Vaisakhi

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Not to be confused with Vesākha or Vesak.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi
Sikh Vaisakhi parade in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on April 14, 2006
Also called Baisakhi, Vaisakhi
Observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists
Type Punjabi festival
Significance The beginning of the harvest season and birth of the Khalsa
Date First day of Vaisakh (usually 13 April, but 15 April in 2011 in the Gregorian calendar)
Celebrations Parades and Nagar Kirtan
Observances Prayers, processions, raising of the Nishan Sahib flag

Vaisakhi (Punjabi: ਵਿਸਾਖੀ) visākhī), also known as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi, or Vasakhi) is a festival celebrated across the northern Indian subcontinent, especially in the Punjab region by the Sikh community. More recently, this festival is also celebrated around the world by Sikh diaspora. For the Sikh community this festival commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa. It is also celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists for different reasons including the start of a new year.

Contents

Importance for Sikhs[edit]

Main article: Khalsa

The festival bears a great significance for the Sikhs due of the fact that on the Vaisakhi Day in the year 1699, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh laid down the foundation of the Panth Khalsa, that is the Order of the Pure Ones. This day is also observed as the thanksgiving day by the farmers whereby the farmers pay their tribute, thanking God for the abundant harvest and also praying for the future prosperity. Vaisakhi is one of the important festivals celebrated with fun and fervor by people of other religions too.

Vaisakhi in Hinduism and other religions[edit]

For Hindus, it is the start of the New Year, and is celebrated with requisite bathing, partying, and worshipping.[1] It's believed that thousands of years ago, Goddess Ganga descended to earth and in her honour, 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 Temples–, or anywhere in Tamil Nadu. Hindus plant poles (wrapped in flags of gold-embroidered silk) in front of their homes, and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top.

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.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj on Vaisakhi, in 1875.

Apart from the Sikhs and Hindus, Vaisakhi is an important day for the Buddhists as well. The name is Vesakha, Vaisakha, Vesak or Wesak. It commemorates the Birth, the Awakening and the Enlightened Passing Away of Buddha Gautama who was born as prince Siddharta.

Celebration[edit]

Vaisakhi is usually celebrated on 13 April, and occasionally on 14 April, in the different regions across the world as the Sikhs migrated overseas.

In East Punjab[edit]

Vaisakhi at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib, the birthplace of the Khalsa


The main celebration takes place at Talwandi Sabo (where Guru Gobind Singh stayed for nine months and completed the recompilation of the Guru Granth Sahib),[2] and in the Gurudwara at Anandpur Sahib (see picture above), the birthplace of the Khalsa and at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.[3]

In West Punjab[edit]

Vaisakhi is widely celebrated by Sikhs in Western Punjab (Pakistan) as well, with festivities centered on the Panja Sahib complex in Hasan Abdal, numerous Gurudwaras in Nankana Sahib, and in various historical sites in Lahore.[4] 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. In 2010, over 20,000 pilgrims were expected to arrive in Pakistan for the celebrations, a significant increase over previous years.

In United States, Canada, and United Kingdom[edit]

In the United States, there is usually a parade commemorating the Vaisakhi celebration. In Manhattan, New York City[5] people come out to do "Seva" (selfless service) such as giving out free food, and completing any other labor that needs to be done. In Los Angeles, California, the local Sikh community consisting of more than 20 Gurdwaras holds a full day Kirtan (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 (parade) which an estimated 200,000 people attend.

The United Kingdom has a large Sikh community which was established in the 1960s with the arrival of immigrants from the Indian sub-continent, and which increased in the 1970s with refugees from East Africa and in the 1990s with refugees from Afghanistan. The largest concentrations of Sikhs in the UK are to be found in Birmingham in the West Midlands and Southall in west London. The Southall Nagar Kirtan is held on a Sunday a week or two before Vaisakhi, and it attracts between 40,000 to 75,000 people to the streets . The Birmingham Nagar Kirtan is held in late April in association with Birmingham City Council,[6] and it is an annual event attracting about 100,000 people which commences with two separate nagar kirtans setting off from gurdwaras in the city and culminating in the Vaisakhi Mela at Handsworth Park[7]

In Malaysia[edit]

The Sikh community is a minority in Malaysia, which is why Vaisakhi is not a public holiday. However, in line with the government's efforts to promote integration among the country's different ethnic and religious groups, the prime minister, Najib Razak has announced that beginning 2013, all government servants from the Sikh community will be given a day off on Vaisakhi Day.[8] Vaisakhi 'open houses' are also held across the country during the day of the festival, or the closest weekend to it.

Punjabi style of celebration[edit]

To mark the celebrations, Sikh devotees generally attend the Gurdwara before dawn with flowers and offerings in hands. Processions through towns are also common.

In other regions of India[edit]

The particular significance attached to the occasion shows regional variation outside of Punjab.

This day is also observed as the beginning of the Hindu solar new year celebrated by people across the Assam Valley, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttrakhand and other regions of India. In Himachal Pradesh, the Hindu Goddess Jwalamukhi is worshipped on the day, while in Bihar, the Sun-god Surya is honoured.[1] It also celebrated out of India in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Names by region[edit]

The festival is celebrated as:

On the same day JurShital (New Year) is celebrated in Mithila (portions in Bihar and Nepal).

Photo gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "BBC - Religion: Hinduism". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2012. 
  2. ^ Tribune News service (14 April 2009). "Vaisakhi celebrated with fervour, gaiety". The Tribune, Chandigarh. 
  3. ^ "Religntr festivals". www.incredibleindia.org. Retrieved 22 January 2012. 
  4. ^ Muhammad Najeeb Hasan Abdal (12 April 2008). "Sikh throng Pakistan shrine for Vaisakhi". Thaindian News. www.thaindian.com. Retrieved 22 January 2012. 
  5. ^ "Annual NYC Sikh Day Parade". www.nycsikhdayparade.com. 30 April. Retrieved 22 January 2012. 
  6. ^ http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/vaisakhi
  7. ^ BBC News. 22 April 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-17805970 |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 10 May 2012. 
  8. ^ The Star Online. 8 May 2012 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/5/8/nation/11249703&sec=nation |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 15 February 2013. 
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