Building Resilience through the Study of Cultural and Religious Syncretism: Folk-Narratives, Shrines and Gurudwaras in Punjab

Peer-Reviewed
The Criterion

The Criterion: An International Journal in English ISSN: 0976-8165

Open Access

Cultural Studies

Building Resilience through the Study of Cultural and Religious Syncretism: Folk-Narratives, Shrines and Gurudwaras in Punjab

Divyanshi Bhardwaj
Volume / Issue
Vol. 17, Issue 1 · February 2026

Pages
878-895

Article ID
2026V17N1008

Abstract

Punjab, owing to its geographical position has been labeled as the “Melting Pot” of various cultures and religions. In the modern times, when identity is being constructed in consolidation along religious affirmations, the folk narratives of the region embody various philosophies and offer an alternative against the dominant discourse of homogenization. Reading and analyzing these narratives as well as the social spaces that offer a possibility of interaction between the communities speaks for the existence of a shared culture along humanitarian grounds, which is Punjabiyat. This paper makes an effort to study these alternatives in the form of folk literature and spaces which stand as a stark contrast to the existing and rising discourse of homogenization of History and consolidation in Identity construction.

Keywords

PunjabQissaSyncretismFolk NarrativesShrinesGurdwaras

Article History

Received
1 September 2026
Accepted
11 February 2026
Published Online
3 February 2026

How to Cite

Divyanshi Bhardwaj. “Building Resilience through the Study of Cultural and Religious Syncretism: Folk-Narratives, Shrines and Gurudwaras in Punjab.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 878-895. ISSN: 0976-8165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n1.59

Back to Vol. 17, Issue 1 · February 2026 The Criterion · ISSN 0976-8165

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