Also known as: Vaisakhi, Vaishakhi, Khalsa Sajna Diwas, Mesha Sankranti · Observed: Punjab, Haryana and Sikh and Punjabi communities worldwide
Significance of Baisakhi
Baisakhi, also spelt Vaisakhi, falls at the start of the solar month of Vaisakh and has a double meaning for the people of Punjab. For farmers it is the harvest festival of the rabi crop, especially wheat, which ripens in golden fields at this time. For Sikhs it is one of the most important days of the year, commemorating the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. For Hindus across North India it marks the solar new year and is an occasion for holy bathing in rivers.
The festival thus brings together gratitude for the land, devotion and community identity, and is celebrated with equal enthusiasm in villages and in Punjabi communities abroad.
The Founding of the Khalsa
In the late seventeenth century, Guru Gobind Singh called a great gathering of his followers at Anandpur Sahib on Vaisakhi. Before the assembly he asked, sword in hand, who was willing to give his head for the faith. One by one, five men came forward and were led into a tent. The Guru then presented them before the congregation dressed in new garments as the Panj Pyare, the Five Beloved Ones. He initiated them with amrit, sweetened water stirred with a double-edged sword, and then asked them to initiate him in turn. The Khalsa thus formed was a community of initiated Sikhs pledged to a disciplined life, marked by the five articles of faith and the names Singh and Kaur. The event is remembered as Khalsa Sajna Diwas.
How Baisakhi Is Celebrated
Sikhs begin the day at the gurdwara, where an Akhand Path, the continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, is often concluded. Kirtan, ardas and langar, the free community kitchen, follow. Nagar kirtan processions led by the Panj Pyare carry the Guru Granth Sahib through the streets with gatka (martial arts) displays. The largest gatherings are at the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar and at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, and many choose this day to receive amrit.
In the villages, farmers celebrate the harvest with fairs, wrestling and the energetic bhangra dance of men and giddha of women to the beat of the dhol. Hindus bathe in the Ganga at Haridwar and other sacred rivers. In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana the day is also a new year festival with temple fairs, and in Bihar and parts of eastern India Satuani is observed with offerings of sattu.
Food and Customs
Langar at gurdwaras serves dal, sabzi, roti and kheer to all who come. At home, families prepare kada prasad, chole bhature, makki di roti with sarson da saag, pinni and meethe chawal (sweet saffron rice). New clothes, especially bright turbans and phulkari dupattas, are worn.
How the Date Is Determined
Baisakhi follows the solar sidereal calendar and falls on Mesha Sankranti, the day the Sun enters sidereal Aries, which begins the solar month of Vaisakh. This is why it usually falls in the middle of April and varies by no more than a day from year to year. The Sikh Nanakshahi calendar and Punjabi almanacs fix the observance by this solar transit, so Baisakhi typically coincides with Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Vishu in Kerala.
Rituals and customs
- Visiting the gurdwara for kirtan, ardas and langar
- Nagar kirtan processions led by the Panj Pyare
- Amrit initiation ceremonies
- Holy bath in rivers for Hindus
- Bhangra and giddha at harvest fairs
- Festive meal with kada prasad and sweet rice