Baisakhi is additionally a harvest festival, celebrating the abundance of crops in Punjab and several other parts of North India. As it is the harvest time in most of the Indian states, The customs and traditions followed implicate the agricultural prosperity and acknowledge the almighty for the good harvest provided. For the Sikh community, Baisakhi is quite a spring harvest festival, and each day marking the new year! It’s a festival marking the birth of the Khalsa way of living within the Sikh religion and it commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
The History
The Sikh Tradition
The festival of Vaisakhi is said to the major event within the history of Sikhism. It became closely related to the Sikh religion by the top of the 17th century. When Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs chose this date to create. The very best order of the Sikhs referred to as the Khalsa Panth.
The Vaisakhi day in 1699 also marked the top of the long tradition of gurus in Sikhism and established the holy text ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. Because of the eternal guide for the community. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh summoned Sikhs from across India to Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. And asked who was prepared to die for the explanation for religion.
Five men volunteered to offer their lives and Guru Gobind Singh baptized them. And adorned them with the Khalsa identity of a Saint Soldier. In 2003, the Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee named the festival Baisakh (Vaisakh). Also, made it the primary day of the second month of Vaisakh in their new Nanakshahi calendar.
Mostly Sikhs, who had assembled at the Jallianwala Bagh to participate in the annual Baisakhi celebrations. And to condemn the deportation of the leaders Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchen. This happened to be a serious incident within the Indian history of independence, triggering wide protests. And therefore the beginning of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Celebrations.
Conducting fairs and thanksgiving prayers/poojas are common. Moreover, Vaisakhi traditions and people celebrate by singing, dancing, wearing festive garments, preparing special dishes, and conducting wrestling bouts and parades. On Baisakhi, people visit Gurudwaras. Baisakhi also celebrated in schools, colleges, fields, and houses. Thus, People gather together and luxuriate by dancing the Bhangra, Gidda and sharing special foods like Kada Prasad.
Likewise, Special celebrations will happen at Talwandi Sabo (the place where Guru Gobind Singh stayed for nine months. And completed the recompilation of the Guru Granth Sahib) at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Regional variations of Baisakhi/Vaisakhi
So, The festival of Vaisakhi marks the solar New Year and maybe a harvest festival. Some of those regional variants of Vaisakhi and therefore the place/people who observe it are the following:-
Baisakhi celebrated across the world!
For Hindus in the Punjab region, Baisakhi marks the start of the new solar year. And the festival itself starts with bathing, worshipping, and partying. Another reason to celebrate Baisakhi is that it is believed that Goddess Ganga descended to earth. And many Hindus take ritual baths in the sacred Ganges River. Baisakhi is an important day for Buddhists as well. As it commemorates the birth, awakening, and enlightened passing away of Gautama Buddha.
