Hola Mohalla, a festival started by Guru Gobind Singh and celebrated at Anandpur Sahib, is primarily celebrated in which state?

Hola Mohalla is a Sikh festival celebrated mainly at Anandpur Sahib, in the Rupnagar district of Punjab. It is held on the day after Holi, in the month of Chet (March), and is usually celebrated for three days. It attracts lakhs of Sikh devotees from India and abroad.

Hola Mohalla was started by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, in 1701 at Anandpur Sahib. He started it as a day for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills and to hold mock battles, at a time when the Sikh community needed to be ready to defend itself against the Mughal army. The word "Hola" is a masculine form of "Holi", and "Mohalla" comes from an Arabic word meaning an organised procession or army column. Instead of playing with colours like Holi, Hola Mohalla became a festival of courage, strength and military training.

The festival is famous for the displays by the Nihangs, the traditional Sikh warriors, dressed in blue robes and tall turbans and carrying swords, spears and other weapons. They perform gatka (the Sikh martial art), mock battles, sword fighting, horse riding, tent pegging and other daring feats on horseback, such as standing on two galloping horses. The festival also includes kirtan (singing of hymns), religious discourses, poetry competitions and langar (free community kitchen) for all visitors. On the last day, a long procession (mohalla) led by the Panj Pyare goes from the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, one of the five takhts (seats of authority) of the Sikhs, through the town.

Anandpur Sahib is also where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa on Baisakhi in 1699.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Rajasthan is known for festivals such as Gangaur and the Pushkar Fair.
• ✗Gujarat is known for Navratri and Uttarayan.
• ✗Uttarakhand is known for festivals such as Phool Dei and Harela.