- Hola Mohalla
Hola Mahalla (also Hola Mohalla or simply Hola) is a
Sikh festival which begins on the first day of thelunar month ofChet in theNanakshahi calendar . It most often falls in March, cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ] and sometimes coincides with the SikhNew Year . cite web |url=http://www.sikhworld.co.uk/page19.html |title=Sikh Calendar |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhWorld.co.uk |author=Amolak Singh ] The festival lasts for a week, cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ] and consists of camping out and enjoying various displays of fighting prowess and bravery, followed bykirtan , music, and poetry.cite web |url=http://www.sikhworld.co.uk/page22.html |title=Sikh Ceremonies |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhWorld.co.uk |author=Amolak Singh] For meals, visitors sit on the ground in neat rows called "pangats" and eat vegetarian Langars provided by volunteers. cite web |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=119&cat=5 |title=The Hola Mohalla Festival |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhChic.com |date=March 2007 ] The festival concludes with a long, military-style procession nearTakht Sri Keshgarh Sahib , one of the five most sacred places in Sikhism. cite web |url=http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart304.htm |title=Celebrating Holi |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=Reflections On Gurbani |author=T. Singh |date= August 15, 2008 ]Etymology
Bhai Kahan Singh, who compiled the
Mahan Kosh (the first Sikh encyclopedia) at the turn of the 20th century, explained, "Hola" is derived from the word "halla" (a military charge) and the term "mohalla" stands for an organized procession or an army column. The words 'Hola Mohalla' would thus stand for 'the charge of an army.'" cite web |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=119&cat=5 |title=The Hola Mohalla Festival |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhChic.com |date=March 2007 ] Dr. M.S. Ahluwalia notes that the related Punjabi term "mahalia" (which was derived from theArabic root "hal", meaning to alight or descend) refers to "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 oneGurdwara to another." cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ]"Hola" is a masculine term, meant to be distinguished from the more feminine "Holi"; cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ] the Hindu spring festival of
Holi takes place the day before Hola Mahalla. cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/holydays/holamahalla.shtml |title=Hola Mahalla |accessdate=2008-09-14 |work=BBC Religion & Ethics |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=August 28, 2002 ] Hola may have been originally created to distract Sikhs from Holi, which is also known as the Festival of Colours and commonly considered the most energetic of Indian festivals. cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/holydays/holamahalla.shtml |title=Hola Mahalla |accessdate=2008-09-14 |work=BBC Religion & Ethics |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=August 28, 2002 ]History
The event was originated by
Guru Gobind Singh , the tenthSikh Guru . cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14] The Guru was in the midst of fighting both Aurangzeb of theMughal Empire and the Hill Rajputs, and had recently established theKhalsa Panth fighting force. cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ] cite web |url=http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart304.htm |title=Celebrating Holi |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=Reflections On Gurbani |author=T. Singh |date= August 15, 2008 ] OnFebruary 22 ,1701 , Guru Gobind Singh started a new tradition by overseeing a day of mock battles and poetry contests at Holgarh Fort. cite journal |last=Ahluwalia |first=M.S. |year=2004 |month=November |title=Tourism: The Festival of Hola Mahalla |journal=SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly |issue=18 |url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112004/hola.htm |language=English |accessdate=2008-09-14 ] cite web |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=119&cat=5 |title=The Hola Mohalla Festival |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhChic.com |date=March 2007 ] The tradition has since spread from the town ofAnandpur Sahib to nearby Kiratpur Sahib and the foothills of theShivaliks , and to other Gurdwaras around the world. cite web |url=http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart304.htm |title=Celebrating Holi |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=Reflections On Gurbani |author=T. Singh |date= August 15, 2008 ]Nihang Singhs
The
Nihang Singhs are the modern day descendents of Guru Gobind Singh's army, and are unique among Sikh orders for being military in nature and for the distinctive rich blue of their traditional robes and large turbans, which are often embellished. cite web |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=119&cat=5 |title=The Hola Mohalla Festival |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhChic.com |date=March 2007 ] Today, these "ascetic warriors" are prominent figures at Hola Mahalla: they still carry traditional weapons, and "are skilled at tent-pegging, "gatka" or fencing, jousting and other war-like sports." cite web |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=119&cat=5 |title=The Hola Mohalla Festival |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=SikhChic.com |date=March 2007 ] They are also proficient at horseback-riding stunts and archery. cite web |url=http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart304.htm |title=Celebrating Holi |accessdate=2008-09-17 |work=Reflections On Gurbani |author=T. Singh |date= August 15, 2008 ]References
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