The Immortals | Documentary on Nihang Sikhs

'The Immortals' is a very first documentary which is made under Thoda Shorts. This documentary covers a festival called "Hola Mohalla" which takes place in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India. Anandpur Sahib is at the border of Himachal Pradesh. Holla Mohalla is a festival celebrated by sikhs on "Holi" which is a famous festival celebrated by Hindus. Hola Mohalla, also called Hola, is a three day long Sikh festival which normally falls in March and takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chett, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi but sometimes coincides with Holi.
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru built upon the story of Prahlad and founded the festival of Hola Mohalla. According to Thompson (2000), Guru Gobind Singh established Hola Mohalla in 1680. Similarly, Cole (1994) states that Guru Gobind Singh summoned his followers to attend Anandpur on Holi when he introduced a new rally in 1680 to coincide with Holi where his followers could practice manoeuvres and combat training. However, Guru Gobind Singh organised the first procession accompanied by drums in Anandpur on 22 February 1701 A.D.
Having been the abode of the last two human Gurus of the Sikhs for more than 20 years, Anandpur Sahib was to witness many momentous events of Sikh history, including the Hola Mahalla festival, which is an annual feature. The festival has now lost much of its original military significance, but Sikhs in large numbers still assemble at Anandpur Sahib on this day and an impressive and colorful procession is taken out in which the Nihangs, in their traditional panoply, form the vanguard while parading their skill in the use of arms, horsemanship, tent-pegging, and other war-like sports.
In this Documentary we have tried to capture the festival's essence and the Nihang Sikhs. We have captured the Gatka Competition which takes place in a ground called Charan Ganga Stadium which is performed by Nihang Sikhs.
The Nihangs assemble in thousands at Anandpur Sahib in March every year to celebrate Hola Mahalla. On this occasion they hold tournaments of military skills, including mock battles. The most spectacular event at the Hola Mahalla is the magnificent procession of Nihangs on horses and elephants and on foot carrying a variety of traditional and modern weapons and demonstrating their skill in using them.
Originally known as Akalis, the Nihangs or Nihang Singhs are endearingly designated as Guru's Knights or the Guru's beloved. They still carry the military ambience and heroic style that was cultivated during the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh. Nihangs constitute a distinctive order among the Sikhs and are readily recognized by their dark blue loose apparel and their ample, peaked turbans festooned with quoits, insignia of the Khalsa and rosaries, all made of steel. They are always armed, and are usually seen mounted heavily laden with weapons such as swords, daggers, spears, rifles, shotguns, and pistols.
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