| Vaisakhi | |
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Sikh Baisakhi parade in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on April 15, 2006 |
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| Also called | Baisakhi |
| Observed by | Sikhs |
| Significance | The birth of the Khalsa, the beginning of the harvest season. |
| Date | 1 Vaisakh (usually April 13, but April 14 in 2011 in the Gregorian calendar) |
| Celebrations | Parades and Nagar Kirtan |
| Observances | Prayers, Processions, raising of the Nishan Sahib flag |
Vaisakhi (Punjabi: ਵਿਸਾਖੀ visākhī, Hindi: बैसाखी baisākhī, also known as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi, or Vasakhi) is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much.
In Sikhism, it is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar, commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh[1].
This day is also observed as the beginning of the Hindu solar new year celebrated by people across Nepal, the Assam Valley, Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal and other regions of India. The particular significance attached to the occasion shows regional variation outside of Punjab too. In Himachal Pradesh, the Hindu Goddess Jwalamukhi is worshipped on Vaisakhi, while in Bihar, the Sun-god Surya is honoured.[2] The festival is celebrated as Rongali Bihu in Assam, Naba Barsha or Pohela Boishakh in Bengal and Tripura, Puthandu (Tamil New Year) in Tamil Nadu, Vishu (or Vaishakhi) in Kerala, Bikhu or Bikhauti in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Maha Vishuva Sankranti (or Pana Sankranti) in Orissa, and the Sinhalese New Year festival in Sri Lanka. Besides Punjab, Vaisakhi is widely celebrated as a traditional harvest festival in many northern states of India, such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In many places the day is marked by ritualistic bathing in sacred rivers like the Ganges.
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Vaisakhi is usually on the 13th April, and occasionally on 14th April. To mark the celebrations, Sikh devotees generally attend the Gurudwara before dawn with flowers and offerings in hands. Processions through towns are also common. Vaisakhi is the day on which the Khalsa was born and Sikhs were given a clear identity and a code of conduct to live by, led by the last living Sikh spiritual teacher, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who baptized the first Sikhs using sweet nectar called Amrit.[3]
Vaisakhi is widely celebrated by Sikhs in Punjab in Pakistan as well, with festivities centered on the Panja Sahib complex in Hassan Abdal, numerous shrines in Nankana Sahib, and in various historical sites in Lahore. It is culturally and traditionally regarded as an important and significant Punjabi festival, further exemplified by the thousands of Sikh pilgrims from around the world arriving each year to commemorate the day at the sacred Sikh sites of Nankana Sahib and Hasan Abdal. Further, local Pakistani's offer their well wishes and welcome the incoming pilgrims. In April 2009, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee announced plans for formally organising the event on a larger scale in the country as well as expressing intentions for elegant arrangements.[4] In 2010, over 20,000 pilgrims were expected to arrive in Pakistan for the celebrations, a significant increase over previous years.[5]
The main celebration[6] takes place at Talwandi Sabo[7] (where Guru Gobind Singh stayed for nine months and completed the recompilation of the Guru Granth Sahib), and in the gurdwara at Anandpur Sahib, the birth place of the Khalsa and at the Golden Temple in Amritsar[8].
In the United States, there is usually a parade commemorating the Vaisakhi celebration. In Manhattan, New York City people come out to do "seva" (religious work) such as giving out free food, and completing any other labor that needs to be done.[9] In Los Angeles, California, the local Sikh community consisting of more than 20 Gurudwaras or Sikh Temples holds a full day Kirtan or spiritual music program followed by a two mile parade in downtown Los Angeles with an estimated 15,000 participants. The local Sikh community in Vancouver, Abbotsford and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada holds its annual Vaisakhi celebrations in the April long weekend, which often includes a nagar kirtan, or parade, which an estimated 200,000 people attend.
Legends are associated with a number of festivals celebrated in India. Since agriculture is the backbone of India - it provides livelihood to majority of the people in the rural areas of the country - the festival of harvest are given special importance in the calendar of events. Baisakhi is one of the important festivals celebrated with fun and fervor by the people living in the northern parts of the country. Apart from being a harvest festival, it holds religious significance too. A number of legends that revolve around Guru Gobind Singh, their tenth Guru, are associated with Baisakhi. Explore the article to know about the legends of Baisakhi.
Legends Of Baisakhi Festival
Guru Granth Sahib Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi as the day of the formation of the Sikh Khalsa, or brotherhood. On the day, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh (the tenth Sikh guru) called on the Sikhs to sacrifice themselves for their community. Sikhism, in its present form, owes its existence to that Baisakhi day. After the Baisakhi Day of 1699, the tradition of Gurus was put to an end by the Sikhs, who, thereafter, declared the Guru Granth Sahib as their eternal guide and their Holy Book. Baisakhi also prepares the people of Punjab for the joy of the harvest season, which begins on the following day. It is a day of feasting and merriment before the hard, tiring but fruitful time ahead.
The Story Of Five Sikhs The most famous Sikh stories revolve around Baisakhi. Guru Gobind Singh, standing outside a tent, called for five Sikhs to sacrifice themselves for the community. When the first volunteer stepped up, the guru took him into the tent, and reappeared alone, carrying a blood stained sword. This happened with the four other people who volunteered. Later, the Guru revealed that he had been smearing the sword with the blood of a dead animal, and all the five people were safe. This is, perhaps, the most interesting legend connected to Baisakhi.
Other Legends According to the legend associated with Baisakhi, in 1567, Guru Ram Das committed Baisakhi as one of the special days, when all the Sikhs would assemble to seek the blessings from Guru at Goindwal. Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj on Baisakhi, in 1875. Therefore, Baisakhi is as special for the Hindus, as it is for Sikhs. Apart from the Sikhs and Hindus, Baisakhi is an important day for the Buddhists as well. On the day, Gautam Buddha achieved Nirvana in the town of Gaya, under the Mahabodhi tree. Many Sikhs believe that on the day of Baisakhi, martyr zed by the barbaric acts of the Muslim rulers. According to the legend, he was dumped into boiling oil, by the Muslim rulers.
For people in northern parts of India, especially the Sikhs, Baisakhi is a mega event - it is a religious festival, harvest festival and New Year's Day all rolled into one. In April, this day marks the beginning of the Hindu solar New Year. In fact, this day is celebrated all over the country as New Year day, under different names. For the Sikh community, Baisakhi has a very special meaning. It was on this day that their tenth and last Guru - Guru Gobind Singh - organized the Sikhs into Khalsa or the 'pure ones'. By doing so, he eliminated the differences of high and low and established that all human beings are equal.
Sikhs assign quite a different meaning to Baisakhi, and if you happen to be in a Punjabi village to catch the men performing the wild bhangra dance, you'll get the clear picture. This strenuous dance tells the story of the agricultural process, from tilling the soil through harvesting. As the dholak (drum) changes beats, the dancing sequence progresses, dramatizing plowing, sowing, weeding, reaping, and finally celebrating. Baisakhi also commemorates the day in 1689 when Guru Gobing Singh founded the Khalsa, the fighting Sikh brotherhood that donned the distinctive Sikh outfits.
Sikhs visit temples, such as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where the holy Granth is read, commemorating the day on which the Guru asked five volunteers to offer their lives, then took them one at a time into a tent. He emerged each time with a bloody sword, although he had in fact sacrificed a goat. In honor the "Beloved Five," a series of parades are held, in which sets of five men walk in front of the holy book with swords drawn. When the ceremony is over, a round of feasting, music-making, and dancing begins, amid the blossoming flowers and harvested grain.
Baisakhi has special significance for two of India's major religious groups. For the Hindus, it is the start of the New Year, and is celebrated with requisite bathing, partying, and worshipping. It's believed that thousands of years ago, Goddess Ganga descended to earth and in her honor, many Hindus gather along the sacred Ganges River for ritual baths. The action is centered in the holy cities along the Ganges in north India, or in Srinagar's Mughal Gardens, Jammu's Nagbani Temple, or anywhere in Tamil Nadu. Hindus plant poles (wrapped in flags of god-embroidered silk) in front of their homes, and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top.
Children wear garlands of flowers and run through the streets singing "May the new year come again and again!" In Kerala, the festival is called 'Vishu'. It includes fireworks, shopping for new clothes and interesting displays called 'Vishu Kani'. These are arrangements of flowers, grains, fruits, cloth, gold, and money are viewed early in the morning, to ensure a year of prosperity. In Assam, the festival is called Bohag Bihu, and the community organizes massive feasts, music and dancing.
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