Hola Mohalla is a very special festival of the Sikh community which will be celebrated from 25 to 27 March this year. The purpose behind celebrating this festival is to increase the feeling of love, unity and bravery among the people. Many special programs are organized in this three-day festival which doubles its enthusiasm. Know what is Hola Mohalla and how it started.
Hola Mohalla is a very important festival of the Sikh community. It is celebrated by the Sikh community across the world. This festival is so grand that people come to Anandpur Sahib from far and wide to see it. This festival, which lasts for three days, has great importance from the religious point of view for Sikhism and the message of unity and bravery is given through this festival.
When will the event be held this year?
Hola Mohalla usually starts from the next day of Holi. This year it will be celebrated from March 25 to March 27. This festival is celebrated at the holy site of Sikhs, Takht Sri Kesargarh Sahib, Anandpur. Celebrating this three-day long festival was started by the tenth Guru of the Sikh community, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the 17th century.
How did Hola Mohalla start?
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s objective behind celebrating this festival was to create a community which was not only capable warriors but also skilled in self-discipline and spirituality. The aim of this festival is to spread unity, brotherhood, bravery and mutual love. Therefore, for the Sikh community, this festival holds great importance from the religious point of view and this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Sikh community all over the world.
How is it celebrated?
Hola Mohalla starts with prayers in Gurudwaras. After this a city kirtan procession is taken out. This is a very grand scene, which people come from far and wide to see. Many types of religious and cultural performances are included in it.
On the second day, the Sikh traditional martial art Gatka is displayed. In this, a mock war is displayed, in which two groups are divided and they give a unique presentation of their war art. Also, many exciting competitions like horse riding, wrestling, archery etc take place, which add to the joy of this festival. These competitions are so entertaining that people come from all over the world to watch them.
On the third day of this festival, great Sikh heroes are remembered and paid tribute. On this day, a unique scene of selfless service is seen. At the conclusion of the event, a free lunch is provided to individuals from all castes, religions, and communities, known as langar. The Sikh community conveys their sense of harmony and oneness via this langar.
