Festival of colour and courage – Hola Mohalla 2023

Hola Mohalla marks the start of spring. Sikhs from across the state of Punjab gather at their holy site – Anandpur Sahib on the foothills of Shivalik Hills for three day of mock battles, horsemanship, display of weapons, poetry competitions and more. The tradition was established by the 10th leader of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, to mark the transformation of Sikh community into a martial fraternity in 1701 (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

The Sikh warrior order, Nihang Sikhs, demonstrate their martial arts skills – a reflection of their bravery, discipline and selflessness. So comes the phrase “Hola Mohalla,” which stands for mock fights. There are stunning displays of horsemanship and sword fights called gatka, an ancient martial art skill (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar) 

People gather to watch Nihangs perform tent pegging. Horsemanship is an important part of a Nihang Sikh’s life. They take great care of their horses and still travel long distances on them (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Commonly known as Hola, the festival isn’t complete without playing with colours. Even before the events begin, people can be seen throwing colours at each other. Earlier people used to play Holi by throwing rose water and saffron coloured water (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

The Chakar is an important instrument for Nihangs to display their skill. They whirl it around at an extremely high pace to mesmerize the audience. The martial arts exhibited by the Nihangs provide a picture of the Sikh heritage to the visitors (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Inside the stadium, groups of people stand in circles to watch the Gatka (sword fights) performed by the Nihangs. Children, men and women of the order take turns to showcase their martial art skills. From a young age, Nihang Sikhs are trained in Gatka (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Nihang Sikhs have passed down the Sikh martial art of Gatka through generations. The tenth Sikh Guru – Guru Gobind Singh ji, was supposed to be the greatest master of this martial art (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

An elderly Nihang Sikh displays his skill by standing up on a speeding motorbike. Crowds gather in hundreds at the stadium near the main Gurudwara to watch these performances by the Nihang Sikhs (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Nihang Sikhs and tourists arrive from different parts of the country to partake in the festivities. People start arriving a week earlier and set up camps where they provide langar (food) to those visiting. Over the years Hola Mohalla has evolved into a major tourist attraction and has also been featured in Bollywood films (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Amongst other events, a district level Kabaddi competition is also held each year. Kabaddi is a popular sport in rural Punjab. The winning prize this year was Rs 7 lakh, while for the runner up it was Rs 5 lakh (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)

Hola Mohalla celebrates brotherhood, camaraderie and valour amongst the Nihang Sikhs. Nihangs were designated as Guru’s Knights and till date carry the military style of the yesteryears. They are easily recognised by the dark blue apparel and big turbans, and usually carry their swords with them (Photo by Sanskriti Talwar)