Introduction

Baisakhi is a significant festival of the Sikh Calendar. This is the harvest festival celebrated in the month of April. The festival also commemorates the establishment of Khalsa in the year 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikh. Guru Gobind Singh administrated “Amrit” (nectar) to his five disciples on this day thus turning them into the Singhs; the martial community.

Celebration

The celebration of the festival is accompanied with merry making, enthusiasm and enjoyment. The people irrespective of their religion throng Gurudwaras of their region and pay homage to the almighty. The celebration starts early in the morning with the devotees parading to the Gurudwara with fresh flowers and offerings in the hands. They reach to the Gurudwara and touch their head on the holy shrine and seek blessing for their well being and up coming harvest season. The procession and “Langars” are common in the city on this auspicious day.

Historical Significance

Baisakhi is the day on which Khalsa was born giving new identity to the Sikh. All over the world, the Punjabis or Sikhs celebrate this festival as the mark of their new beginning as the Khalsa meaning “the pure one”. The Baptized Sikhs are expected to wear a new set of clothing propagated by Guru Gobind Singh which is the emblem of purity and courage. They are denoted by five Ks - Kesh, (unshorn hair), Kangha, (the wooden comb) Karra, (the iron or steel bracelet), Kirpan (the sword) and Kachera (the underwear).