Who are the Nihang Singhs of Punjab?
Photo of Nihangs Crossing The River - Punjab, IndiaThe living embodiment of the Sikh martial tradition, the Nihang is feared and revered in equal measure.  He is an atavistic throwback to a time when the Sikh armies defended their religion and way of life on the battlefields of Punjab over 300 years ago.  These warrior-saints rallied to the Sikh banner in the name of God and Guru to fight against oppression and injustice and for peaceful coexistence.  Their violent and bloody history is deeply engrained in their psyche and the Nihangs remain an evocative symbol of this heritage.

Nihangs are skilled in the art of swordsmanship and many are also expert horsemen.  They are deeply committed and totally uncompromising in their dedication to their way of life.  Their spiritual discipline means that they have already addressed their own mortality and they wear symbolically their own death shroud as a cummerbund.   This also manifests through incredible gentleness, spontaneous kindness, defending others' basic human rights and a wonderful sense of humour. 

From time to time, Nihangs can be seen in small groups wandering the pilgrimage routes of Punjab and Northern India.  The younger Nihangs live in Dehra, military style camps looking after horses and fulfilling their domestic and spiritual duties.  Twice a year the Nihangs gather en masse at the Spring festival of Hola Mohalla and during the Sikh celebrations of Baisakhi in April.

(View more Nihang photos in the "Living Divinely" Gallery)

Nick Fleming
 
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