Welcome to SikhiWiki,

• Old Featured Articles
• Listen to Kirtan
• 1000's of Sikh Names
• Online Tutorials!

• Biographical
• Gurdwaras
• History
• Websites

• Sikhi Terms
• Scriptures
• Media
• Practices

• Places
• Sakhis
• Beliefs
• News

Introduction · Searching · Editing · Questions

A–Z Categories · Featured content · A–Z index · Help

[[:Template:AOW{{{1}}}|   ]]

Hola Mohalla festival
(Photo:Reuters/Kamal Kishore)

Hola Mohalla or simply "Hola" is a Sikh festival that takes place on the first "full moon" day in the month of March which approximately corresponds to the Punjabi month of Chet which begins on March 14.

Chet is the first month in the Nanakshahi calendar and this month coincides with March-April in the Western calendar.

Every year this festival takes place in the month of March when we have a "full moon" in India. This Sikh festival follows the Hindu festival of Holi; The word "Mohalla" is derived from the Arabic root "hal" (alighting, descending) and is a Punjabi word that implies an organized procession in the form of an army column.

But unlike Holi, when people playfully sprinkle color, dry or mixed in water, on each other, the Guru made Hola Mohalla an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles.

Together the words "Hola Mohalla" stands for "mock fight". During this festival, procession are organised in the form of army type columns accompanied by war-drums and standard-bearers and proceeding to a given spot or moving within the state from one gurdwara to another. .....More

Guru Nanak Sahib

In December 2004, while I was studying in London, I visited the Gurdwara Sahib in Southall and Giani jee was doing Katha (discourse on Gurbani). Giani jee's words stuck in my mind. He explained how Gurbani says, "Waheguru resides WITHIN ALL and that Waheguru FORGIVES and CLEANS the sins or filth of a sinner."

He went on to explain how at the end of Ardas we all say together, "naanak naam chardee kalaa, tere bhaane sarbat da bhalaa". Yes, we say, ‘SARBAT DA BHALAA’. We ask for the blessing of ‘ALL’. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib did NOT say, "I ask for the good of all EXCEPT for AURANGZEB who cowardly murdered my two young sons." No. When we do Ardas we do not say, "Sarbat Da Bhalaa, but NOT that person who swore at me last week… I don’t want his bhalaa (good)."

Picture Feature:

Hemkunt Sahib, a Sikh Gurdwara 14,900 feet up in the Himalayas. The temple is at the plateau within a mountain range sitting beside a still lake surrounded by seven peaks.
See Lakhdip Flickz - see photos with tag 'Hemkunt' Sahib

Section for Young Sikhs:

Guru Amar Das

Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ) (5 May 1479 - 1 September 1574) was the third of the ten Gurus of Sikhism; he became Guru on 16 April 1552.

Interestingly, he was aged of 73 when he was enthroned as Sikh Guru following in the footsteps of Sri Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji, who left for his heavenly abode on 29 March 1552 aged 48.

Becoming a Sikh Guru at the age of 73 made Guru Amar Das ji the oldest person to attain Guruship.

Guru Ji was the eldest son of Sri Tej Bhan ji a farmer and trader and Mata Lachmi Ji, his devoted mother. He was a shopkeeper and lived in a village called Basarke which is near Amritsar.

The third Sikh Guru was married to Mata Mansa Devi and they had four children - Two sons named Bhai Mohan and Bhai Mohri and two daughters named Bibi Dani Ji and younger daughter named Bibi Bhani Ji. Bibi Bhani later married Bhai Jetha who became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. See article Platforms of Jetha. .....More

Important Links:

Learning Gurmukhi/Punjabi

• Listen & Learn Gurmukhi Letters (Pain'tee)
• Click, Listen and Speak each letter
• Link to the Learning Index
• Full Punjabi Learning Course
• Animated Stories in Punjabi
• Click & Listen: Numbers in Punjabi
• Guru Granth Sahib with English translation pdf file
• Blog: Project: Gurmukhi

The Guru's Message...

Guru Angad Dev

Believe in One God:- The Guru tells us: "There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other at all. ... Meditate twenty-four hours a day on the One who created all beings and creatures. .. He is the Supreme Lord, the Creator of all the universe. .. He has given us body and soul. .. Attuned to the Love of the One, there is no sorrow or suffering. .. " Only " in His Sanctuary is there eternal peace." (page 45)

Do not be jealous of others:- The hukam of the Guru is: "One whose heart is filled with jealousy of others, good never comes to him. No one pays any attention to what he says; he is just a fool, crying out endlessly in the wilderness. .. The body is the field of action; in this Dark Age of Kalyug; whatever you plant, so you shall harvest. (page 308) and also "Jealousy and envy bring terrible pain, and one is cursed throughout the three worlds. .. They do not focus their consciousness on the Lord; they love to engage in arguments. They speak to cause arguments, and earn their living by telling lies." And finally, "In this world, only the Lord's Name is immaculate and pure. .. Without the Lord's Name, the world is poor and no one is satisfied or fulfilled." (page 1091)

The stone slab with two carved feet marking the spot where Guru Nanak lay in meditation at the shrine

Under a large papal tree, the priest pointed out a stone slab on which were carved two feet, laid with roses. “The Guru’s,” he said.

“It is at this spot that Guru Nanak sat in meditation. In that little shrine behind you, are buried the ashes of a Nepali king.”

We sat together on mossy steps leading up to the shrine, a strong scent of jasmine in the air and two bulbuls (passerine songbirds) pecking about the carved feet. And there he told me the story of the temple of the golden book and the shrine against which we sat.

It seems a Malla king of the early sixteenth century – the priest did not know his name – suffered a disturbed mind. His brothers, alarmed by his behaviour, banished him to India. Roaming forlornly through the holy city of Benaras he came upon the saint Guru Nanak and begged him to cure his affliction. After many visits and much beseeching, the guru advised the king to return to his kingdom where his health would be restored.

Miraculously, the saint preceded the king to Kathmandu for there he was, meditating under a papal tree on a hill beside the river. .....More

Wallpapers Click on the photo, wait for large image to load - then right button and select "Set as Desktop background".

Mool Mantar | Japji | Sikhism | Dasam Granth | Kirtan | Beliefs | Bani | Gurus | SGGS | Bhai Manjh | Vegetarianism | Bhagat Sain | Bhagat Dhanna | Today | Blogs