Hola Mohalla 2026: 5-day annual festival to be held in Anandpur Sahib from February 27

The annual Hola Mohalla celebrations at Anandpur Sahib will be held from February 27 to March 3, with the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) coordinating closely to ensure smooth arrangements and to keep the religious event free from political overtones.

Unlike the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur commemorated in November last year, which witnessed sharp differences between the state government and the SGPC, this year’s Hola Mohalla is expected to remain apolitical. People familiar with the matter said the state government is making efforts to take SGPC officials on board for the organisation of the festival, which attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad.

Ropar Deputy Commissioner Aditya Dachawal has already held a meeting with the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, to discuss arrangements and ensure coordination between civil and religious authorities.

Meanwhile, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains chaired a high-level review meeting with the district administration at Anandpur Sahib. Emphasising the commitment of the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to celebrate Hola Mohalla, Bains directed officials to establish a tent city spread over eight acres, a dedicated trolley city, 25 parking zones, pedestrian walkways, and deploy 60 shuttle buses and 100 e-rickshaws to facilitate the movement of devotees.

The minister instructed senior officers to ensure smooth traffic flow for devotees visiting Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, maintain cleanliness, and create a spiritually conducive atmosphere during the three-day congregation.

“Together we want to create an atmosphere where the focus is on devotion. We will leave no stone unturned in our planning,” Bains said.

Hola Mohalla holds immense religious and historical significance in Sikhism. Established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1701 at Anandpur Sahib, the festival was conceived as a display of martial spirit and preparedness among the Khalsa.

Traditionally held a day after Holi, it features grand processions, gatka (martial arts) demonstrations by Nihang Singhs, kirtan, religious discourses, and community kitchens (langars). The festival symbolises courage, discipline and spiritual strength, reinforcing Sikh identity and heritage.

Over the years, Hola Mohalla has also acquired socio-political significance in Punjab. Given the state’s history of political mobilisations around religious platforms, the event often draws political leaders seeking to connect with the Sikh electorate.

However, in order to preserve the sanctity of the occasion, political conferences during Hola Mohalla were formally banned by an edict of Sikh High Preists in 2018, following concerns that partisan speeches were overshadowing the spiritual character of the festival. Since then, political organizations have reiterated that the event should remain religious in nature.

With Punjab Assembly elections scheduled in February next year, Hola Mohalla assumes added political sensitivity. Anandpur Sahib remains symbolically important in Sikh religious consciousness, and any perceived attempt to politicise the festival could trigger controversy.

Observers note that while overt political conferences remain banned, the presence of ministers and senior leaders overseeing arrangements carries subtle electoral undertones.

The effort to ensure coordination between the government and the SGPC this year is being viewed as an attempt to avoid a repeat of last year’s tensions witnessed during the martyrdom anniversary events. Maintaining harmony between civil administration and religious bodies is considered crucial, especially in the run-up to elections.

As lakhs of devotees prepare to converge on Anandpur Sahib, the administration’s focus remains on crowd management, infrastructure and maintaining the spiritual ethos of Hola Mohalla an event that blends faith, history and identity at the heart of Punjab’s socio-political landscape.