What is Vaisakhi - The basic understanding of why it is celebrated

Celebrated on April 13th or 14th every year, Vaisakhi is a traditional Punjabi harvest festival celebrated within the farming community with lots of parades, singing and vibrant decor. Vaisakhi also marks the formation of the Khalsa, when faithful Sikhs chose to devote their lives to the values ​​taught by the Sikh gurus. Vaisakhi, one of the most colorful events in the Sikh calendar, it is celebrated in slightly different ways depending on the location, with Sikhs from different regions of India taking different approaches to commemorating the festival.It is celebrated by visiting friends and relatives or by wearing special clothing and preparing special, tradition meals to commemorate the festival, while the Nihang sect of Sikhs participate in martial arts and horseback riding demonstrations.

The gurdwaras are thoroughly spring-cleaned and beautifully decorated. Sikhs visit gurdwaras, perform kirtans and attend festivals while traditional, festive food is served at Nagar Kirtans, which are organized processions through the street, loosing translating to ‘City Praising’. These parades are always led by two groups of 5 people dressed in saffron clothes, one is the Panj Pyare wearing Kirpans and the other is the Panj Mukte wearing orange and flying flags, called Nishan Sahib. The procession finally arrives at the designated Gurudwara in where Ardaas (blessing prayers) are offered.

Many Sikhs also choose Vaisakhi as the day to be baptised in to Khalsa. Special celebrations take place at:

Vaisakhi is of particular significance to the Sikhs; it is a religious & historical festival. Here are some of the major moments of history that coincide with Vaisakhi:

It is the date the Sikh religion, the Khalsa Panth, the “Order of the Pure Ones” was initiated. Guru Tegh Bahadur was persecuted & executed by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, for helping the Kashmiri Pandits and refusing to convert to Islam on 11th November 1675. The coronation of his son, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh took place on Vaisakhi, 1676. The historic formation of Khalsa, also took place on the day of Vaisakhi 1699. This day is also called Khalsa Sajna Divas. It was a day when Sikh warriors were baptized to defend religious freedoms. Guru Gobind Singh wanted to instil courage & strength to his followers. He wanted to uplift their morale to combat the evil forces of injustice, tyranny, and oppression that was being dealt by the Mughal rulers.

Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire on 12th April, 1801, creating a unified political state. Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak Dev ji conducted the coronation.

Sadly, this day also commemorates another sad and dreadful incident in the history of Punjab. It was on Vaisakhi in 1919 when the British colonial empire official, General Reginald Dyer carried out the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar, killing thousands of innocent people who had gathered in the gardens. This shocked the world and triggered the Indian movement against colonial rule, which ended in 1947.

The Khalsa was initiated in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. The Khalsa, meaning "pure, sovereign," was formed to create a group of people willing to stand up against cruelty, brutality and tyranny. Preventing persecution, defending liberty, encouraging spirituality, promoting honesty and equality, and ensuring that all people have access to basic needs such as food and health.

Five volunteers were first initiated and given new surnames, Singh, meaning lion. This tradition is now widespread in all Sikh communities and involves women being bestowed the title of Kaur, meaning leader. It is important to note that this initiation is voluntary and people choose to take an initiation when they feel ready. The initiation, Amrit Sanchaar, takes place in a gurdwara (the Sikh place of worship) in a ceremony that includes recitations of the guru's teachings and affirmations of the main teachings of the faith. Amrit is a mixture of sugar (representing sweetness) and water (representing purity), shaken with a double-edged sword (representing strength), sprinkled on the eyes and hair, and then drunk by the person. 

All of whom are taking an initiation undergo a recital of the Mool Mantar, the fundamental affirmation of the Sikh religion, followed by key readings from the Sikh ritual. Finally, all pledges eat Karah parshad, a sweet food made from flour, sugar, and ghee, symbolizing that all are now equal and removing any previous labels relating to caste or social status.

In layman’s terms, Vaisakhi is the New Year’s Day of Hinduism, although such an occasion is not marked on the same date by all sects of the religion. For some, New Year festivities coincide with the five-day Diwali festival which takes place much later in the year.

Vaisakhi also serves as a harvest festival, marking a time of year where the harvest is complete and the crops ready to sell – a time of plenty for farmers.

Many Hindus have a dip in sacred rivers such as Ganges, Jhelum, and Kaveri, as it is believed that the river Goddess Ganges descended to earth on Vaisakhi from Svarg or Heavens. It is also the day of one of the largest Vaisakhi fairs in India, held at Haridwar, which is an important Hindu pilgrimage. Over 50,000 pilgrims will crowd at Brahm Kund in Haridwar to take a dip in the river. Special thanksgiving prayers are held in every household to thank the Deities for the harvest. Charity in the form of money, grains, cows or service is donated on this sacred day. Families would visit temples, meet friends and take part in other festivities. It’s also a very auspicious day for marriages. Most ladies will wear new clothes and bangles. Many people re-decorate their homes. Fresh paint is applied to walls & the floors are plastered. It’s a time for new beginnings.