A Nihang with his horse.
Few Kilometers away from Amritsar, Punjab.
Nihang is a Persian word meaning crocodile. Nihangs were suicide squads of the Mughal army and wore blue uniforms. The Sikhs took the name and the uniform from theMughals. Nihangs are fearlessand are ever ready for martyrdom and remain unsullied by worldly possessions. A Nihang is one who has nothing and is free from anxiety. The order is said to have been founded by Guru Gobind Singh himself as a fighting body of the Khalsa. The Nihangs were also called Akalis (servitors of the Timeless God) which term has now become synonymous with the members of a political party in Punjab. (Most of them wear blue turbans).
Nihangs can be recognized from a distance as they wear dark blue robes with their legs bare below the knees and high blue and yellow turbans laced with steel discs. They usually carry spears, swords, daggers and shields. They use a charming vocabulary of Braggadocio, which has found its way into the Punjabi language.
Refered from : http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/movements/Nihangs/Nihangs.htmMore images to follow on Facebook Page
Written by Navdeep Soni
Started this as a photoblog initially but now using it as a blog to share my thought and experiences.
3 comments:
Beautiful photo!
His face is impressive. :-)
Great composition. That blue is pretty intense. But I have to admit he resembles a boy more than a crocodile. Thanks for the history lesson.
Great Shot!
Navdeep has put very basic information about the origin of Nihangs, which was all new for me. Thanks.
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