Holla Mohalla Festival
29 - 31 March 2021
The day after the festival of colors, in March, the Sikhs celebrate the Holla Mohalla, a festival that, for three days, is held at ANANDPUR SAHIB (City of Bliss) where one of the five most important gurudwara is located. The custom of Holla Mohalla originated when, on February 22, 1701, the tenth guru Guru Govind Singh (1666-1708), fighting against Aurangzeb of the Mughal Empire and the Rajputs (kings) of the hills, wanted to dedicate a day to the simulation of battles. , to prepare the people for arms but also for music and poetry competitions, thus giving rise to a tradition that is still alive today. Even today, in fact, the members of the Sikh army founded by Guru Govind Singh, the Singhs Nihang, dressed in blue and orange robes and embellished with turbans, continue the martial tradition with mock battles, fencing and horseback riding demonstrations, and implementation, with swords and spears, daring feats and spectacular acrobatics between the waving of flags and the sound of drums, in and around the Takht Kesgarh Sahib, the great temple made of white marble in the twentieth century. Early in the morning, prayers in the gurdwara mark the beginning of the festival which culminates on the last day of the fair, with the huge procession of the Nihangs.
25 March: Arrival in Delhi
Upon arrival at the airport in Delhi, meeting with our staff. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
26 March: Delhi - Amritsar (by train)
Breakfast and visit of the old city of Delhi. In the afternoon transfer to the station to take the train to Amritsar. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Hotel.
27 March: Amritsar
Visit of the holy city of the Sikhs and the Golden Temple founded in 1577 by the fourth Guru Ram Das, a building in white marble with a dome covered in gold leaf and surrounded by the waters of the Sacred Basin. Visit to Jallianwala Bagh, theater, in 1919 of the Amritsar massacre, a significant event for the fight against Independence. In the afternoon we witness the Wagah Border, the salute to the flags of India and Pakistan. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
28 March: Amritsar / Tarn Taran / Chandigarh (Km. 230 – approx 5 hrs)
Breakfast and departure for Chandigarh. Stop at the sacred Sikh temple of Tarn Taran founded by the fifth Sikh guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563–1606). The city of Tarn Taran, the scene of Sikh revolts in the 1980-1990s, which wanted it to be the capital of the agonized and never built independent state of Khalistan, is today a quiet and spiritual place. Continue to Chandigarh, the masterpiece of the famous architect Le Corbusier and capital of eastern Punjab which was annexed to India after the partition with Pakistan in 1947. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
29 March: Chandigarh / Anandpur Sahib (Km. 90 – approx 2 hrs)
Breakfast and departure for Anandpur Sahib, one of the five sacred 'Takht' (eternal chair) of the Sikh warriors to attend the celebrations of the festival of Hola Mohalla which annually attracts up to 100,000 devotees from all over the country. Day dedicated to the celebrations of Hola Mohalla. Dinner and overnight in a tented camp.
30 March: Anandpur Sahib (Holla Mohalla)
Breakfast at the Campo. Day dedicated to the celebrations of Hola Mohalla. The Nihangs, the holy warriors of Guru Gobind Singh's army, come from all over the country in their traditional clothes and, between prayers and sacred rites, stage battles remembering their martial origin. Dinner and overnight in a tented camp.
31 March: Anandpur Sahib / Chandigarh / Delhi (by train)
After breakfast departure for Chandigarh and visit the city. In the late afternoon transfer to Chandigarh station and departure for Delhi by Shatabdi Express train. At the arrival station, meeting with our staff. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
01 April: Delhi / Jaipur (Km.180 - approx 4 hrs)
After breakfast, departure for Jaipur, the "pink city" for the color of the pink sandstone buildings that characterize the splendid old city. Upon arrival, accommodation in the hotel. Rickshaw city tour. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
02 April: Jaipur
Breakfast and visit to the Amber fortress, whose construction began in 1592 by the hand of Raja Man Singh I, and which was the ancient capital of the state and seat of the Rajput dynasties until the foundation of Jaipur. The interiors are decorated with sculptures, mirrors, precious stones. Access to the entrance of the fort by elephant or by jeep (subject to availability). Return to the city and stop in front of the Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 to allow the ladies of the court to observe daily life in the streets. Visit of Jaipur, the "pink city", founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II, and today the capital of Rajasthan. Visit of the City Palace complex, the historic seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur, still today the residence of the royals and part of the museum. Visit of the Jantar Mantar, the Astronomical Observatory, a World Heritage site, architectural forms used as astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
03 April: Jaipur / Fatehpur Sikri / Agra (Km.245 - approx 5 hrs)
Breakfast and departure for Agra with a stop in Fatehpur Sikri built by Emperor Akbar in 1569, who wanted it to be a magnificent witness to the power of his court. It was abandoned 15 years later due to lack of water. Its red sandstone buildings and pavilions are perfectly preserved. Continue to Agra, the city of love. In the afternoon, visit of the Taj Mahal (closed on Friday), a monument of which Shah Jahan, for the love of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631, ordered the construction which was finished in 1653. Their bodies rest eternally in a simple crypt. Today it represents UNESCO heritage. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
04 April: Agra / Delhi (Km. 240 - approx 4 hrs)
Breakfast and visit of the Red Fort, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose construction was commissioned by the emperor Akbar in 1565. Departure for Delhi. Stop in Sikandra to visit the tomb of Akbar, the Mughal emperor who built the city of Fatehpur Sikri. Arrival in Delhi and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at Hotel.
05 April: Depart from Delhi
Morning after breakfast, transfer to the international airport. Boarding the flight back home.
Your trip to India with participation in the Holla Mohalla Festival can be tailored to your needs, even by planning different itineraries (see the "India" page in "Destinations").