Nihang Sikhs: Guardians of the Khalsa's martial heritage

In electric-blue robes, with towering conical turbans and steel quoits woven into them, Nihang Singhs are an unmistakable presence. Swords, spears and other traditional weapons hang from their bodies, giving them an appearance that is at once religious, martial and theatrical. But for the Nihangs, little of this is mere ornament.

The community returned to public attention after Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked with a kirpan at the Mata Sahib Devan Ji Gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, on August 13. The accused, identified as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh, had been serving at the gurdwara for two years and was described as a Nihang. Badal suffered an injury to his hand and underwent surgery. The investigation into the attack is continuing.

Nihangs were also a conspicuous presence during the farmers' agitation at Delhi's Singhu border in 2020-21 and at the student protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in July 2026. Their distinctive appearance drew as much attention as their participation.

Origins and meaning

The origin of the Nihangs is associated with the creation of the Khalsa Panth by the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, in 1699. Traditionally regarded as 'Guru ki fauj', or the Guru's army, they represent the armed warrior tradition within Sikhism. The name Nihang is commonly associated with fearlessness and freedom from worldly attachment; another interpretation traces it to the Persian 'nahang', meaning crocodile, invoking the creature's ferocity and toughness.

Historical roots

The tradition took shape in an age when Sikh communities faced repeated military persecution. Nihang warriors became mobile fighting groups, defending Sikh settlements and religious institutions against Mughal forces and, later, Afghan invaders. The martial tradition was subsequently woven into the military structures of the Sikh misls and the forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

With the end of that era of warfare, their battlefield role gradually receded. But the discipline associated with it survived. Training in weapons, horsemanship and physical endurance, along with distinctive dress and rituals, became ways of preserving the Khalsa's military heritage. Today, Nihangs are not a standing army. Their role is largely that of custodians and practitioners of a religious and martial tradition.

Organisation and mobility

There is no single Nihang organisation representing the entire community. Historically divided into two broad dals — Baba Budha Dal and Taruna Dal, associated broadly with older and younger bands respectively — both have since split into several factions. Researchers estimate there are more than 30 Nihang factions, large and small, in Punjab, making it difficult to arrive at a precise count of Nihangs. Their mobile and decentralised nature means there is no central command or membership registry, and one group does not necessarily speak for another.

Mobility is part of the tradition. The 'chalda vaheer', or travelling bands, move with their horses and jathas, following an annual religious circuit that links major Sikh centres and festivals. Muktsar, Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Baba Bakala, Amritsar and Hazur Sahib in Nanded feature prominently in this cycle. According to Sikh historian Dr. Balwant Singh Dhillon, this movement is not simply travel; it keeps alive a relationship with places associated with Sikh history and allows the Nihangs to gather, worship, train and demonstrate their skills.

Hola Mohalla and the sant-sipahi ideal

At Anandpur Sahib, the birthplace of the Khalsa, this martial identity is displayed most dramatically during Hola Mohalla. Nihangs gather in large numbers, riding horses and demonstrating Gatka, the Sikh martial art, mounted manoeuvres and mock battles with swords, spears and other traditional weapons. The spectacle keeps alive the 'sant-sipahi' ideal — the Sikh as both saint and soldier.

The weapons are not merely accessories. They represent readiness and the historical responsibility of defending the faith and the community. The Nihang tradition, while rooted in a martial past, continues to evolve as a living expression of Sikh identity, discipline and devotion.