Nihangs ride high with daredevil acts

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Sultanpur Lodhi, November 13

Showing daredevilry riding two to four horses at a time, some participants from the Nihang groups got injured during mohalla celebrations held here today. The show was organised at a ground near Gurdwara Sant Ghat to mark the conclusion of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in the holy town.

Nihang jathas from Baba Budha Dal, Baba Bidhi Chand Dal, Tarna Dal and Guru Nanak Dal Marian Wale gathered near Gurdwara Hatt Sahib and came towards the ground along with nearly 200 horses. Horse races were organised. The jockeys also played ‘nezabazi’ (similar to tent pegging using spears) as a crowd gathered all around to cheer the participants.

Some participants got injured as they lost balance and fell off the horses. Another got badly bruised and had to be taken on a stretcher as two horses passed over him. The heads of the Nihang dals came riding on an elephant, followed by a camel. The best horse possessed by each dal, called the ‘gaddi wala ghora’ (presumed to be used by Guru Gobind Singh), was decorated and not used for any of the events.

Traditionally, all big Sikh religious events end with a mohalla. “We are keeping alive the tradition set by our tenth Sikh master. Other than Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib, we have a mohalla at Chamkaur Sahib a day after Dasehra, at Amritsar a day after Diwali, at Damdama Sahib after Baisakhi and at Fatehgarh Sahib in the memory of Chhote Sahibzade. Since it is the 550th Gurpurb, the arrangements for the mohalla here this time are certainly big but venue confusion kept us worried,” said a follower of Baba Balbir Singh of Baba Budha Dal.

The horse keepers for Baba Bidhi Chand Dal said, “The kind of arrangements made for us and our animals at Patna Sahib by the Nitish Kumar government during the 350th Guru Gobind Singh Parkash Purb are no match with the provisions here. The Bihar government had even arranged veterinary experts for our animals.”

Selfies galore

Nihangs with huge ‘dumalas’ remained the centre of attraction at the event. As Nihang Major Singh from Amritsar, who dons a 425-metre tower-shaped turban and is a Guinness Book of World Records holder, was in Sultanpur Lodhi, many visitors chose to get a selfie clicked with him. His turban was adorned with various religious symbols that made it heavier. Avtar Singh Mauni, another Nihang from Patiala, who ties 645-m-long turban, too obliged all with a selfie.