Indian Sikh Nihang (warrior) at Kila Raipur Sports Festival

2014-08-12 26

Sikh warriors in their full attire of electric blue, edged bracelets of iron round their wrists (jangi kara) and quoits of steel (chakram) tiered in their lofty conical blue turbans, together with the traditional sword carried by all baptised Sikhs (kirpan).

Nihang or the Nihang Singhs are an armed Sikh order. A Nihang may also be known as an Akali. Nihang Singhs are believed to have originated either from Sahibzada Fateh Singh. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihangs, known for their victories in battles where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihangs once formed the guerilla squads of the armed forces of Ranjit Sukkarchak.

Kila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as the Rural Olympics, is held annually in Kila Raipur (near Ludhiana), in Punjab, India.

Competition is held for major Punjabi rural sports, include cart-race, rope pulling and many more, rather strange expressions of strength like holding bicyle with ones teeth, bull lock chariot riding, pulling vehicles with hair and letting a tractor pass over your ribcage.

In February each year, Ludhiana becomes the destination for hundreds of sports enthusiasts, including foreigners. They come to Kila Raipur to see the special breed of bullocks, camels, dogs, mules and other animals competing in competitive events. The most prestigious winners have attended. In the year of the Olympics 2008, Hakam and Naib Singh Dhaliwal from village Kalsian, Punjab took the 1st place prize. They also won first in Gujjaral and Phalewal. They are known in Punjab as the men who hold the greatest passion in the sport.

Source - Wikipedia

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