneer of the Kafi form of Punjabi poetry. He lived during the ruling periods of Mughal emperors Akbar and his son Jahangir in the 16th century.
Mela Chiraghan or Mela Shalimar is a three-day annual festival to mark the urs of the Punjabi poet and Sufi saint Shah Hussain who lived in Lahore in the 16th century.
The Mirasi are a community found in North India and Pakistan. They are folklore tellers and traditional singers and dancers of a number of communities. The word "mirasi" is derived from the Arabic word (ميراث) mīrās, which means inheritance or sometimes heritage. In the strict grammatical sense of the term, they are considered to be propagators of the cultural and social heritage.
The culture of Lahore refers to the cultural traditions and customs from Lahore, which form a central part of the Punjabi culture, and is a manifestation of the lifestyle, history, festivals, literature, music, language, politics, cuisine and socio-economic conditions of its people.
Lahore, being the richest cultural city in Pakistan, celebrates a number of festivals throughout the year. It is known for the festivals of Basant and Mela Chiraghan, but many others are celebrated in the metropolis as well.
Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by the Punjabis, originating in the Punjab region. The Punjabis are religiously a diverse and that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, a total of ∼75% percent of the Punjabi population is Muslim, accounting about 90 million people, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus who predominantly live in India.
Basant is a spring time kite flying event during the Basant Panchami festival in the Punjab. According to the Punjabi calendar it is held on the fifth day of lunar month of Magha marking the start of spring.
The Punjabi calendar is a luni-solar calendar used by the Punjabi people in Punjab and around the world, but varies by religions. Historically, the Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus have used the ancient Bikrami (Vikrami) calendar. Punjabi Muslims use the Arabic Hijri calendar alongside the Punjabi Calendar. Some festivals in Punjab, Pakistan are determined by the Punjabi calendar, such as Muharram which is observed twice, once according to the Muslim year and again on the 10th of harh/18th of jeth. The Punjabi calendar is the one the rural (agrarian) population follows in Punjab, Pakistan.
Punjabi nationalism is an ideology which emphasizes that the Punjabis are one nation and promotes the cultural unity of Punjabis around the world. The demands of the Punjabi nationalist movement are linguistic, cultural, economic and political rights.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Punjab: