ludhiana: hot, crowded, and surprisingly not that touristy
ludhiana is... quite the city. it's quite the place to be, and my head is still spinning from the heat and the crowds. i just checked and it's 9.34°C there right now, which is actually not bad if you're reading this in summer, but if you're going in winter, hope you like that kind of thing.
the place is huge, seriously massive. they say it's the most populous city in punjab, with like 1.6 million people packed into just 159 square kilometers. that's a lot of people in not a lot of space. walking around, you can feel the density. it's like being in a human wave, except with more motorcycles and less water.
historically, it was founded by some lodi dynasty people and named after the lodi pashtun tribe. which is cool, but honestly, most people just come here for business. it's punjab's commercial capital, apparently one of the easiest cities for business in all of india. someone told me that the world bank actually ranks it super high for business access, which is impressive when you're dodging auto-rickshaws and street vendors.
they call it "india's manchester" for all the textile stuff. i mean, i didn't really see any factories, but there are tons of shops and markets. the old city and the new city are apparently different - the old is the historical core, while the new was built by the british for officials. colonial leftovers, i guess. someone told me that the old city is where you should go if you want to see historical stuff, but the new city is where all the fancy government buildings are.
the weather... well, it's extreme. summers get up to 45-46°C with dust, which sounds like a special kind of hell. winters are cold, down to 5°C, which is better but still not great for someone who doesn't own a proper coat. then there's the monsoon from july to september, bringing 70% of the annual rainfall. someone told me that despite all the dams, flooding is still a problem. you'd think they'd figure that out by now, right?
if you get bored in ludhiana, patiala is just a short drive away, about 52 miles southeast. not that there's much to get bored of here - it's pretty much non-stop action. but variety is the spice of life, i guess.
the food... well, it's punjabi, so you're looking at wheat-based dishes, lots of dairy, and tandoor stuff. nothing too unique, but it's good. the people are mostly punjabi-speaking, which makes sense since it's in punjab. no one famous is from here, at least according to the sources i read. it's more about the city itself than any particular person.
overall, ludhiana is... intense. it's crowded, it's hot, it's dusty, but it's also got this energy that's kind of addictive. if you like cities that don't sleep, this might be your jam. just bring sunscreen and a good hat.
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