The only festival in the world which is dedicated to the martial arts, bravery, strength and valor of a religion! Yes, that’s what Hola Mohall is! An Indian festival of the Sikh religion, more on the terms of a carnival, this is the only festival all across the globe which where you can see Sikh weaponry displays, men swirling and twirling their swords, drums beating and horses being ridden by strong men without saddles! It’s a sure shot visual treat!

Hola Mohalla translates to ‘Mock Fight’ – a place where Sikhs demonstrate their martial arts skills in simulated battles. Hola Mohalla is an annual Sikh festival which falls usually on the next day of the Hindu festival Holi and takes place in a village in Punjab known as Anandpur Sahib. For three consecutive days, the festival is celebrated in which the Sikh community showcases their physical strength and valour

by performing dare devil acts. This practice of holding the annual fair was started by the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji who felt that mock battles, dare devil acts and military exercises would physically strengthen them.

It is amazing to see Sikh men bareback horse-riding, standing erect on two speeding horses, doing Gatka (mock encounters) etc. This is always followed by music and poetry competition to lighten the charged up atmosphere. A number of durbars (seminars) are also held where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji(the holy religious book) is present and kirtan (religious songs) and religious lectures take place. This helps in strengthening the soul of community. The majority of the Sikhs are the Nihangs who attend this festival. It is easy to identify the Nihang Sikhs as they are the ones in rich blue robes and huge turbans which are usually studded with small weapons. It is a spectacle to see some Nihang Sikhs who wear turbans measuring 600 – 700 metres equivalent to 2116 feet.

Community meals are an integral part of the Sikh community and everywhere there are langars organised by the Sikh foundation. Langar can be described as a community eating system where people irrespective of their religion, case, sex or age can sit with each other on the floor and eat together in a gurudwara (Sikh place of worship).

The nearest airport to reach Anandpur Sahib is Chandigarh International airport which is at a distance of 1 hour 50 minutes. The accommodation around Anandpur Sahib is usually guest houses however, we suggest our guests to stay at a resort which is nestled inside a private forest reserve which is 45 minutes away. The resort is India’s first ever resort to be inside a Private Forest Reserve spread over 1800 acres of forest, a secluded haven of luscious green splendour.

While you are at the festival, we always recommend to visit Virasat-e-Khlasa, a gallery of the Sikh religion showcasing sacred texts ranging from more the first to the last guru over 500 years.

This year, this Indian festival will begin on Tuesday 10thMarch and end on Thursday 12thMarch. A Travel Boutique (India) is a good place to start booking your dates for a wonderful experience in the roots of the festival.

Travel to India to witness this festival –

We suggest to get a trip planner in India to arrange for you to be a part of this festival as we assure comfort and ease for you in the hustle and bustle of the festival. We at Curating Experiences aim exactly for that and more, to bring you the best of your memories.