Punjab which is also referred to as the land of five rivers is a traveller’s delight. The likely images that would crop up in an Indian mind on hearing Punjab are lush green fields ripe with corn and mustard. The tourists will perceive it as a sunburn land, flat as a pancake, sloping imperceptibly down from the Himalayan foothills towards the deserts of Rajasthan on the one side and the extensive plains of Hindustan on the other. The land of Punjab not only boasts of ancient monuments but throbs with historical embodiments. Tourism in Punjab is an amalgamation of religious monuments, historical buildings, wild life sanctuaries and more. Tourists to Punjab can enjoy culture, ancient civilisation, spirituality and history. The royal Punjabi palaces, historic battle sites, shrines, temples and examples of Sikh architecture are distinguished attractions. In fact, tourism is a rapidly escalating sector of Punjab.
Pilgrimage Tourism in Punjab
Punjab is truly a pilgrim’s paradise with Gurudwaras, temples, mosques, mausoleums and other pilgrimage sites. The Golden temple in Amritsar in Punjab is the most well known religious center of the state. It is the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion. During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign the lower half of the temple was ornamented with marble while the complete upper half was inlaid with copper and gold plated. Built with the blend of Hindu and Muslim style its four gates emblematically invite everyone from all directions. The Anandpur Sahib is one of the holiest places if the Sikhs in Punjab. It is closely linked with Sikh religious traditions and history. Keshgarh Sahib is the central place of Anandpur Sahib and is the main shrine of Anandpur. The Ram Tirth in Amritsar is an ancient temple that dates back to the period of the Ramayana. It is a Hindu temple. The Durgiana Mandir of Punjab is also a much visited site for the pilgrimage tourists. The other Hindu temples of Punjab include the Bhagwathi Mandir, the Shiv Mandir, the Panch Mandir and the Kali Devi temple. Islam was once a dominant religion in Punjab and this is evident in the mosques and mausoleums of the place. The Mazaar and Rauza Sharif mausoleums are frequented by tourists. The Moorish mosque is one of the famous mosques of Punjab.
Nature tourism in Punjab
Eco tourism is quite a common term today in the tourism industry. Punjab government too has big plans for this sector. With several wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries the eco tourism in this region is expected to receive a huge boost. Besides the forests and wetlands the tourists can also check out the beautiful gardens that adorn the cities. Punjab has beautiful natural landscape with plentiful water supply due to the rich rivers. The state is a natural habitat of several flora and fauna and this is a great attraction to tourists. Punjab wildlife is noteworthy as there are several wetlands, zoological parks and bird sanctuaries all over the place. It is an integral part of tourism in Punjab. This land of cultural colours allows the travelers to take pleasure in a lion safari at Chhatbir zoo adjacent to Chandigarh. Migratory birds fly at Hari Ke Pattan at Amritsar. The wildlife in Punjab especially at Hari Ke pattan is a national wetland and wildlife sanctuary at Amritsar. More than 350 migratory birds come here in the winter season. Several vibrant as well as exotic birds fly from Siberia. This is a famous home to wide-ranging wildlife. These wild life locations also serve as picnic spots to the tourists. The Punjab wildlife apart from exotic birds includes reptiles, amphibians, fishes, plants and endangered species. Few other appealing places are the Deer park at Neelon and the tiger safari adjacent to Ludhiana in Punjab. The wildlife in Punjab finds a natural habitat owing to the prosperous flora and fauna.
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