Festivals and Fairs of Rupnagar

Holla Mohalla of Anandpur Sahib

This is a famous fair of the Anandpur Sahib.A Sikh festival is celebrated every year in the month of March, a day after Holi. Hola “Mohalla” derives its name from Punjabi word “Mohalla” implies an organized Procession in the form of an army column accompanied by war drums and standard-bearers, and proceeding to a given location or moving in state from one Gurdwara to another. The festival was started by the tenth Sikh Guru – Guru Govind Singh who had tried to gather Sikhs for military exercises and mock battles after Holi. This has now become a traditional annual festival of Sikhs held at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. The festival also marks the New Year as per lunar Nanakshahi calendar of Sikhs. It is celebrated over three days and it retains the character of fun and joy of Holi which concludes a day before.

On this occasion, Nihangs from all over the country gather for the celebrations of the Hola Mohalla. The highlight of the festival is a huge procession by the Nihangs, clad in their traditional dress and weapons, on the last day of the fair. The procession starts from the headquarters of the Nihangs, opposite Gurudwara Anandgarh Sahib, and passing through the bazar goes to village Agampur and reaches the fort of Holgarh, the place where Guru Gobind Singh used to celebrate this fair. Thereafter, the procession proceeds to the sandy bed of Charan Ganga, where demonstration of martial games including riding, tent pegging, sword wielding etc. are witmessed by a large number of people.

Shaheedi Jor Mela and Dushehra of Chamkaur Sahib

Chamkaur Sahib is another religious and historical place, which falls in this district. Here Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji along with his two elder sons and 40 followers had come from Kotla Nihang. The Gurudwara Katalgarh Sahib, occupies a unique place among all the religious places located at Chamkaur Sahib. It is built at the site where Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jhujjar Singh, elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh along with their followers fell while fighting against the Mughal army. A big fair known a Sheheedi Jor Mela lasting for three days is held in the month of December at Chamkaur Sahib to commemorate the martyrdom of the elder sons of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Religious dewans are also organized.

Dushehra festival at Chamkaur sahib is also celebrated with great enthusiasm by the people of the area.

Shivratri Fair Jatwahar

Shivratri fair is held every year in the district at Jateshwer Mahadev Temple at Jatwahar village in Nurpur Bedi Block and Shiv Ashram Mojowal near Nangal .Popularly known as Shiv Mandir Jatwahar, it is an ancient temple of the times of Mahabharata and is situated on Rupnagar -Nurpurbedi road about 5 KMs form village Bains. The temple is held in great reverence and is visited by the devotees from various parts of Punjab and also from the adjoining states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Shiv Mandir, Mojowal is situated on Nangal-Bhalan road.