Folk practices prevalent in Punjab incorporate local mysticism[1] and refers to the beliefs and practices strictly indigenous to the Punjabi people, of the Punjab region including ancestral worship, veneration of saints, and local festivals. There are many shrines in Punjab which represent the folk religion of the Punjab region which is a discourse between different organised religions.[2] These shrines represent inter-communal dialogue and a distinct form of cultural practice of saint veneration.[3]
Roger Ballard (1999) classifies Punjab's folk religion into the kismetic (misfortune caused by fate, or supernatural beings) dimension of Punjabi religious life, alongside its panth (inspirational leadership), dharam (divine laws), and qaum (community construction) elements.[4][5] The kismetic belief holds that misfortune can be caused by both unfulfilled, jealous spirits like bhuts (ghosts), dhags, jinns, and churails (witches), as well as by other people through the use of magic, including spells and incantations, and the evil eye (nazar).[4] Various folk beliefs are also attached to almost all birds and animals,[6] which serve as omens, vessels of powers, or sacrifices.[7]
Alongside beliefs in folk heroes and ancestors, belief in mostly malevolent spirits, often resulting from untimely deaths and motivated by envy from unfulfilled desires relating to life milestones like childlessness, indulge in varying degrees of harm on the living.[8] The nazar, causing misfortune and damage via jealous gazes, is most often targeted at one's family members, land and crops, and personal property, and protected against by amulets, customs, and various social mores, including humility.[8]
The practice of folk beliefs are often accompanied by what has been called dhadi or folk ballads, that complement more institutionalized music forms like kirtan and qawwali.[9]
^Singh, Nagendra Kr; Khan, Abdul Mabud (2001). Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: Tribes, Castes and Communities. Global Vision. ISBN 978-81-87746-09-6.
^Replicating Memory, Creating Images: Pirs and Dargahs in Popular Art and Media of Contemporary East Punjab Yogesh Snehi "Replicating Memory, Creating Images: Pirs and Dargahs in Popular Art and Media of Contemporary East Punjab: Visual Pilgrim". Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
^Historicity, Orality and ‘Lesser Shrines’: Popular Culture and Change at the Dargah of Panj Pirs at Abohar,” in Sufism in Punjab: Mystics, Literature and Shrines, ed. Surinder Singh and Ishwar Dayal Gaur (New Delhi: Aakar, 2009), 402-429
^ abCite error: The named reference chohan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference pkdq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Bhatti & Michon 2004, p. 147.
^Bhatti & Michon 2004, p. 143.
^ abBhatti & Michon 2004, p. 144.
^Kalra, Virinder S. (2014). Sacred and Secular Musics: A Postcolonial Approach. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 132–133. ISBN 9781441100450.
and 25 Related for: Folk practices in Punjab information
Folkpractices prevalent inPunjab incorporate local mysticism and refers to the beliefs and practices strictly indigenous to the Punjabi people, of the...
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...
Christianity; it also includes folkpractices common to all Punjabis regardless of the religion they adhere to. Such practices incorporate local mysticism...
parts: East Punjab, in India, and West Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. The Punjab has diverse styles of music, ranging from folk and Sufi...
Malwai Giddha (Punjabi: ਮਲਵਈ ਗਿੱਧਾ) is the folk dance of males of Malwa region of Punjab. This dance was originally performed by Babey (old men) and hence...
festivals inPunjab, India Punjabi festivals in Pakistan Punjabi calendar Livestock show Vaisakhi Sikh festivals FolkpracticesinPunjab Hindus of eastern...
practicesin the Punjab during the Vedic period (1500–500 BCE), centered primarily in the worship of Indra. The bulk of the Rigveda was composed in the...
dialects on both sides. The ethnonym is derived from the term Punjab (Five rivers) in Persian to describe the geographic region of the northwestern part...
the favourite folktales both in Sindh and Punjab. The folk story of Suhni Mehar composed by Shah Latif is an old Sindhi folk narration. Suhni belonged to...
worn less frequently in modern day. Jutti Phulkari Folk dancers from Punjab performing at six-day Folk Dance Festival ‘Lok Tarang, in New Delhi on January...
(Gurmukhi: ਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ; Shahmukhi: پھلکاری) refers to the folk embroidery of the Punjab region and Gulkari of Sindh in South Asia. Although phulkari means 'floral work'...
(1500–500 BCE) constituted the religious ideas and practicesinPunjab, and centred primarily in the worship of Indra, the Hindu god of heaven and lightning...
festive atmosphere. Folk theatrical performances known as swang or nautanki take place during Holi, with the latter originating in the Punjab. According to...
Lohri is a popular winter Dogra and Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India. The significance and legends about the Lohri festival...
[ɦəɾɪˈjɑːɳɑː]) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 November 1966 on a linguistic...
Pakistan; are other important genres in the Punjab region. Folk music of Punjab is the traditional music of Punjab produced using traditional musical instruments...
municipal corporation inPunjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region...
Chowk-poorana or Chowkpurana is folk art practised inPunjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the term chowk-poorana...
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in India. Several regional styles and variations infolk wrestling exists in the country. Indian wrestlers have won...
other artists to practice the right Punjabi folk music tradition". A Doordarshan documentary titled, Punjab Di Koyal (Nightingale of Punjab), on the life...
harvest celebration primarily inPunjab and Northern India. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi...
group. Census reports taken inPunjab Province during the colonial era (British India) noted and documented various practices highlighting religious syncretism...
largest religious community in the Indian state of Punjab. Sikhism is an indigenous religion that originated in the Punjab region of South Asia during...
'Shakespear of Punjab'. He is primarily known as the author of Heer Ranjha love poem. It's about one of the most popular tragic romances of the Punjab. Traditionally...