If you have ever observed an Indian calendar, you will see multiple holidays, each celebrating some kind of festival. And many of them coincide with each other. For instance, Holi often coincides with a Sikh festival called ‘Hola Mohalla’. It is an auspicious spring festival that is important for Sikhs all around the world. And many devotees visit gurudwaras to seek blessings on this day. But, travelling is an issue during these days and sometimes, even safety is compromised. Here is how people are travelling in Punjab.
Overloaded Buses & Tractors
Many people like to visit holy places on auspicious days. Since there is a massive crowd wanting to travel, buses and tractors are being overloaded with people. You can witness passengers sitting on the roof of buses. As for tractors, people prefer them for being an economical way to travel. Some vehicles are not permitted to carry passengers. This is overlooked and there is a chain of such vehicles with overloaded passengers travelling to holy places. In addition to this, the owners of goods carriers join the spree to earn extra cash. And not a single thought is given to the safety of the passengers.
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Tractor-Trailers Are The Preferred Mode Of Transportation
In rural areas, there are limited resources for transportation like buses and trains. So, people prefer to travel by tractor-trailers. And since the majority of people are from farming communities, they are accustomed to this mode of transport. As for the younger crowd, they are seen riding a triple seat on their motorcycles and covering larger distances. These types of travelling methods are dangerous considering the conditions of roads. Moreover, overloading a vehicle beyond its capacity can increase the chances of accidents. To avoid such situations, there needs to be a better approach to the transport and connectivity services of the area.
Since people like travelling to sacred places, there needs to be an increase in the number of transport systems like buses, vans, jeeps, and other vehicles. Also, the administration needs to look after the betterment of infrastructure and facilities for them.
Hola Mohalla
Hola Mohalla is a three-day long festival celebrated by the Sikh community. And since it was first started by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib, the place is also important for the community. This was the same place where Guru Gobind Singh inaugurated Khalsa. During this festival, people showcase their martial arts skills. Besides this, there are kirtans, poetries, and langars at this festival.
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