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Holla Mohalla - a Sikh festival is celebrated every year in the month of March, a day after Holi. Hola "Mohalla" derives its name from Punjabi word “Mohalla” implies an organized Procession in the form of an army column accompanied by war drums and standard-bearers, and proceeding to a given location or moving in state from one Gurdwara to another.
The festival was started by the tenth Sikh Guru – Guru Govind Singh who had tried to gather Sikhs for military exercises and mock battles after Holi. This has now become a traditional annual festival of Sikhs held at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. The festival also marks the New Year as per rituals and lunar Nanakshahi calendar of Sikhs. It is celebrated over three days and it retains the character of fun and joy of Holi which concludes a day before.
History Of Holla Mohalla
Holla Mohalla was first started on 1st March 1757 at Anandpur on Chet vadi. This custom was originated during the time of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) who held the first procession at Anandpur on Chet vadi. This was done to avert a grimmer struggle against imperial power following the battle of Ninnohgrah in 1700. Guru Sahib told his Sikhs wake up to their responsibility and duty as AKAAL PURAKH KI FAUJ (the Army of the Almighty) to defend the TRUTH and PROTECT society. Thus, the history of Holla Mollaha goes back to 1757 A.D.
Celebrations of Holla Mohalla
Every Indian festival has its own charm of festivity; the Holla Mohalla festival has no exception to it. In Holla Mohalla, people accumulate in Anandpur Sahib, and enjoy the day with singing bhajans and seeing the famous pegging competitions of archery, fencing, riding and traditional function of wrestling. Other than these sports activities, they also savor the taste of delicious langars which is organized by sewadars as per Sikh tradition.
The other attractions of the Holla Mohalla celebrations are:
Wrestling: Started as a tradition by the followers of Guru Hargobindji within boundaries of Akal Takht Sahib and it is mostly his boost that wrestling as a sport made Punjab its birth place. Over 60 years ago, Grewal Sports Association had begun to give prices in this sport. However, today this sport is practiced in almost 7000 villages of Punjab.
The other sports activities on Holla Mohalla include Archery, Kabaddi, Weight-Lifting, Cycling, Football, Acrobatics and twisting an iron-rod by placing it on Adam’s apple, etc.
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