Baisakhi or Vaisakhi, also known as Vaisakh Sankranti, is a major festival of Sikhs and the people of Punjab celebrate it with a lot of enthusiasm. The festival also marks the start of the Sikh New Year and celebrates the formation of the Khalsa Panth of warriors under the 10th Guru of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
North India also marks this day as the beginning of the spring harvest season and Baisakhi is celebrated on the first day of Vaishakhi month according to the Hindu solar calendar. As per the Gregorian Calendar, Baisakhi is going to be observed on 14 April this year.
Mythology says that on an auspicious day Baisakhi, Goddess Ganga descended on earth. Therefore, devotees visit the banks of the river Ganges and bathe in its holy water during this time.
Sikh devotees across the world gather in the Gurudwaras and volunteer to prepare a holy feast named ‘Langar’ for society. The farming community of Punjab and Haryana worship their agricultural lands and harvest the first crop of the season. Major celebrations are held at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Meanwhile, the historic Gurdwara Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahab, Yahiyaganj will hold a two-day celebration on Wednesday and Thursday. Param Vir Chakra holder Sardar Bana Singh -- who was instrumental in the 1987 Siachen war victory of India over Pakistan – will be present at the event.
The gurdwara has also invited well known hymn singers Satnam Singh from Amritsar and Dilbagh Singh from Lakhimpur Kheri for shabad kirtan, reported the Times of India. “Kirtan will begin from 6.30 pm and Captain Bana Singh will be felicitated on Thursday,” gurdwara committee head Gurmeet Singh said.
On the auspicious occasion of #Baisakhi festival, a three day #Sadbhawana_Sammelan is being organised by #ManavUtthanSewaSamiti in #Haridwar. On first day, devotees were graced by the divine discourses of Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj and Shri Vibhu Ji Maharaj. #ManavDharam pic.twitter.com/v2yaKHEV5d— Manav Dharam (@ManavDharam) April 13, 2022
Baisakhi celebrations will conclude with the 400th Prakash Parv Utsav - birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur - on April 20-21.
