Baisakhi is celebrated by the Sikh community throughout the world especially in the Indian State of Punjab. It is a very important day for Sikhs. It is also one of the one of their most colorful events. Sikhs all over celebrate this day with great enthusiasm.
Punjab is blessed with rich fertile soil and farming remains the main occupation of the people residing there. Baisakhi marks the beginning of the harvesting season and is celebrated with much zeal and fervor. It has religious importance as well as on this day the 10th Guru of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh founded the Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure.
According to the Sikh calendar, Baisakhi falls on the first day of the month Vaisakh; this corresponds to the 13th of April and after a span of 36 years to the 14th of April of the Gregorian calendar.
On Baisakhi people wear new clothes and head towards the gurdwara (place of worship for the Sikhs). Here special prayers are held after which Kara Prasad is distributed among people. People also volunteer for Kar sewa (daily chores of the gurdwara).
A community lunch known as the guru ka langar is later served. Then under five religious men or Panj Piaras, a procession is taken out through the main streets of the town; devotees walk along the procession singing religious songs.
Baisakhi is an occasion to be happy and this joy is usually expressed in the form of Bhangra dance. In villages, fairs and wrestling matches are held for people’s entertainment.
Baisakhi is a day for singing, dancing and merrymaking with the cries of Jatta aai Baisakhi ringing in the air. Sikhs living in other parts of the world hold parades. It is not a public holiday there as it is in India.
