Dhabba, Punjabi Road Side Restaurant

Dhabba, Punjabi Road Side Restaurant

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Dhabba is a Punjabi road side restaurant or cafe. They are situated on highways and generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops. They are most commonly found next to petrol stations, and most are open 24 hours a day. Since many truck drivers belong to Punjab, Punjabi food is mostly liked by them.  The word Dhaba has come to represent any restaurant that serves Punjabi food, especially the heavily spiced and fried Punjabi fare preferred by many truck drivers..

Dhabas are made up of mud and have cots to sit upon (called Charpai) while eating. A wooden plank would be placed across the width of the cot on which to place the dishes. With time, the cots were replaced by tables. The food is typically inexpensive and has a 'homemade' feel to it. Punjabi food served in Dhaba is wholesome and full of rustic flavor. Food is served on big brass Thali (plates) and drinks – water, Lassi, mil or tea, as well as Shorbas (soups) are served in a 12 inch long brass glass.
Nowadays Dhabas can be seen and this word has come to represent sub-continental cuisine so much that many Indian restaurants in Europe and America have adopted it as a part of the name.

Sohni Mahiwal, True Love story of Punjab.

Sohni Mahiwal, True Love story of Punjab.

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Sohni Mahiwal is one of most tragic love story of Punjab. The beautiful girl Sohni was born to a potter named Tulla (Toolha). They were from the Kumhar caste, and lived in Gujrat, Punjab. At the time, Gujrat, on the river Chenab, was a caravansary on the trade route between Bukhara and Delhi.
As Sohni grew up, she helped her father in pottery . Their shop is said to have been near Rampyari Mahal by the river. As soon as the Surahis (water-pitchers) and mugs came off the wheel, she would draw artistic designs on them and set them up for sale. Shahzada Izzat Baig, a rich trader from Bukhara (Uzbekistan), came to Punjab on business and halted in Gujrat. Here he saw Sohni at the shop and was completely smitten. Just to get a glimpse of Sohni, he would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs every day. Sohni too lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of returning to Bukhara with his caravan, the noble-born Izzat Baig took up the job of a servant in the house of Tulla. He would even take their buffaloes for grazing. Soon, he came to be known as "Mahiwal"
The love of sohni and mahiwal was not acceptable for their families so they immediately got sohni married with another potter.  Sohni went to see Mahiwal every night while crossing the river with the help of earthen pot. But one day her sister in law exchanged that pot with a pot of unbaked pot. While Sohni was crossing the river that pot dissolved in water and she drowned and died.

Mela Charagha, Urs of Hazrat Madhu Lal Hussain.

Mela Charagha, Urs of Hazrat Madhu Lal Hussain.

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Mela Charagha known as Festival Of Lights. This is the third biggest annual festival celebrated in the respect and marks the Urs. It takes place at the shrine of Shah Hussain in Baghbanpura, adjacent to the fabulous Mughal monument Shalimar Gardens in Lahore. Punjabi Sufi poet and saint Shah Hussain, who lived in Lahore in the 16th century. It is perhaps the biggest festival of Punjab after the Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA) and Baba Farid (RA) of Pakpattan.
Mela Chiraghan is three day event full of holy rituals, colors, joy, music and folk dances. One of the most attractive features is the traditional food stalls that are specially designed for this carnival and mark the medieval time food items. All sorts of ethnic foods are served from Gol Gappas, sweetmeats, qatlamas, and Fruit Chat to Bhang-laced Papppars  The nights of Mela Chiraghan are celebrated with Qawwalis and folk dances and these performances are truly spectacular. People enlighten their streets and houses.

Basant, Joyful Festival of Punjab.

Basant, Joyful Festival of Punjab.

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Since many festivals are celebrated in Punjab throughout the year. The most awaited one is Basant. This festival is the biggest and most popular festival. It is also known as JASH-E-BAHARA held in the month of February. According to the Punjabi calendar it is held on the fifth day of lunar month of Magha. This festival is usually the kite festival celebrated in the onset of spring season. Kite flying competitions are held. People fly kites. The sky is literally filled with kites of beautiful colors and different sizes and shapes.

The kites are flown with the help of strings known as ‘strings’. This string is a special thread with cut glass embedded within which serves to cut the thread of competitor kites more effectively. Women, men even children enjoy this festival. Women mostly are seen wearing bright yellow dresses.

People move to their rooftops and enjoy flying kites and give competition to each other. This festival gained much popularity but from past few years it has been banned because of some accidents and injuries. 

Pottery, Mud Art of Punjab.

Pottery, Mud Art of Punjab.

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Pottery is basically an art work or craft of the person who makes things from mud known as potter. Pottery is a ceramic material pottery wares which includes earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Mostly the pottery is done with clay. Clay is a fine grained natural rock or soil material.
These objects are made from damp clay mixed with other materials. These objects are made in potter’s wheel with hands. Potter’s wheel is a machine used in shaping of round ceramic ware. Firstly a round and moist lumpy clump of clay body is put at a wheel head or a bat attached to the machine (The term "bat" refers to a secondary disc or square, made of wood - or more recently plastic - the lump of clay is attached to it instead of the wheel head, The clump is made even and forced to the center of the wheel by applying pressure with the hands. The thrower finds the center of the clay by moving a thumb across the clump until no more friction is felt. The thumb is pressed into the center of the clump, stopping about 5 mm from the wheel head. The hole thus made is widened. The sides thus defined are pulled up and made thinner by pressure between the hands. The vessel is shaped, and the mouth is smoothed. The vessel is cut from the wheel head (or bat) with a cheese wire.

The object made is then kept to dry in a kiln usually below 600°C. After drying the clay becomes hard and stiff. These objects can also be decorated by doing paintings, glazing and carving on them.

Zarda, Sweet Dish made by Rice.

Zarda, Sweet Dish made by Rice.

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Zarda is a traditional sweet dish. The word Zarda comes from a Persian word Zard that means Yellow. Hence it is named because the food color added to it gives it yellow color. It is a traditional sweet usually served after the meal. It is made from boiling rice with yellow food color.
Firstly take the desired amount of rice say 2 cups of rice and boil them. Now take a pan add water and 2 cup sugar to it, heat the pan and make its syrup. Take another pan and put some ghee in it and heat it. Put cinnamon and clove in it, when it starts smelling add rice in it with the same volume of water and close the lid. When water starts to dry add the syrup with little amount of milk solid in it, followed by green and red Murabba (candied fruits). Add few drops of Kewra in it. Mix all the contents and then add yellow food color to it and leave it to cook. Serve it with dry fruits of your choice like coconut, pistachio, saffron and Murraba.
This dish is often served at weddings as sweet dish. In Punjab, instead of yellow food color different colors are also added. Dating back to Mughal era Shah Jahan loved this dish. Even Zarda had a variation with an addition of small fried meat pieces called Mutanjan.

Bakra Eid, A religious festival of Punjab

Bakra Eid, A religious festival of Punjab

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Eid ul Adha, the festival of sacrifice. It is commonly known as Bakra Eid. It is a religious festival of Muslims celebrated all over the world. Muslims sacrifice Goat, Cow, Sheep or a Camel and send the meat to the poor people as a donation.  Eid ul Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for three days after the Hajj.

The practice of Qurbani can be traced back when Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) dreamt that Allah ordered him to sacrifice his most valuable thing and to him his son Hazrat Ismail (AS) was the dearest thing. So he agreed to follow the commands of Allah and sacrifice his son. But a miracle happened and in place of Hazrat Ismail (A.S) Allah replaced an animal and informed Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) that his sacrifice has been accepted. From that day onward, every Eid ul Adha is celebrated once a year and Muslims around the world slaughter an animal to commemorate Hazrat Ibrahim's sacrifice and to remind themselves of self-abnegation in the way of Allah.

Firstly the Eid Prayer is mandatory. After the prayer the animals are sacrificed. And then the Eid is celebrated. People enjoy feats together and give it to poor as well.