All about Punjab

 Punjabi male Dress

 mostly  has become victom of foreign invasions in both parts of Punjab especially in cities. In Pakistan Punjabi male usually wear Pakistani shalwar kameez and villages typical Punjabi dress still exists. The glory of Punjab “pugri” almost completely wiped out in the cities of Pakistani Punjab.Typical Punjabi dress is white Pugri (Turban). Collarless long shirt known  as “kurta” and 5 yard Long sheet of white cloth known as “dhuti”  , “chadder” Or lungi wraped around as trouser. Indian Punjabi in cities and villages Still wear pugri similar to Punjabi pugri and usual western shirt and trouser. Some villagers still wear dhuti.. The  Pugri  used to be very honourable part of Punjabi culture.If two men  swap pugri means they became brothers.and treated each other as brother regardless of religion. If there used to be any dispute in the tribes some elders put their pugris on the feet of other disputing party. The disputing party give respect to elders pugri and agree to end  their dispute. The pugri was sign of respect and honour.

The Pugri is usually  made of  thin cotton cloth muslin

The kurta and dhuti cloth khaddar used to be  made from spun cotton on hand spinning wheel “churkha”  by house women and then woven by village weavers “julahas.”

The yarn spun on churkha used to be of different counts or thickness. The Punjabi women used to know how to adjust thickness of the yarn by losening or tightening hand fingers. This yarn spun on churkha Punjabi  call it “sooter”. Thin or fine sooter for clothing khadder i.e for kurta and dhuti or chadder. This khaddar was replaced by cloth “latha” for dhuti or chaddar. Thick sooter for khesis, khais or matts.

For shoes Punjabi male used to have khusas hand made from leather by local “mochis” (shoemakers).

One other piece of Punjabi male dress is a long piece of cloth  to put on shoulder

in summer known as “saafa” or “Patka” or “purna”. In winter they  wrap around thick cloth khesi made from hand spun cotton yarn sooter. In some cases loi similar to shawl but made from wool. The Punjabi dress and language suffered the most during campaign of nationalism  of general zia ul haq and musharaf by giving impression of being Islamic dress shalwar kameez and Islamic language urdu. Which was totally false claim because I couldn’t understand from where this Islamic named dress and language came from? Is it worn in Arabian countries or urdu spoken in Arabian countries? Iran or turkey? No. In Turkish villages especially kurd areas people wear trouser similar to shalwar which is called “shalwaray” even in Iraqi and Syrian kurd areas men wear shalwaray. In reality Punjabi dhuti is part of basic Islamic culture i.e dress worn by most muslims during yearly pilgrims is same as Punjabi dhuti. Upper part of the dress haj pilgrimage is similar to safa or patka. There is only one other muslim country where shalwar kamez worn by most men is Afghanistan.

The underpants worn by Punjabi men is called Kachcha and it is similar to boxer shorts but bit loser.

The Lacha is another piece of cloth in some places worn by Punjabi men instead of dhuti or chadder. The lacha is a silky chadder with coloured  borders etc.

Punjabi Women dress

It is impossible to tell by dress whether a Punjabi woman is a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian – they all dress in shalwar topped by a kameez (a garment that can be fitted like a dress loose like the kurta) and accented by a rectangular scarf  about 2.5 metres long called the chunni or duppatta. She’s fond of her sweaters, but she is passionately proud of her collection of woollen shawls.

Prandah

Prandah is usually made of black cotton yarn to tie hears on the back. This is simple type of pranda. Some fancy type of pranda’s have golden, sliver or other coloured  thread wrapped around but basically black..This is also disappeared in modern Punjabi folks in cities

Surma and Kajjal

Sukk

What is sukk?  It is definitely dry skin of some tree which bit bitter in taste. It was part of  Punjabi women makeup,  to clean and cleanse teeth. After using you get some orangey colour to the lips. The modern lipsticks and tooth brushes taken over its place.

Mehndi

It henna paste used to be main item of Punjabi women makeup. It has properties to cure some skin infections. If someone used have burning feet they used to apply mehndi paste on bottom of their feet. The older folk to colour their hair. The mehndi is still part of weddings and also used for temporary skin tattoos.

Phulkari

These can be breathtaking. The women of Punjab are responsible for the  most famous item of handicraft – the phulkari. This is a shawl completely covered in dense silk embroidery, folk motifs in jewel-tones on an ochre background.

Jewellery

The jewellers of Punjab stock an enormous range of designs in bangles, necklaces, rings and earrings, nose-pins, ornaments to pin in the hair, anklets and toe-rings. Gold is weakness of Punjabi women regardless of religion – brides are loaded with it. A particular kind of bangle is the tip-off in recognizing Sikh men and women. It’s called a karah and is made of steel.

Nath

Is typical type of you can call nose pin but is not pin but long string of gold or silver from ear and then attached to the nose pin. It was impression in old Punjabis meaning woman under control. I have seen decades ago one nath wearing woman of Pakistani Punjabi origin in Manchester while my family was visiting her family. This nath was just like small gold chain attached to the nose pin. While she was talking this gold string was moving as well. 

Chanjar

“Chanjar chunkey ghi” tells all about it. It is like a leg bandage with attached small bells “cunghrian” is mostly disappeared.

Churkha (Punjabi spinning wheel)

It was main part of Punjabi culture. My mum wasn’t very educated used to say at night

bring your books and give me company while Iam spinning yarn “sootar”. After spinning few bobbins she used to make hanks “uttis” on one device “Utti”. It was my early years music during my home studies. It was amazing to hear sound of hand spinning wheel.

Chaati

There are two type of chaatis first of all I describe here chaati used in cooking milk to prepare for youghart. This chaati is made of clay and then cooked in kiln to make it suitable for use in wet condition. The family woman used to pour milk in the chaati and then put the chaati in the  self made Punjabi oven “paroli” which has fire from “pathian” made from buffalo dung. Left it for half day or full depending on temperature of the peroli which usuali cooking milk at low temperature. These type of pots were made by Punjabi potters called “ghumiyaar”

Chaati Madhani

The chaati again made from similar as above but different shape to use it for making lassi and butter by stirring Punjabi tool “Madhani “ into the youghart. After half an hours stirring you are able to collect butter by adding cold water in it. Good about this butter was that it was the most purified form of butter.

Chakki

Every Punjabi household used to have one especially in villages.It is Punjabi version of grinder.The  House woman used to grind wheet every day for chapattis

Peerihi

It is type of Punjabi low level square stool made from four round wooden spindles inserted into four pillars (paawas) and then interwoven with thin cotton ropes of different colours. The pillars are painted and partially varnished to look like decorative piece of Punjabi art. Every Punjabi household used have many peerihis.

Kaul

The Punjabi bowl used for soups ,  curries “salun” Cereals like dalia etc. It is made of aluminium , brass or copper etc

Kauli

It is small bowl made from aluminium brass or copper used for serving jams pickles and chutnies.

Chunnah

It was made of brass or copper and then coated with thin layer of Tin “Kali”  used for drinking water and other drinks.

Munji

It is a bed  rectangular in shape, about 36 inches high made from four pillars called pawway and four spindles inserted into the pillars. Its three quarter interwoven with ropes cotton jute or other materials. The one quarter is used for tightening rope  called “daun”.

This daun is used to keep bed in stretched form for comfortable sleep or rest. These munjs are also used for sitting in meeting rooms “baithaks” or deras of Punjabis. Usually elders sit towards head side of the bed and youngers towards tightening side as sign of regards towards elders.

Peengha

It is some sort of  swinging cot for babbies to the small children. I was lucky to have one and used it till my teen years. It was  favourite place in the home for my school home work. The peenga of meine was great piece of workman ship of  local  carpenters (tarkhans)

Saag

It is one of the most favourite dish of Punjabi household. My mum used to say everybody couldn’t cook good saag. According to her to cook a delicious saag you need to put effort and be patient in cooking for long time. It still remember when she was new in the north east of England I have told her I will bring saag today. When she heard it saag she replied don’t joke because there was no concept of asian vegetables especially in north east of England. I went out to country side and found out many fields of saag. I  have approached one farmer and asked him if I could get some saag. I still remember I have used word mustard plant but first time knew they call it in English “rape”. He asked me what are you going to do with plants.? I told him my mum is going to cook it as saag cury and he asked how it tastes like?  I told him it is delicious Punjabi food if cooked properly. I have asked him what do you do then with rape. He said they extract oil from its seeds. Anyway I came back boot of my car filled with saag and got some spinach, corn flour, ginger and some butter from the super market. When I brought in nearly a bale (pund in Punjabi) of saag in the house. When she saw it her surprise and happiness was so amazing that I still remember. It was I think last saag I have eaten cooked by her because one sudden heart attach took her away from us before any medical help. Rest in peace mum you were great mum. Anyway she cooked saag from baby leaves and gundals (body of the rape plant and also made chapattis from corn flour. It was one of the best saag of my life I have ever eaten.

Now I better give you main ingredients of saag, one part saroon (rape), one part spinach,

Ginger, butter, onions, garlic, tumric, salt, chilli powder or green chillies and some cor flour.

Praat

It is a round tray type of dish with higher wall or edges about 2-3 inches used in prepration of foods and made from copper or  brass and coated with thin layer tin know as in Punjabi kali (a thin layer of tin coat . Don’t be confuse with similar spelt word for flower kali which has very good scent.The professional people who used to kali named kaligar. They were mobile tradesmen.

Kanali

The kanali is also tray like round dish with less higher edges than praat and made from clay and cooked in kiln to make it useable. It is mainly used for making chapatti daugh and for making youghart from milk. Also used in other food prepration.

Chulah

It is Punjabi cooker made from clay or clay bricks approximately u shaped

and used in most Punjabi cooking. Woman who cooks food on chulha used to sit on peerihee (small Punjabi stool) while preparing and cooking. In cities chula is replaced by gas chula cooker or in some cases electric ring. It is main part of Punjabi culture. The early breakfast before going to school used to be around chulha sitting on peerihee or phatti made from plank of wood with two small planks nailed underneath.Few years ago my Pakistan visit took me to Mundi Bahauddin to visit my dads friend. We used to call him chacha ji and his wife chachi ji. Anyway it was chachi ji’s kindness who told me at night that she will prepare prathas in the morning. you come into the kitchen sit on the peerihee and eat freshly cooked prathas while she is making. It might be to recall childhood memories of  my mum used to give us breakfast before going to school. Chachi ji you have done great favour and I still remember that breakfast.

Tavva

It is wood fired girdle  for chapattis used on chulha

Makai dee roti

I still remember the Punjabi song which is stuck in my childhood memories ‘Rehn kay liayan aan main saag makhan tay makai’ (I brought for you after cooking rape +spinach butter and corn chapatti). It was part of most favoured food of  punjabi’s. The makai dee roti is type of chapatti flattened with hand from corn flour dough and cooked on tavva.  

Choori

It was famous saying of punjabi’s  ‘kha choori tay ker kasrat’ (eat choori and do exercise).

It was my childhood favourite food because I have sweet tooth. The Choori is made with

Mushed chapatti with shakur (Punjabi raw sugar) and gheeo (fatt extracted from the butter by cooking). It is rich in fat that’s why there is a saying do exercise to digest properly.

Another favourite food of my childhood was I don’t know what name I should give to it but it used to be very delicious to me and still remember its taste. It used to be made from

from previous night mushed  corn chapatti into shuker (Punjabi raw sugar)  and then mixed into yoghurt. I can still feel its taste after few decades. If someone reading it please let me know the name of this peculiar Punjabi dish.

Roti

Roti (chapatti) is of two types cooked on tavva and in tandoor. Some houses in the villages used to have tandoor which was shared by different neighbours without payment of any kind.

Pkulka

It is type of roti or chapatti but very thin, soft and cooked on tavva (wood fired girdle) usually cooked for someone sick in the family.

Munday

It is form of chapatti or roti but very thin, soft and about 15 inches or more ?  of diameter flattend by hand without using any tools used to be cooked on tavvi (wood fired girdle). This was speciality of weddings.

Tavvi

It is about 24 inches diameter circular metal wood fired girdle to cook or bake chapattis  and munday. Every Punjabi house hold  in villages used to have this type of girdle where women  cook chapattis for family. One tavvi could cook about 4 chapattis at a time.

Puray

It is Punjabi type  pancake and people used to cook on rainy days to celebrate the arrival of rain. I still remember Punjabi village life if someone was cooking puray other neighbours used to go uninvited to the house to eat puray regardless of religion. The things were mostly produced at home and there was no cost involved to them. Everyone used to love each other and take care of each other in the villages.

Chabba

The chabba is a typical Punjabi tray to serve  chapattis or tikkies (small sweet) covered with piece of cloth “ponah”.  The chabbah is usuall made of wheet straw, date palm leaves coloured in different colours.

Chikkoo

It is small bowl made from straw and differently coloured date palm leaves

Cheecha

Cheecha is a quick home made liquidi dish made from boiled mango pulp mixed into

Water and sugar. It was quite good for “ghuto watti” type of chapatti eating

Gur

It is a Punjabi raw sugar made from sugar cane juice by boiling and then moulded into small pieces “pessian or pessi”. Some people used to add sultana’s cardamom , coconut, almond pistachio and sesame seeds for their home use.

Shukker

It is also type of Punjabi raw powdery sugar and yellow in colour. It basically Like gur instead of moulding into small pieces in case of gur you mush it some flat piece before setting of the material.

Gunnay

It is sugar cane has three types, one is very thin type which is called “desi gunnay” second type is ordinary which replaced desi ones and third one is greenish in colour and called “ponah gunna”

Raoh

It is juice of  sugar cane  and punjabi’s used to drink it fresh when extracted through machine called “bailena”. Also used to make gur, shuker and khund (white Punjabi sugar)

Chungair

The chungair is bit bigger for of chabba (punjabi tray to serve chapattis etc)

Padhari (Punjabi hotpot for chapattis etc)

Punjabi Food

Hulwa

The Punjabi hulwa is prepared from semolina by cooking then adding sugar, ghee, dry fruit and water. Then cooking again to make like a paste.

Daal

is cooked from different pulses or beens

Achaar

(Punjabi pickle) made from mango lemon and green chillies etc in cotton seed oil

Pertha

It is made by baking Aubergine then mashed into the yoghurt by adding spices

Raita

It is made by baking kaddo? Then mashed into the yoghurt by adding spices.

Golgappay

Most Punjabi’s  like to eat golgappay  The golgappay are small crispy hollow puris like balls. you fill it with some liquidy filling and then eat it.

Punjabi toys

Rahrhna

It is used to be first toy of child hood to train children for walking and to give support during learning.

Peengh

It is Punjabi style swing usually made with two ropes tied to the tree and attached to one small wooden plank to sit for child.

Khido

It is a type of small ball made from cotton and covered with woven layer of thread. It was part of early learning toys of the Punjabi children

Bajjah

Is Punjabi toy made from bamboo stick and drilled few holes to create musical sound while you blow through.

Cugu ghoray

It is also from early toys of  Punjabi childhood which is usually made from clay and then baked into the Kiln. Cugu gives sound of cugu (horn) when you blow air into it  by mouth. Ghoray are shapes of different animals.

Gullah

It is children money saving pot made from the clay and fired into the kiln.

Pawbheeri

It used to be very small wheel on top there was a bit to twist by fingers and at the bottom

Was bevelled shaped. As soon you twist by fingers and leave at the floor. It starts revolving itself.

Laatoo

It is type of pawbheeri but bit bigger and instead of twisting by fingers children used to use strings wound around and leaving on the floor by quick unwinding of the string. As soon as you leave laatoo on the floor it starts revolving.

Patang  

The Punjabi patang is made from very thin tracing papper in different colours and styles. The thread used in flying a kite is called “Door”. The famous Punjabi festival is connected with flying patang. Sometimes Lahore sky becomes colourful with many patang flying on basant. It is start of Punjabi year and spring season celebration.

Kujian thuthiyaan

The kuji small ceramic pot for drink and thuthi small ceramic plate for pudding or Punjabi sweet dishes. It was type of free food a langar to the children. I remember my mum filling kujian with shurbat (a sweet drink) and thuthian with pudding . After filling my mum used to tell us to call the children of area or village to take away. We used to go out of the house and call the children loudly “mundio tay koriyo kujian thuthiyaan lay lao” (boys and girls take kujian thuthian). Then the children of the area used to come and pick one set of kuji and thuthi. It used to be on 10^th of muharam (a moslim month when Prophet Mohammads ‘s grand son and his companians were brutally killed in the place of Karbala present day Iraq. Although my parents belonged to sunni type of muslims but still use to pray for Imam hussain. In those day Punjabi ‘s hardly had any bad feelings about other sects or religions.

Punjabi Drinks

Sattoo

Satoo is a Punjabi drink made from ground jau (Barley) and  shukkar (punjabi raw sugar) mixed into the water.

Tukh malangaan

Another Punjabi drink made with tukh malangaan (Khak sheer in Persian) seed and shukkar mixed into water.

Sardai

This Punjabi drink still made in the Punjab with different ingredients like Almonds, seeds of melons ground with shukker (Punjabi raw sugar )  and then mixed into milk or water.

Lassi

The glorious drink of Punjab every Punjabi used to love it. It is made from yoghurt  liquidising with the madhani (Punjabi stirring device made of wood) by adding shukker (punjabi raw sugar) or salt. 

Chiddi

It is residue of lassi passing through muslin cloth but in reality it is form of unsalted cottage cheese.

School

The punjabi education system used to be most economical and environment friendly because in primary schools children used to use slate and phutti. That was the only stationery used to require for school children.

Slayti  (it is type of chalk to write on slate)

Slayte 

It used to be smilar to black board made from sheet of metal and the coated with black matt paint. In some cases it used to be made from thin sheet of stone and inserted into the wooden frame. Each and Every school child used to have it instead of paper notebooks. The school Children used to  write with slayti a greyish chalk.

Phutti

The phutti is made from a wooden plank and on left hand have handle. The Punjabi school children used to use it for home work instead of paper notebooks. After showing home work to the teacher children used to wash it at home and then coat it with greyish clay “Gaachi” to make it suitable for writing. After applying a gaachi on the phutti let it dry it properly . After drying you do your home work for next day to show the master (teacher). The children used write on it by self made pen from kaana or baanse “kallam” by taking dooba (dipping into the ink) from the dawaat (inkpot)

Kanna (sticks of some grass used to make kalmaan (punjabi type of pen)

Baanse (Bamboo used to make kalmaan (Punjabi pen) and used for making bajjas (Punjabi musical instruments

Siahi (Ink)

Dawaat (Inkpot)

Dobay (Dipping Punjabi pen kalm into inkpot)

Cahr (Home or house)

Booah (Door)

Chugath (door frame)

Sardan (step in the door)

Magore

In village houses people used to have one  or two holes in the roof called magore. The purpose of these holes were to give fresh air and light because these type of clay brick houses hardly had windows. One reason I could think of not having windows in the village houses were due to security to save from thieves or early invaders.

Kunji (Key)

Taala (Lock)

Naali

It is also part of Punjabi culture and every place of Punjab has it. It is small  tunnel mostly uncovered used for alternative to sewage system. All dirty water from  naali to naala  and then gathered in water processing place called Challaraan.

Naala

It is slightly bigger than naali and take dirty water from the naali to (dirty water processing place challaraan.

Punjabi Animals

Gaaan (cow )

Bachri (female baby cow)

Bachra (baby Oxon)

Saandh (Oxon)

Baolad (Oxon used for ploughing and pull Oxon cart)

Mujh  (Buffalo )

Katti   (female baby buffalo)

Katta  (male baby buffalo)

Sundah (male buffalo)

Khota   (Donkey )

Khoti   (female donkey)

Shaiha (Rabbit )

Shaihni (Female rabbit)

Supp     (snake )

Suppni  (female snake)

Bukri    (Goat)

Bukra   (male Goat)

Pairh     (sheep )

Paidu     (lamb)

Kookker (chicken)

Kookkeri (hen )

Keeri       (Female Ant)

Keerah    (male ant )

Kaadah   (Ant )

Poondhi  (female Wasp)

Poondh   (male wasp)

Authni , Booti   (female camel )

Auth, Boota     ( male camel)

Auth kookar    (ostrich)

Maakhi  Chatta  (Honey comb)

Agricultural

Guddah (cart pulled by single or pair of Oxon)

Punjali  (It is equipment to keep pair of Oxon  together while ploughing the land and has three  section, It is worn in the necks of oxen’s of each side section by leaving middle empty.

Hul  (Plough )

Daati ( Half circle saw like knife to cut the grass or crops.)

Runba (it is Punjabi type of small trowel )

Kaihi  (Punjabi type of spade used in digging in agriculture)

Pund  (bunch of crops  or wood tiged with rope)

Khuh (Well)

Every village of Punjab used to have one or two according to the size of  the village. Many Punjabi peasants used to irrigate their plantation from the well.

Khui (small well)

Some village houses used to have their own small well for water needs of the family and even for neighbours.

Tlaa (pond)

Every Punjabi village used to have one water reservoir for bathing their cattles and animals.

Social

Junj cahr

It is a some sort of Punjabi community centre to house wedding guests where they have cooking facilities to serve the guest. I think every city and even towns of Punjab used to have one. Also used for other gathering. I have never been to any typical junj cahr because in west Punjab it is mostly disappeared.. When I was child my ancestral town Toba tek singh used have one big house and people used call it junj cahr although it was taken by someone after partition and he was living there with family.  

Junj

A group of people gather to go to brides home to witness the marriage