ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਵਨ - Punjabi Bhawan 4.86

Though Punjabi Bhawan, like Rome, was not built in a day, it may yet take many more years to give shape to the dream of its founding fathers, Bhai Jodh Singh and Dr Sher Singh. Dr Sher Singh and Bhai Jodh Singh were both men of vision and action. They planned to set up Punjabi Sahit Akademi with a modest target of enrolling 100 members. The Akademi was formally established on April 24, 1954. It was, at that time, perhaps the first literary organisation of its kind in the entire country.

Dr Radhakrishnan the then Vice-President of India laid Punjabi Bhawan’s foundation stone on July 2, 1966. The Bhawan functions as the head office of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi. It also has the District Language Office, the Punjab School Education Board Office and a bookshop on its premises. The activities here are so varied that it means different things to different people. Rural youth and workers in rural areas look upon it as a nucleus of musical shows or the venue of Prof Mohan Singh ‘mela’. The urban youth and the rich come here to attend ‘star-nites’ or fashion shows. The open-air theatre is in the Bhawan was named after Balraj Sahni, theatre and film actor, by Dr M.S. Randhawa. Poets get together for their monthly meetings in the committee room. Academicians, critics and students assemble in Rana Seminar Hall for exchange of ideas.

The Punjab Bhawan also houses a reference library, one of best in the region in terms of collection of books, documents and papers. Punjabi Sahit Akademi also organises academic and literary functions. It holds the prestigious Kartar Singh Dhaliwal annual awards ceremony.