While much of India celebrates Holi, in Anandpur Sahib, during the lunar month of Chet, the Sikh community gathers forHola Mohalla. In this photo reportage, I documented a week of celebrations where spirituality merges with strength: from ritual duels of skill and courage to sessions of music, poetry and kirtan.
The lens followed the congregations of the Nihang, the warriors of the Guru, who converge from all over the country with their iconic blue robes, saffron-colored decorations, and majestic turbans adorned with silver rings. It is a story that winds between the solemnity of the temples and the energy of the plains.
The Ritual and the Sharing: The photographic research begins inside the Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, the white marble temple where prayers continue without pause, even through the night. I wanted to document the institution of the communal meal, where visitors sit together to share vegetarian food, a symbol of Sikh equality and brotherhood. Every shot seeks to convey the atmosphere of peace and devotion that reigns beneath the improvised tents and in the sacred places.
The Aesthetics of the Warrior: The heart of the project are the Nihang. I focused attention on the details of their identity: the long white beards, the proud mustaches, and the complexity of their ceremonial garments. The photographs document the ritual duels that animate every corner of the streets, capturing the tension of steel and the pride of a people who live their history as an act of cultural resistance.
From the Narrow Streets to the Prairie: The visual narrative follows the evocative procession through the village streets, before bursting into the dynamism of the horse race. In a nearby prairie, I captured the Nihang on their festively adorned horses, transforming the dust and the gallop into a contemporary epic that marks the climax of the festival before the crowd disperses in the afternoon.
Creating the project Hola Mohalla meant immersing myself in a rhythm made of nighttime prayers and daytime simulated battles. This photographic work stems from the desire to convey the complexity of this faith, highlighting the balance between silent meditation in the temple and the warrior spirit of the Nihang. My commitment was to translate into images the pride and beauty of a tradition that, even today, celebrates its own freedom through courage and sharing.
