Punjab’s Unique Water Tanks and Statues

Words by Divya Goyal

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This painting was done by Horace Van Ruith in the 1880s as a documentary record of costume and jewelry of the region of Punjab. The woman is wearing her full set of head, ear, nose, neck, arm, hand, ankle and foot jewelry and a costume richly decorated with 'zardozi' (gold wire/thread) embroidery. She lifts her blue gathered skirt with gold-embroidered border to show her silver anklets and toe rings, and at the same time shows the mirror ring on the thumb of her left hand and gold finger rings attached to her bracelets by gold chains. Her shoes are in front of her bare feet. (Available now as Print)

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Recommended Reads:

Punjabiyat: The Evolution of Punjabi Identity

The Forgotten Wild West of Punjab

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Punjab’s Unique Water Tanks and Statues

Uppal Bhupa Village, Jalandhar District, Punjab, 2015. Image by © Rajesh Vora and via Photoink

In India, Gurmeet Singh Brar, unexpectedly found images of his home splashed across the internet because he had installed an 18-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty on the roof of his home. Initially, headlines claimed he was denied a U.S. visa and thus installed the iconic U.S. landmark at his home. This turned out to be untrue. However, Brar did install a replica of the Statue of Liberty, made in fiberglass, but as a tribute to the United States. Gurmeet Singh Brar, now settled in Indiana, USA, originally hails from Bathinda, a village in Punjab, India. Years after moving abroad, he wanted to honor the aspirational spirit of many like him from his hometown.

Brar, a business owner in India, moved to the U.S. in 2006 and started a transportation business that gradually gained success, making him popular in his community in the States. Following the statue's installation and subsequent viral popularity, Brar spoke to the Times of India, explaining that the Statue of Liberty in the U.S. symbolizes the country that "has given his family so much." Brar stated, "The Statue of Liberty is our family's tribute to America since we migrated there. When we were constructing our home in our village in Moga district, we thought of installing a statue, and the Statue of Liberty immediately came to mind. It will maintain our connection with the US even when we are in Punjab."