Scholar-Journalist of the Week: Attractions of Punjab

Riya Bhagat is currently pursuing B Sc in Economics from Apeejay College of Fine Arts(ACFA). A born optimist, Riya, loves to write on different topics. She started her writing journey when she was in class 8. During this interview, Riya delightfully shares about the kind of books she loves to read and more: 

What kind of articles do you enjoy writing and reading?

Writing and reading is my passion. So, I like to write and read about different cultures, places, festivals, famous personalities, and so on.

Which was the last book that you read? Any favourite author?

The last book that I read was, Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty.  And one of my favourite authors is George Ilian.

Your article ‘Attractions of Punjab’ has received great views on our platform. What inspired you to write on this topic? 

Punjabi culture is very diverse,  encompassing the cuisines, tradition, values, festivals and so on. Moreover, Punjabis are known to be very helpful, welcoming, as well as happy go lucky people. They celebrate their festivals and victories with great zeal and zest . This thing inspired me to write about it .

Punjab is full of food and festivals. Which is your favourite dish? 

I like almost all Punjabi cuisines, however, Amritsari Kulcha and Lassi are on the top of my list.

Say, a traveller is visiting Punjab for the first time and only for two days and you need to create an itinerary for him/her? What all will you include so that he/she has a fulfilling experience. 

I will divide his/her trip into three parts: First I will show the traveller all our religious places including the Golden Temple, Anandpur Sahib, etc. Secondly, I will take him/her to the famous tourist places like Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake. Then, I will show her/him some historical places like Jallianwala Bagh and will also take him/her to the Wagah Border. 

Finally, I would like them to explore the authentic cuisine of the state that includes extensive vegetarian and meat dishes. If it’s the winter season, then nothing can beat Makki ki Roti and Sarson ka Saag along with Sooji ka Halwa. In summers, a sumptuous and refreshing glass of Lassi. Of course, one can also try Amritsari Kulcha, Chole-Bhature, Dal Makhani, Butter Chicken and more.

What does writing mean to you? How do you work towards improving your writing as well as storytelling skill? 

According to me, writing is expressing our thoughts and emotions into words. It helps me to enhance my knowledge, writing and communication skills, as well as building people to people relationships. No doubt, writing gives you the freedom to express your thoughts. At the same time, it makes you analyse a storyline, and accordingly you choose your words. We can improve our writing skill by reading more and more books written by famous authors. We also need to build the habit of practicing writing. 

What are you planning to write next?

I am planning to write about the culture and heritage of some of the historical places.