Hola Mahalla

Hola Mahalla at Anandpur Sahib

Hola Mahalla is a Sikh Olympics event which begins on the first day of the lunar month of Chet in theNanakshahi calendar. It most often falls in March,^[1] and sometimes coincides with the Sikh New Year. Holla Mohalla is a Sikh festival celebrated in the month of March, usually after Holi. The word Moholla has been derived from an Arabic word “hal” which means “alighting or descending”. Mohalla is a Punjabi word which signifies an organized procession in the form of an army column. Furthermore, Holla Mohalla stands for “mock fight”. The festival is marked by Sikhs demonstrating martial arts in the form of simulated battles that are accompanied by war-drums and standard bearers. This annual festival is celebrated with great zeal and gusto in the north-eastern region of Punjab in Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib. The festival of Holla Mohalla does not occur on the same date every year.

Hola Mahalla in London

Hola Mohalla festivities may last from three days up to a week, and include sparring with wooden sticks and swords, demonstrations of skill with various types of weaponry, and exhibitions of archery and horsemanship. Both male and female Sikhs actively participate in year round martial arts training, and displays of sparring skill during festivities. Many participants array themselves in traditional warrior attire of chola, an over garment having a flared skirt, and a domalla style of turbanwrapped with chain mail and accessorized with one or more chakar, a kind of steel throwing ring. Festivities conclude with a Hola Mohalla parade featuring nagar kirtan and daring displays of Gatka, a kind of martial sword dance.

Tenth Guru Gobind Singh first introduced Hola Mohalla, a week long, spiritually oriented, martial arts festival which coincides withHoli, the Hindu festival of colors. Hola Mohalla is celebrated by Sikhs as an alternative to the licentious Holi holiday.

The date that Hola Mohalla is celebrated changes every year because it is partnered with Holi which is celebrated according to the fluctuating Hindu calendar. Hola Mohalla traditionally coincides with the Nanakshahi New Year which occurs in the month of Chet, or about mid March, according to the Gregorian calendar. Neighboring gurdwaras, Sikh centers of worship, may stagger the spacing of Hola Mohalla parades, which usually take place on Sundays, in order to coordinate sharing of floats and allow for participation of regional Gatka troupes whose exhibitions are the foremost feature. The result is that Hola Mohalla festivities often begin several weeks prior to, and may even extend past, the actual calendar date of the holiday.

Guru Gobind Singh started this festival as a day for Sikhs to practise their military exercises and hold mock battles.

Today, Sikhs celebrate by watching and partaking in martial arts parades, led by the nishan sahibs of the Gurdwaras. These are followed by poetry readings and music.

It is celebrated around March 17.

More Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hola_Mohalla