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Sikh men doing gatka at Anandpur Sahib during the Hola Mahola Festival

Gatka is an ancient martial art which has been thoroughly battle-tested and has existed in northern India for many thousands of years. Although it uses the sword as its primary weapon, many other weapons are available to the Gatka master. Today, this art exists exclusively amongst the Sikhs who have passed down the flamboyant techniques through generations, since their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind wore the two swords of Miri (temporal, worldly) and Piri (spiritual, transcendental). The Sikhs have been responsible for the revival of this early art ensuring it's survival despite mass persecution of the native population in India by foreign invaders like the Mughals and others for many hundreds of years. Read more .....