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mid-September. The state experiences its minimum temperature from Decem- ber to February. The minimum temper- ature of the region remains below 5°C for almost two months during the winter season. The annual average temperature in the entire state is approximately 21°C.
Biodiversity
The fauna of the area is rich, with 396 types of birds, 214 kinds of Lepidoptera, 55 varieties of fish, 20 types of reptiles, and 19 kinds of mammals. The state has large wetland areas and bird sanctuaries that house numerous species of birds, and many zoological parks.
Harike Pattan Bird sanctuary
Aam Khas Bagh, Fatehgarh
Qila Mubarak, Patiala
and Anandpur Sahib, that are situated in Punjab are revered by all.
Apart from Sikh shrines Punjab
is the land of many famous Hindu temples. Some of them are Ram Tirath, Durgiana Mandir, Devi Talab and Muk- teshwar Mahadev Temple etc.
Festivals
Some of the festivals celebrated in the state are Lohri (Winter Harvest Festi- val), Baisakhi (Harvest Festival), Hola
Hola Mahalla
Mohalla, Karwa Chauth, Basant Panch- mi (the onset of Spring), Teeyan (arrival of Monsoon), Chappar Mela, Jor Mela, Tikka (celebrating sibling-hood), and Gurupurab.
Literature and Art
The origins of Punjabi literature trace to the mystical and religious verse of the 13th-century Sufi (mystic) Shaikh Farīd and to the 15th-16th-century founder
of Sikhism, Guru Nanak DevJi; those figures were the first to use Punja-
bi extensively as a medium of poetic expression. The works of Sufi poet Waris Shah greatly enriched Punjabi literature in the second half of the 18th century. Contemporary in the 20th and
Wetlands include the national wetland Hari-Ke-Pattan, the wetland of Kanjli, and the wetlands of Kapurthala Sutlej. Wildlife sanctuaries include the Harike in the district of Tarn Taran Sahib, the Zoological Park in Rupnagar, Chhatbir Bansar Garden in Sangrur, Aam Khas Bagh in Sirhind, Amritsar's famous Ram Bagh Palace, Shalimar Garden in Kapurthala, and the famous Baradari Garden in the city of Patiala.
Culture and Tourism
The tourism in the state is centred on the historic palaces, battle sites, and the religious palaces. Golden Temple (Har- mandir Sahib) in the city of Amritsar and three out of five Takhts (Temporal Seats of religious authority) of Sikhism, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Damdama Sahib
early 21st centuries Punjabi literature found some of its greatest exponents in poet and author Bhai Vir Singh and the poets Puran Singh, Dhani Ram Chatrik, Mohan Singh “Mahir,” and Shiv Kumar Batalvi; renowned novelists included Jaswant Singh Kanwal, Gurdial Singh, Giani Gurdit Singh, and Sohan Singh Shital, among others. Kulwant Singh Virk is one of the best-known writers of short stories in Punjabi.
Bhangra
Dances like bhangra, jhumar, and sammi are the most popular in the state. Giddha, a native Punjabi tradition, is a humorous song-and-dance genre per- formed by women.
The city of Amritsar is home to the craft of brass and copper metalwork done by the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, which is enlisted on the UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. But un- fortunately, years of neglect had caused this craft to die out, and the Govern- ment of Punjab has undertaken a craft revival effort under Project Virasat.
Agriculture
Punjab is one of the most fertile regions in India. Much of the state’s agricultural progress and productivity is attributable to the so-called Green Revolution, a movement launched in the 1960s that introduced not only new agricultural
Wheat and sugarcane farm
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