Hola Mahalla

Hola Mahalla

Hola Mahalla is a Sikh event which falls on the first day of the month of Chet as per the Nanakshahi calendar (calendar for the Sikhs). It normally occurs a day after the Hindu festival of colours, Holi.

Ther are different connotations as to the literal meaning of the term Hola Mahalla. Bhai Kahan Singh, an eminent Sikh scholar, opines that ‘Hola’ is derived from ‘Halla’ (military charge) and ‘Mahalla’ stands for an army column and thus would mean ‘charge of an army’. Dr MS Ahluwalia, another scholar, states that ‘Hola’ is derived from ‘Holi’ and ‘Mahalia’ (a Punjabi term) refers to an organised procession in the form of an army column accompanied by standard bearers and the beating of war drums.

The event was started by the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, on 22 February 1701 in the Holgarh fort in Shri Anandpur Sahib. He made it an occasion for the Sikhs to display their martial skills in simulated battles. It later became an annual event. The three day event now mainly consists of various demonstrations of one’s fighting prowess like Gatka, sword fighting, exercises on horses and archery. This is followed by kirtan, religious discussions and poetry. For meals everyone eats the vegetarian food of Guru da Langar (see post of 17 December 2012). A large procession led by the panj pyaras and accompanied by the beating of drums and chanting of war cries is organised on the last day of the celebrations. A spirit of selfless community service is overwhelmingly evident in the organisation of the celebrations.

The festival is now celebrated to reemphasise the qualities of valour, brotherhood and fraternity amongst the Sikhs. It also underlines the need to be always prepared for self defence against any oppressor.

Hari Singh Nalwa

The Great Sikh General

Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa

Hari Singh Nalwa was the Commander-in-chief of the empire of the Sikh army. He was responsible for expanding the frontiers of the Sikh empire to beyond the Indus River and right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass.

He was born to Gurdas Singh and Dharam Kaur, in an Uppal Khatri family, in 1791 in Gujranwala, Punjab (in present day Pakistan). His father died in 1798. At the age of ten, in 1801, he took Amrit and became a baptised Sikh. He began to manage his father’s estate, Jagir of Balloki (in modern day Kasur district of Pakistan), at the age of twelve and also took up horse riding.

He was sent to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1804 (aged 14) to settle a property dispute. The case was decided in his favour. After learning that his ancestors had served the Maharaja as also after watching his skills at horse riding and as a musketeer, Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed him at the court as his personal attendant.

In 1804, he was attacked by a lion that also killed his horse. He refused offers of help from his fellow hunters and killed the lion using only his shield and dagger. He thus earned the nickname of ‘Baagh Maar’ (lion killer).

Hari Singh Nalwa fought a number of battles during his lifetime. The important ones among them were battle of Kasur (1807), Battle of Sialkot (1808), Battle of Attock (1813), Battle of Multan (1818), Peshawar (1819), Battle of Pakhli (1819), Battle of Mangal (1821), Battle of Mankera (1822), Battle of Nowshera (1823), battle of Sirikot (1824), Battle of Saidu (1827) and Battle of Jamrud (1836).

He was grievously wounded in the battle of Jamrud in 1837 and died as a result of these wounds. He was cremated in the fort of Jamrud.

Hari Singh Nalwa served as Governor of Kashmir (1820-21), Greater Hazara (1822-37) and Peshawar (1835 till his death). His administrative skills and bravery coupled with his benevolent nature made sure that he was sent to the most troublesome spots in order to create a dynamic, people friendly and efficient administration.

He built a number of forts, towers, tanks, Gurudwaras, temples, mosques, havelis and gardens. He built the fortified town of Haripur in 1822. He built all the Sikh forts in the Trans Indus region, Jehangira and Nowshera on both banks of the river Kabul and Sumergarh in Peshawar. He also built a fort at Jamrud and reinforced Akbar’s fort in Attock.

He built Gurudwara Panja Sahib in the town of Hassan Abdal. He also donated gold required to cover the dome of the Akal Takht in Amritsar.

In his lifetime he was a terror for the then so called ferocious tribes near the Khyber pass. He permanently blocked the routes of invaders through the Khyber Pass at Jamrud. In his death, his formidable reputation ensured victory for the Sikhs against a vastly superior Afghan force.

Dr Vanit Nalwa, a seventh generation of the hero, states that in the two and half centuries that Afghanistan has existed, US, Russia and Britain have tried to subdue the Afghans with little or no success. The Sikhs won the only decisive real and unmatched victories against them. He stopped the plundering, looting and invasions of the Afghans so much so that the raiders were absolutely scared of him. So scared that they resorted to wearing feminine apparel, shalwar kameez (now known as the Pathan Suit), to escape his wrath since they knew that the Sikhs did not attack the defenceless and the weak including women and children. They earlier used to wear only a single robe garment similar to that worn by the Arabs. Afghan mothers used to silence their crying children by saying, “Khamosh bash- Haria raghle” (quiet child, Haria has come).

The editor of the Tit Bits newspaper of England wrote in one of his columns around 1881:-

"Some people might think that Napoleon was a great General. Some might name Marshall Hendenburgh, Lord Kitchener, General Karobzey or Duke of Wellington etc. And some going further might say Halaku Khan, Changez Khan, Richard or Allaudin etc. But let me tell you that in the North of India a General of the name of Hari Singh Nalwa of the Sikhs prevailed. Had he lived longer and had the sources and artillery of the British, he would have conquered most of Asia and Europe…."

Ballad
Bey - Bahut hoya Hari Singh doolo, jida naam raushan door-door saare,
Dilli Dakhan te CheenMacheen taayn, Baadshanha nu khaufzaroor saare,
Raja Karan te Bikramajit vaangu, Hatam Tai vaangu mashoor saare,
Kadaryar jahaan te nahi hone, sakhi oh budand hazur saare. 

                                  (Qadir Bakhsh urf Kadaryar in Kissa Sardar Hari Singh, c.1840)

Bey- Hari Singh was exceptionally brave; his name and fame travelled afar. Kings in Delhi, Deccan, China and Tibet trembled at the mere mention of his name. The legendary Raja Karan, Raja Bikramajit and Hatim Tai were all famous, said Kadaryar, but none could match him (Hari Singh) in philanthropy.

Sam Manekshaw

SAM MANEKSHAW

Many of you who read this blog would think as to what an article on Sam Bahadur is doing in a write-up about Punjabi traditions and stories of valour. However as you read through I hope your doubts will be put to rest.

Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji (SHFJ) Manekshaw also known as Sam Bahadur (Sam the Brave) was the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army. He was born on 3 April 1914 in Amritsar, Punjab. His parents Hormusji Manekshaw, a doctor, and his mother Heerabai, had moved to Amritsar from Valsad, Gujarat.

Sam completed his primary education in Amritsar and moved to Sherwood College in Nainital thereafter. After completing his education in 1929 he wanted to go abroad (London) to study medicine and become a doctor. However his father opined that he was too young to go abroad. He then got him admitted to Hindu Sabha College in Amritsar. Sam then volunteered to join the Indian Army and was amongst the first batch of Indians to qualify in the examination for the same. He joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on 30 September 1932 and graduated from there on 4 February 1934. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and first served 2^nd Battalion THE ROYAL SCOTS and later with 4^th Battalion 12^th FRONTIER FORCE REGIMENT. After partition, though this regiment opted to join Pakistani Army, he remained in the Indian Army.

His military career spanned four decades from the British era and World War II, to the wars against China and Pakistan after India’s independence in 1947.

In the Second World War he was deployed on the Burma front. He was severely wounded on 22 Feb 1942 while gallantly leading his company to capture a vital enemy position, Pagoda Hill. He was hit by a burst from a LMG and took many bullets in his stomach and body. Major General DT Cowan spotted Manekshaw holding onto life. The General was aware of the valour of Manekshaw in the face of stiff resistance from the Japanese and immediately fearing the worst quickly pinned his own MILITARY CROSS ribbon to Manekshaw saying that, “A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross.” He thus has the distinction of being honoured for his bravery on the battlefield. When he was brought nearly dead to the hospital and the surgeon asked him as to what had happened, he replied that he was “kicked by a bloody mule.” This shows the true spirit of the man in even a hopeless situation.

He attended the Staff College at Quetta from 23 August to 22 December 1943 and was posted as Brigade Major of Razmak Brigade till 22 October 1944. Upon partition since his regiment opted to join Pakistan Army he was first empanelled with 16 PUNJAB Regiment and later to 3^rd Battalion 5^th GURKHA RIFLES. However he could not command the battalion since the events of partition kept him as a staff officer at the Army Headquarters. This has always been disappointing for him.

He commanded 167 Infantry Brigade in Ferozepur and was later posted as Commandant Infantry School. He took over command of 26 Infantry Division in December 1957. Thereafter he was Commandant of the Staff College at Wellington, Tamil Nadu and was later appointed to command 4 Corps after General Kaul resigned. He was appointed GOC-in-C of Western Command and later Eastern Command. He became the eighth Chief of the Indian Army on 7^th June 1969. As Chief he masterminded the complete annihilation of the Pakistan Army in the 1971 war leading to the surrender of more than 93000 troops and creation of a new nation Bangladesh. He retired on 15 Jan 1973.

He was honoured with a Military Cross in 1942, Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 1972. He was conferred the rank of Field Marshal on 1 Jan 1973.

Field Marshal Manekshaw died of complications from pneumonia at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu on 27 June 2008. He was laid to rest in Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu with full military honours.

Some of his famous quotes showing the character of the man are given below:-

After being given command of the retreating 4 Corps during the war with China in 1962: “There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued.”

After assisting a young Indian Army officer with his luggage when the grateful officer asked Sam, "What do you do here?". Sam replied "I everyday help officers like you with their luggage, but I do in my past time command this Infantry Division".

Note. I have surfed/gone through a lot of material on Field Marshal Manekshaw but have not been able to locate the school in which he studied in Amritsar. There are also no details of any remembrance to this great man in his birthplace of Amritsar. His birth centenary will occur on 3 Apr 2014. Let us hope that Amritsar will remember him and give a befitting tribute to this great son of Amritsar, Punjab and India.