Amritsar: With the annual three-day Sikh festival of Hola Mohalla scheduled from March 17 to March 19, residents in large numbers have started leaving for Anandpur Sahib. A large number of trucks and tractor-trailers with fluttering Nishan sahibs can be seen on the bypass road these days. Vendors, too, have set up makeshift shops on roadsides to sell blue and kesari (saffron) flags, which are carried by devotees for the annual pilgrimage. The tractor-trailers are modest mode of human transport and residents have specially prepared them to ensure comfort for pilgrims for the long journey. Some have even installed LCD screens, comfortable mattresses instead of wheat straw and water purifiers in these trailers. For many pilgrims, visiting Anandpur Sahib on Hola Mohalla is a yearly ritual. These are the days when the farming community is almost idle, as it has finished tending to wheat crop that is still in its ripening period.
Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.