Just attended the Holla Mahalla at Siri Anandpur Sahib, I can confidently say that there is no bigger event in Punjab. For a full week leading up to Holla Mahalla, whole of Punjab is coloured in the colour of Holla Mahalla. People from all walks of life, and Sikhs in particular, arrive at Siri Anandpur Sahib. All roads leading up to Siri Anandpur Sahib are full of Langars arranged by local village Sangats. It is amazing to see the hospatility spirit amongst the Sewadaars of these Langars. Most Sewadaars are youth and beg commuters and travellers going or coming from Siri Anandpur Sahib to partake some Langar.
There are hundreds of such Langars throughout Punjab and they serve Lakhs and Lakhs of devotees everyday. The food they serve at Langar is not just simple food but very rich and delicious foods including Jalebiaan, Ghulab Jamun and what not. On our way to Siri Anandpur Sahib we were stopped numerous times by Sewadaars who very humbly requested us to take some Langar. Some Sevadaars would lie down on the road to stop our car. Others would fold hands, prostrate before us to have some Langar. Such humble treatment was not limited to us but everyone was treated in such Gurmukhi humble manner. We had to deny their requests with equally humble gestures. The spirit of Sewa is just amazing.
When we saw their Sikhi spirit we were both happy and sad. We were happy of course to see how humbly and earnestly they were doing Sewa and we were sad because how little they knew about Sikhi. Most of the youth who was doing Sewa were also doing Be-adbi of Kesh i.e. were cutting either their Kesh, beard or both. Our Parcharaks are doing absolutely nothing. The soil of Punjab is so fertile for Sikhi Parchaar. Last time around, we practically found out that if you inform the youth about the importance of keeping Kesh and doing Paath, they listened very carefully and actually adopt your Gurmukhi preachings. Previously we stopped at many Langars and through small lectures, told them about Sikhi including Kesh, Baana, Paath etc. Many told us to come to their villages to do Parchaar. Many promised to keep Kesh and do Paath. The idea is to do something. Around Holla Mahalla, massive Parchaar can be done in Punjab. What you need is youth from foreign dressed in Gurmukhi Baana and armed with Gurmat knowledge. Then see how much Parchaar you can do.
If someone wants to see Chardi Kala of Khalsa and Baana, one should come to Siri Anandpur Sahib. There are countless Singhs with full Baana there. Jathe dee apni hee Shaan hai. The Jatha Samagam is amazing and countless sangat comes there for Laaha. Kirtan is out of the world experience. The spiritual vibrations are abound and Naam starts effortlessly within.
Presented below is an article published in Tribune, about Sewa spirit of Sikhs around Holla Mahalla:
Kulbir Singh
Hola Mohalla celebrations
Devotion beats inflation
Megha Mann/TNS
Anandpur Sahib, March 19
It began with a modest serving of tea and food in 1978. Now, the elaborate ‘Neher Wala Langar’, organised as part of the six-day Hola Mohalla festival, even serves juice along with regular food items.
But, the most praiseworthy is the indomitable spirit of the villagers that has kept the annual community lunch going. Lakhs of pilgrims are served food here daily during the festival, the skyrocketing prices of vegetables, pulses and other ‘langar’ (community lunch) ingredients notwithstanding.
Organised beside Nangal Hydel Channel near Barapind village here, initially not many women were willing to cook, the venue being a forest area. So, men took over the job.
Today, besides people from Barapind, villagers of Beli and Falahi Kotla also serve ‘langar’ round the clock during Hola Mohalla. Inspite of the high prices of vegetables and pulses, more than 15 ‘langar’ organisers have been taking care of the food requirements of the lakhs of devotees en route from Ropar to Anandpur Sahib.
While ‘Neher Wala Langar’ is a joint venture of three villages, the one at Alipur village is run by the natives themselves. Here, even fresh sugarcane juice is served.
Sewa Singh, a villager, says the ‘langar’ gets around 60,000 devotees in six days. “Ours is a small village of 650 voters. All of us contribute either in money or kind. Most of us are farmers and we contribute all kinds of crops that we grow. Two years ago, we started serving sugarcane juice also to the pilgrims. Ever since, their count started growing,” he said.
Notably, the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane is Rs 215 per quintal for 2011 and about 60 quintal of sugarcane is crushed daily here. Apart from the contributed sugarcane, villagers also buy it from the open market to meet the demand.
The prices of other items used to prepare the ‘langar’, like cauliflower, cabbage, pulses, garlic, etc, too are sky-high nowadays. “The prices don’t matter during ‘sewa’ (service). We don’t know how, but God manages the entire funds and we serve the devotees. We have never audited our expenses for these six days, as we know our vessels will never go empty,” says Teja Singh, who has been part of the ‘langar’ near Panj Piara Park in Anandpur Sahib for the last over a decade.
Apart from the expensive food items, high cost and paucity of the cooking fuel is also a matter of concern. But the villagers either rope in fuel filling station owners or contribute from their spare quota of LPG cylinders. Even biomass fuel is now being used to prepare chapattis.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
Since that experience from last year, it has left a lasting and profound effect on me. I humbly feel that the Jatha of India needs to get out there and teach the regular youth about True Gurmat. Smagams are nice, but wouldn't it be nice to have schools run by Jatha? Rehitvaan Singh-Singhnis as school teachers?
