Difference Between Gujarati and Punjabi

Gujarati vs Punjabi

Difference between a Gujarati and Punjabi is as clear cut as a Texan and a New Yorker. Gujarat is a state in the west of India while Punjab is a state on the northern side of the country. People belonging to Gujarat are referred to as Gujarati’s and those from Punjab are called Punjabi’s. Both Gujarat and Punjab are among the front ranking states of India with a great contribution to the Indian economy. While Punjab has traditionally been an agricultural state leading in the production of rice and wheat, Gujarat is a leading producer of Indian cotton and textiles. It also tops in India in the production of milk.

In the last few decades, Gujarat has made rapid progress on the front of industrialization and today, more than 20% of India’s GDP is being contributed by this state alone. World’s largest oil refineries are located in Gujarat and two of the three Natural Gas plants in India are in this state. The state has also made giant strides in the field of IT and all of its 18000 villages are not only electrified, all of them have broadband internet facilities. Gujarat today has highest employment rates and the per capita income of the people is among the highest in India.

Punjab, on the other hand has been a state of very hardworking and industrious people who have always excelled in agricultural production. Punjabi’s take pride in hard work and this is reflected in Punjab being the highest grain producer in the country. Punjabis historically have not been ahead in studies but have proved their worth in businesses such as agriculture and transport.

Both Guajarati’s and Punjabi’s are business minded though nowadays Guajarati’s are making a name for themselves in the field of education as well with thousands of engineers and doctors of Gujarati origin having settled in countries like US, Canada and Australia. Punjabi’s are mostly concentrated in UK and Canada though they are doing mostly businesses even abroad.

Talking of superficial differences, Gujarati’s follow Hindu religion and are mostly vegetarian while Punjabi’s are mostly Sikhs who wear turban and follow Sikh religion. The languages spoken in the two states are Gujarati and Punjabi respectively that have totally different roots. Punjabis are mostly non vegetarian though their most famous food, ‘sarson da sag and make di roti’ is pure vegetarian. Among Gujarati dishes, it is Dhokla that is most famous. Punjabi language is a bit loud and crude while Gujarati language is sober in contrast.

The most famous Gujarati personality at present in India is business tycoon Mukesh Ambani (CEO of Reliance Industries) whereas the most famous Punjabi personality in India is Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India at present. This is of course barring Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, who was a Gujarati.