Festival fervour marks Sikhs’ Hola Mohalla procession

Hyderabad, India: As part of the Hola Mohalla festival celebrated a day after the Holi, Sikhs in Hyderabad at 4.30 pm on Thursday took out two colourful Nagar Keertans (holy processions) from Central Gurudwara Saheb Gowliguda, near Koti and another from Gurudwara Saheb Charmahal near High Court, Petlaburj.

The devotees, who participated in the Hola Mohalla procession, smeared gulal and other colours on each other and exchanged Holi greetings on the occasion.

Prabhandhak committee of Gurudwara Saheb Charmahal, S.Harminder Singh (president) and S.Dilbagh Singh (chairman) said that as part of the Hola Mohalla festival, these two mass ‘Nagar Keertans’, (holy processions) were being taken out on a grand scale marking the festival. The procession from Central Gurudwara Saheb Gowligudal passed via Siddianber Bazar, Begum Bazar, Jumerath Bazar and reached Puranapul. Another procession Gurudwara Saheb Charmahal was taken out from Charmahal and passed via PTO, Petlaburj and reached Puranapul.

These two processions joined at Puranapul and approached Gurudwara Saheb Barambala Saheb, Sikh Chawniat at around 8.30 pm, via Bahadarpura, Kishanbagh.

The procession was marked by the rendering of Shabad Keertans (holy hymns) by the Jatha Tera Jatha and Keerthani Jathas. The major attraction of the procession was the display of ‘GATKA’ a Sikh martial art form all along the procession by special Gatka parties exhibited their Gatka skills.

Holla Mohalla is a community festival of the Sikhs celebrated on a large scale in Punjab, mainly at Anandapur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. It was started by the tenth and last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singhji. Guru Gobind Singh started the festival of Holla Mohalla for the Sikhs to display their martial skills.

Source: Indian Express