About 70 per cent of Indian population lives in villages. Villagers have their own ways to find happiness and enjoyment.One of the event among them is the annual sports festival held in the Kila Raipur village near Ludhiana captures the attention of every sports lover worldwide. Kila Raipur Rural Sports Festival is popularly known as "Rural Olympics” may be it is named so because Olympics is the biggest sporting event and is held in a rural environment. It is held at Grewal Sports Stadium and the event is organised by Grewal Sports Association.
Spectacular performances and daredevil stunts enthralled visitors. Huge tourists from home and foreign countries visit to watch thousands of sportspersons perform.
The fun and frolic of Punjabis are witnessed by the dances and folk music amalgamates with the Olympic events and traditional events. Many exciting and rural traditional games like Tractor race, dog race, Bhagwant Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, air pistol shooting, cycling, tent pegging like skipping, bullock cart race, tug of war and kite flying, camels race, dogs race, sack lifting and kabaddi forms an integral part of the event. Participants come from all the ages to participate and compete.
But quite interestingly many thrilling acts as carrying plough with cycle in teeth, balancing on two or more horses, motorcycle acrobatics, tractors crawling on human bodies, pulling heavy vehicles with hair etc. raises every ones hairs.
Qila Raipur Rural Sports Festival is held in winter every year. The event initiated in 1933 and has soon become the spine of the Sikhs Grewal Community. Nihangs or Sikh warriors were the main attraction of the games.
Breath taking performance by group of Nihang Sikhs (Warriors of Sikh armies) includes the display of their traditional games and stunts are appreciated by audiences. The celebration continues all through the day till midnight.
Official site: http://www.ruralolympics.in