The centuries old Sikh festival Vaisakhi aka Baisakhi is celebrated on 13th or 14th April every year. It marks the Sikh New Year and marks the spring harvest festival. It is one of the biggest festivals of Sikh community celebrated especially in Punjab, some other regions of North India and also by the Sikhs residing in different nations of the world.
Table of contents:
- Vaisakhi – the spring harvest festival
- Religious history behind the festival
- Significance of this festival
- How is this festival celebrated?
- Conclusion
Vaisakhi – the spring harvest festival
The festival of Vaisakhi brings a lot of hope for the farmers as it is when the harvest of wheat which is the biggest rabi crop, takes place. Farmers get excited and dance in joy by looking at their golden wheat crop growing and swinging in the fields. People of Punjab celebrate this festival with their folk dance ‘Bhangra’ and ‘Giddha’ as a way to express their happiness.
Religious history behind the festival
Vaisakhi is not only a spring harvest festival, but it marks an important event in the history of Sikhism. On this day in 1699, the tenth guru of Sikhs- Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji laid the foundation of ‘Khalsa Panth’. He gathered thousands of Sikhs from all around the India in Shri Anandpur Sahib city of Punjab and asked for any of the five people from the whole crowd who will sacrifice themselves for the sake of the guru or lord. Soon, five people volunteered, Guruji administered them with ‘Amrit’ (nectar) and called them ‘Panj Pyare’. Thus, the day is celebrated with great devotion where Sikhs make it to the point to visit the Gurudwara at Shri Anandpur Sahib especially.
Significance of the festival
Vaisakhi is a significantly important festival. Apart from the foundation of ‘Khalsa Panth’, it also marks the beginning of new solar year. It commemorates the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre which took place on the same day in 1919, in Amritsar where thousands of innocents were killed. The festival is celebrated in others states too than Punjab. The Hindus also celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm.
How is this festival celebrated?
The important and famous festival of Vaisakhi is celebrated with great pomp and zeal. People make visits to gurudwaras and temples; take bathe in holy rivers and sarovars. They wear new and fancy clothes, distribute sweets among each other, and celebrate by dancing. In Punjab special folk dance ‘Bhangra’ and ‘Giddha’ is being performed by men and women respectively. ‘Langars’ are organised in different places of Punjab. Nagar Kirtans are organised by Sikhs where they sing and chant the holy hymns. People pay the holy visit to gurudwaras and the major celebrations take place in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the gurudwara in Anandpur Sahib and Takht Shri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo. The Vaisakhi fairs are organised which are full of enthusiastic people from different places across the India. The fairs attracts not only local people but people from far places who travel to watch the charm of fairs where the sweet shops, toy shops, clothes and jewellery shops and different amusement rides are organised.
A state-wide holiday is observed on this day. Schools, colleges and other government institutions remain closed and people enjoy the festival by visiting their relatives, sharing sweets with each other and by visiting the fairs.
Conclusion
Hence, Vaisakhi is a festival of celebrations and happiness. People from both Sikh and Hindu religion, await the festival eagerly and celebrate it with great zeal and enthusiasm. Devotees celebrate it by offering holy prayers and enjoying the folk songs and folk dance, good food and great performances.
