HOLI/HOLA MAHALLA
Holi is a festival of the Hindus. It is observed on Phaggan Sudi 15 (February- March) to commemorate the death of a mythical Hindu evil spirit named Holika. On this day, the Hindus throw colourants and spray coloured water on each other. Nowadays, it has become more of hooliganism than religion.
Guru Gobind Singh, in order to wean the people away from this silly custom, organized wrestling and sword-wielding competitions, mock-battles and practising art of warfare maneuver etc. at Anandpur Sahib. Guru Sahib named it Hola (in fact, Halla, literally: attack) Mahalla (literally: place), in other words: ‘attack and the place for attack’. Mahalla is also defined at ‘to stop halla’ (m+halla), i.e. attack and to stop attack. This is art of battle.
Now, it has become an annual formality to hold celebrations on day, next to Holi, at Anandpur Sahib. The date or the day itself, however, has no religious sanctity for the Sikhs.
It is sad that some Sikhs have adopted it in the form of a Sikhized Hindu-Holi festival. On this day, some ignorant Sikhs throw/spray even colour-powder/liquid dye on the others; completely in contradiction to the Sikh ideology.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)