In April 2011 I had the pleasure of travelling to India with some friends to experience one of the worlds biggest festivals - Hola Mahalla. Now you may heard of Holi which is celebrated by Hindus at roughly the same time, but Hola Mahalla is a unique Sikh festival which seems to have escaped most peoples radar. It takes place before Vasakhi, during the course of a week between March/April. Every year over a million people pass through Anandpur during this period, to experience the unique festivities. Thousands travel from across India to be part of it and also from around the world.
During my own journey to Anandpur I saw so many people travelling at the same time it was frightening, the sheer numbers, the different modes of inappropriate transport, which made me thankful for the health and safety regulations we have in the UK. As well tractors, lorries, I witnessed an entire family of 4, mum, dad and 2 kids on a motorbike weaving in and out of traffic. They looked perfectly content and exited travelling to be part one of the worlds best kept secrets. I must admit I was gob-smacked, I dont think they'd get that far in the UK without a policeman pulling them over or a sudden downpour of rain forcing them to reconsider their transport choice.
Lots of people made the journey on foot, walking for several hours and in some cases days to get there. Seeing the commitment these people had on route to walk, as we sat in an air conditioned jeep was a humbling experience.
We also witnessed many Nihang Singhs travel in on horseback and set up camp. These Singhs travel all over India like nomads, going from event to event. A mobile army of Singhs, armed, and ready for battle.
Hola Mahalla was introduced by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, our tenth Guru shortly after the birth of the Khalsa, in the 18th century. Being a minority religion, and constantly under threat, Guru Ji wanted his Sikhs to have the martial skill-set required to prepare them should they ever be under attack.
Similar to the Olympics where athletes take part in sports competitions, Hola Mahalla became an arena to demonstrate training warfare. In Guru Jis time, mock battles would take place, as well various competitions to showcase different skills. With archery, Gatka, horse riding, and wrestling being featured. These competitions can still be seen today by those that attend the festival. For those lucky enough to attend, it is like taking a step back in time.
Whilst in Punjab I witnessed a Gatka demo at night. Now you might ask yourself "its night how did they see their own weapons?" Well, these highly trained experts were using weapons that were on fire. It was Amazing and hugely frightening at the same time. The image of the flames lighting up the night sky will live with me forever.
On another occasion I saw Singhs demonstrate how skilled they are riding horses. Standing on them with their shastar in their hands, horse galloping at full speed, ready for battle. I saw another stand on two, with the reins in his teeth and Kirpan in each hand. Whilst the Olympics has Dressage, which is an impressive sport with a horse jumping over the odd obstacle, after you witness what these Sikh warriors can do you realise how watered down and basic dressage is.
All of these experiences reminded me of our history, the countless battles, how we fought so many with so few. Being able to see this at first hand, was akin to experiencing the warrior spirit in Guru Jis time and was the main motivation to document this experience.
Kickstarter for Hola Mahalla film: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1850630349/hola-mahalla-the-forgotten-festival-documentary-an
Preview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCLjAQIcKrQ