A day in the life in Punjab, India

I am a 29 y.o. male living in Chandigarh, India. Chandigarh is the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, but as majority of the people living here are Punjabis (the culture), Chandigarh is thought of being belonging more to Punjab than Haryana.

First thing I do after I get up is take a selfie. Lol jk. I make my bed. Its my morning ritual and I've done it so many times now that my body realizes I am up only after I fold the sheets and arrange the pillows.

Then I turn on some music on my Chromecast Audio, which is connected to my speakers. Depending on my mood, it'll either be dance numbers or soft soulful music. Punjabis are known to be loud, kind, big hearted fellows, sort of like the Vikings of India, so on most days its dance numbers (sorry can't help it).

I also look at this first thing I get up. Its a painting my younger cousin sister made for me on my birthday. The panda is me and the cat is my would-be wife, stoking and helping me achieve my dreams. I love it.

Once the music is up, I walk around the apartment to generally wake me up. This is my living room. I love living minimalistically so only have the few things I need. I love empty space in my home where I can walk and exercise (in the morning).

Next, walk to the kitchen, drink my morning cup of water. Pretty minimalistic kitchen too. At the moment I am following a special lifestyle (checkout Dr. arnold ehret's mucusless diet), so I don't have much equipment to cook/make food with. I am mostly on raw veggies/fruits. Have to see this is an aberration, because Punjabis are known to be big foodies.

View of the front of my apartment. Love the trees.

Back view from my apartment. I live on the first floor, so the lawn on the ground floor is visible here. Chandigarh is a very green city, perhaps the greeniest in India. I love that about the city.

After getting ready, I am off to work in my car. I work as an IT guy in a Canada-based company's India office. These days I work in the afternoon shift, so travel to work is easy. Less traffic and hassles.

Another road on the way to work. Notice the trees all over. My drive is about 10 minutes, most of which is on tree-lined roads. I really love this about Chandigarh.

Since its afternoon its also time when the schools are out. Here you see kids going back home.

Since Chandigarh is capital of two states, it officially is its own town (Union Territory), which means politically its it own thing. My office is in Punjab, so everyday to work I cross the border. This border says "welcome to punjab" in punjabi.

Punjabis are very religious people. The predominant religions here are Hinduism and Sikhism. Here you see a Sikh temple (Gurudwara). During my 10min drive I cross 3 Gurudwaras. I love the calm and the quiet of these places, and although I am a Hindu I prefer visiting a Gurudwara than a Hindu temple.

Another Gurudwara on the way. Notice the charitable healthcare facilities for everyone. Sikhs are very kind, vivacious people. Always willing to help, walk the extra mile.

Local market in Punjab selling fresh fruits. Until 1 year ago I was living in Europe (Germany). I was there for almost 6 years. Loved the experience of living as an expat, tons of newer things. One thing I missed there was the fresh fruits, which I am quite used to in India. One of the big reasons for me to come back to India is the food.

Another fruit seller on the road (sorry for the bad pictures, i was trying to take pics for this post and also drive and also not look suspicious, at the same time).

More fruit sellers. Seriously, love the availability of cheap fresh fruits.

Let the fellow cross.

More kids going home.

This is my office building. Its a multi-company complex, and they are still building a part of that building (alliteration unintended).

Entrance to the foyer (I had to take this pic in the evening, otherwise I would definitely have irked some people for taking their pic in the afternoon).

My desk. I am a DevOps engineer, i setup automation pipelines for my company. I love my job. Company is also good. People are quite relaxed, friendly.

Around sunset I came to the rooftop to take pics for this post and you guys. The first time I am on the roof.

Aerial view of the city.

Other side.

Front of the building.

In the distance you can see the hills. Also the airport is close so we often see airplanes landing. The famous PCA cricket stadium is also near my workplace, you can see it in one of these pics. Also, you can spot several Gurudwaras in these rooftop pics if you zoom in.

Back in the market, spotted a Jeep. A lot of people are fond of Jeeps here. Since most of Punjab was once (and still is) agricultural area, people pride themselves of being farmers and owning off-road vehicles.

Entrance of a Gurudwara.

Local vendors selling grilled corn corbs on the streets. These are quite popular in this season (Monsoons).

Tried to take a nice picture of the Gurudwara for you guys. In the right you can see a tall pole. Its called the Nishaan Sahib (the respected marker). It can be seen from afar and denotes the presence of a Gurudwara to the viewer from a distance.

Night time, going back home. On the road, spotted a tractor. Its usual to see tractors and Audis, BMWs, Mercedes going side by side in Chandigarh.

Sometimes, when I feel like it, I go watch a movie. As I start working in the afternoons, I don't get off until late, and mostly can only catch the last show of the movie. Good for me, most crowded malls are empty by this time, which I like.

Cinema hall from the inside, during the break. Watching The Secret Life of Pets, 3D. Enjoyed it :)

A Rolls Royce showroom in the same mall as the cinema hall. At some point people made a lot of money selling their agricultural land, and being fond of cars, like to spend their money driving expensive cars.

Thanks for your visit. I hope you enjoyed the post.