Tractor-trailers carrying pilgrims on Holla Mohalla banned in Una

The Una administration has banned till March 14 the entry of tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles carrying pilgrims during Holla Mohalla that started at Gurdwara Manji Sahib or Dera Vadbhag Singh in the district today.

The Gurdwara Manji Sahib, which is also known as Dera Vadbhag Singh, is a historical gurdwara located on the Una-Hamirpur road, about 30 km from the district headquarters. The gurdwara receives lakhs of pilgrims every year, mostly from Punjab. As per the estimates of the district administration, about 20 lakh pilgrims visit the gurdwara every year.

The maximum arrival of pilgrims to the gurdwara is during Holla Mohalla and Baisakhi festivals. The life in tiny hamlets of Nehri and Marihi, where the gurdwara is located, gets disrupted during mela days.

Since most of the pilgrims from the rural areas of Punjab come on tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles, the ban imposed by the district administration is likely to create chaos on the state border with Punjab in Una district.

Una Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal said that the entry of tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles carrying pilgrims had been banned during Holla Mohalla till March 14. The ban had been imposed as carrying pilgrims on commercial vehicles was illegal and it often led to accidents during mela days. “A communication has been sent to the deputy commissioners of various Punjab districts so that they could stop commercial vehicles carrying pilgrims at the places they were starting from, he added.

Last year also, the district administration had banned the entry of commercial vehicles and tractor-trailers during Holla Mohalla. This had led to chaos on the state border as a large number of pilgrims travelling on tractor-trailers were stopped at the toll barriers. The pilgrims had held protests at the border and hindered traffic.

Sources said that if tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles carrying pilgrims were not stopped at places from where they were starting in Punjab, the Una district administration would find it difficult to stop them on the state border.