Kila Raipur Sports Festival

Held from February (date not confirmed)

Festivals and fairs are an integral part of punjabi culture. The most popular sports festival held in punjab and possibly the whole nation, is Kila Raipur Sports Festival. Kila Raipur Sports Festival is an annual rural sports festival and national fair. It is a three day event held in the month of february in a village named Kila Raipur or Qila Raipur, 11 kms from Ludhiana in Punjab. The village is home to Grewal Jats, and Gill Jats, north Indian clans who proudly host the annual the games. The games are organised by grewal sports association and are held in grewal sports stadium. It is an occasion where men and women of all ages take part in various events. It is one the most popular celebration which is observed with a great deal of pomp and grandeur. Bullock Race, first introduced by Bakshish Singh in 1946, is the most popular and the most passionate of all in Punjab, along with a full gamut of competitive sports including athletics, gymnastics, horsemanship, dog races, tractor races, martial arts and many more. Villagers are not just fond of their own competitions they also like to size-up the skill and power of their animals like bulls, horses, dogs on the sports ground. The carnival atmosphere of the games is displayed in continuous multi events, all taking place together. So one one hand, there is tug-of-war and on the other is a dog race going on. Then there are the folk dancers, the loose limbed hockey tyros and a bullock cart race and accompanying these events, is a typically rip-roaring commentary in Punjabi. Hordes of visitors from abroad, also visit this event. All the events envisage a spirit of affability among the Punjabis.
 
History - Rural sports in punjab derive their origin from the sad fate of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh who were bricked to death by Wazir Khan, under the instructions of Aurangzeb. This Mughal ruler followed the policy of Religious Conversion to please his Lord, Allah. But his policy proved fatal to the two innocent children of the Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. In the commemoration of the two youngsters every year this sports festival is held on the grounds of Kila Raipur. People enjoy and remember that all their entertainment is accredited to the two beautiful children who embraced death rather than Islam. This festival is also the result of the efforts of philanthropist, Inder Singh Grewal. He visualised an annual recreational meet in 1933, wherein farmers from areas surrounding Kila Raipur could get together and test their corporal endurance.

Events - The sports festival comprises 40 - 50 events and is composed of a wonderful mix of accepted sporting disciplines and other uncommon pursuits.

Events in the kila raipur soprts festival are generally categorised into three major types of competitions:

1. Pure rural games - These include kabaddi, wrestling, weight-lifting in various forms like lifting 5 kg plough with teeth and picking four bicycles, bullock cart racing, dancing horse display, tent pegging, horse show, para gliding, dog races, loading and unloading tractor trolley, tug-of-war and many more.
2. Modern sports -  These include athletics, hockey, football, volleyball, cycling, handball etc.
3. Performing sports -  These include acrobatics, twisting an iron-rod by placing it on Adam's apple, passing tractor over the rib-ease, cracking a big stone by placing it on the chest, riding two horses at the same time, running with a 5 kg plough held between the teeth, using teeth to pick up four bicycles, pushing a tractor with legs, sit-ups challenge and others.

All these sports are followed by the pulsating Bhangra and Gidda Dances. These days sports fairs have started including folk singing as well. These performances are generally held in late evening.

Alternate Names - Rural olympics, raipur sports festival

Holiday Status - It is a local holiday.