Demonstrations of gatka, a martial art form developed by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, are a hit with devotees visiting the Gandhi Maidan tent city set up for Prakash Utsav, the Guru's 350th birth anniversary celebrations.
The Gatka Ghar, an arena spread over 10 acres with seating arrangement for 6,000 people, was packed to capacity on Tuesday as 10 teams from different parts of the country exhibited their skills. Each team comprises 10 members and gets 15 minutes to showcase their skills. The competition is held either at an individual level or as a team event.
The main attraction on Tuesday was a demonstration by the team from Miri Piri Academy, a private boarding school in Amritsar where students from around the world are enrolled.
"We have students from UK, US, Canada and European countries," said Sahaj Singh Khalsa, an official of Miri Piri Academy. "As part of the school curriculum the students are taught about Sikh teachings and philosophy. Gatka is also part of the school curriculum. Around 20 students from the school and officials have come to participate in Prakash Utsav."
Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa, an official from the website SikhNet, said: " Gatka is a complete martial art which involves an individual's spiritual, mental and physical skills in equal portions. It is an art form that focuses on all-round development of an individual."
Gurumustuk, who has come from the US, said: "In USA too we exhibit gatka skills during religious festivals or at different events."
Gatka is believed to have originated when sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind adopted kirpan for self-defence during the Mughal era. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, made it compulsory for everyone to use the weapon in self-defence. In India too, the Sikh traditional martial art, which was confined to nagar kirtans and akharas, has found place in the sports category after the Government of India in 2008 formulated the Gatka Federation of India (GFI) to organise events at the national level.
Those who witnessed the gatka were excited. College student Himanshu Shekhar, who had come to Gandhi Maidan with his friend to see the gatka event, said: "We were pleased by the display. It really exhibits the rich tradition of Sikh religion. It was exciting to watch young students exhibit martial art skills."
