STATE TIMES NEWS
POONCH: The Hola Mohalla was celebrated in Poonch on Friday by taking out a rally in the whole Poonch city and by exhibiting the ancient Sikh martial art. The rally was taken out from Gurdwara Singh Sabha Poonch under the supervision of President District Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee Prof Narinder Singh in which large number of people including men, women and children participated besides the Jatha from Purani Poonch led by Jathedar Onkar Singh.
The festival of Hola Mohalla is celebrated in a manner different than the Holi. The practice of holding a fair of this kind was initiated by Guru Gobind Singh ji, the Tenth Sikh Guru. Purpose of the fair was to physically strengthen the Sikh community by holding military techniques and mock battles.
The rally which passed through main market, Quila Bazaar and Bus Stand reached College Ground where the Gatka party of Bhai Rajinder Singh of Jammu displayed the traditional Gatka (Martial Art) and other warfare techniques which made the audience spell bound. The rally finally culminated again in Gurdwara Singh Sabha through Nakhan Wali Road and Parade Ground. The police team under the supervision of Dy SP (DAR) Mohan Lal Sharma also accompanied the rally. Prominent among those present in the rally include General Secretary DGPC Rajinder Singh, Advocate Rajinder Singh, Surinder Singh, Ram Dass Sewa Society President Surjit Singh, Anmol Singh, Balbir Singh and Onkar Singh.