Hola Mahalla (also Hola Mohalla or simply Hola) is a Sikh festival which begins on the first day of the lunar month of Chet in the Nanakshahi calendar.
"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.
It most often falls in March,and sometimes coincides with the Sikh New Year.The festival lasts for a week,and consists of camping out and enjoying various displays of fighting prowess and bravery, followed by Prayers or kirtans, music, and poetry. For meals, visitors sit on the ground in neat rows called pangats and eat vegetarian food (Langars) provided by volunteers. The festival concludes with a long, military-style procession near Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib one of the five most sacred places in Sikhism.
The event was originated by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The Guru was in the midst of fighting both Aurangzeb of the Mughal Empire and the Hill Rajputs, and had recently established the Khalsa Panth fighting force. On February 22, 1701, Guru Gobind Singh started a new tradition by over seeing a day of mock battles and poetry contests at Holgarh Fort. The tradition has since spread from the town of Anandpur Sahib to nearby Kiratpur sahib and the foothills of the Shivaliks and to other Gurdwaras around the world.
Hola falls on
- 2009 11 Mar
- 2010 1 Mar
- 2011 20 Mar
- 2012 9 Mar
- 2013 28 Mar
- 2014 17 Mar
- 2015 6 Mar
- 2016 24 Mar
- 2017 13 Mar
- 2018 2 Mar
- 2019 21 Mar
- 2020 10 Mar