7 Things Every NRI Misses About Punjab (Even If They Don’t Admit It)
BUSINESS & ECONOMYTRAVEL & HERITAGE
They may live in Canada, USA, Australia, or New Zealand, but trust me — their hearts still beat somewhere between the wheat fields of Punjab and the gali of their childhood.
Here’s a list of 7 things every NRI secretly (or not-so-secretly) misses about Punjab — the smells, the sounds, the soul of desi life that even Dollar Stores can’t replace.
1. Pind Di Hawa & Gallan
Forget expensive air purifiers — there’s nothing like the scent of mitti after rain, or the cool evening breeze as you sit on a charpai with a cup of chai and gossip flowing freely.
“Oye suna, Bagge da putt Dubai gaya?”
No Starbucks convo can beat that level of engagement.
2. Ghar Da Khana
Yes, NRIs eat quinoa, kale salads, and air-fried samosas. But their soul cries for:
Makki di roti te sarson da saag
Aloo de paranthe with extra makkhan
Maa di haath wali chai
Uber Eats doesn’t deliver maa da pyaar.
3. Shaadi-Season Madness
In Punjab, it’s not a wedding — it’s a festival with 500 guests, 5 DJs, 3 fights, and 1 drunk uncle doing bhangra solo.
Abroad?
Weddings are tight-budgeted, RSVP-only events with one hour of dancing and no butter chicken refills.
“Vyaah naal ni, scene Punjab naal aa!”
4. Pind Wale Yaar
Friends abroad are great. But pind wale yaar? They’ve been with you since tinda days in school and gedi routes on Activa.
They don’t text “how are you” — they just call and start the conversation with “Oye kutteya, zeona ai?”
That’s real friendship.
5. Loudspeakers, Langar, & Lohri
Where else will you:
Hear Chamkila, Gurdas Maan blasting from a tractor at 7 AM?
Dance around a bonfire with rewri and popcorn in hand?
Crash a langar with your friends for the kadha prasad?
Spirituality + Community + Calories = Pure Desi Heaven.
6. The Sound of Tumbi and Tractor
Punjabi music isn’t just entertainment — it’s an identity. The beat of a dhol, the twang of a tumbi, and the roar of a tractor on a winter morning — these are sounds that no Alexa playlist can recreate.
Even if they’re in Toronto, when that old Babbu Maan track plays, they’re instantly back in Sangrur.
7. Being Called “Putt” by Everyone
In Punjab, even your neighbor’s grandmother calls you “putt” or “beta” with love. Abroad? It’s “excuse me” or “sir” or “ma’am”.
That casual warmth, that apnapan — it’s irreplaceable.
In Punjab, you’re not just a citizen — you’re part of the family of Punjabiyat.
Final Thought:
No matter how much money you earn abroad, how high you climb the corporate ladder, or how many homes you buy overseas —
One phone call from your village, one video of Lohri, one taste of maa ke haath da paratha... and boom, you're homesick.
Because Punjab isn’t just a place — it’s an emotion.
And NRIs? They carry it in their heart like a permanent tattoo, no matter how far they fly.