Holla Mohalla Festival

The words "Hola Mohalla" stands for "mock fight". During this festival, processions are organised in the form of army columns accompanied by war-drums and standard-bearers and moving from one gurdwara to another. The custom originated in the time of Guru Gobind Singh who held the first such mock fight event at Anandpur in February 1701. The mock battles are followed by kirtan and valour poetry competitions.
Today the Nihang Singhs carry on the martial tradition with mock battles and displays of swordsmanship and horse riding. There are also numerous darbars where kirtan is sung. Hola Mohalla is celebrated by Sikhs worldover as 'Sikh Olympics' with competitions of swordsmanship, horse riding, Gatka (Sikh martial arts), falconry and others.