a Tri~Gurpurab Celebrations c

The transformation of' HOLA MOHALLA from 'Holi was first perpetuated by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj, who in A.D. 1701 gathered Sikhs at Anandpur to hold the first Hola fair. In due course this festival was given an uplift with the inclusion of martial arts as one of its salient features. For Namdhari Sikhs, however, it has added significance, who celebrate it as a tri-gurpurab to mark the birth of Satguru Balak Singh Ji and Satguru Pratap Singh Ji.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji divided his Army into two groups and made them fight mock battles - hence strengthening their military techniques and fighting abilities. Traditionally, the festival includes competitive displays of weaponry and symposia of poetry. During and after the Sikh Raj the 'Hola Mohalla' took a different turn. The Sikhs indulged themselves in all kinds of vices and forgot the Gurus' teachings.

This wretched state of the Sikhs was witnessed by Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji. The old 'Hola Mohalla' of Guru Gobind Singh was again re-enacted and resurrected by Satguru Ram Singh and at Anandpur the Hola Mohalla was celebrated with a record breaking attendance. (British records suggest that more than 10,000 sikhs accompanied the Guru to Anandpur). The festivities accomplished were to the standard of Guru Gobind Singh's time. Subsequently the festival became a very prominent item in the Namdhari calendar.

After the exile of Satguru Ram Singh Ji, the British created conditions of of semi – captivity and made sure no large fairs took place. During this time the 'Hola' was never celebrated as a festival, until the relaxation of the British surveillance. Guru Hari Singh after a lapse of nearly 27 years, in AD 1898 celebrated the Hola in a village in Sialkot namely Guru Chak. Since that day the 'HoIa' celebrations have been quite consistent until the present time.

As the birth anniversaries of Sri Guru Balak Singh Ji, the 11th Guru (regarded as the custodian of Sikhism) and Sri Satguru Partap Singh Ji fall near this festival (11th & 13th March 09 respectively) , the festival is now enjoyed as two more auspicious occasions by the Namdharis Sikhs. The festivities of the tri- gurpurab are performed for a period of four days, which include all kinds of religious programmes, concerts, exhibitions etc.