In the year 1699, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh established the Panth Khalsa or the Order of Pure ones for the Sikhs. The Baisakhi Festival is usually held on that day in Punjab. Punjab is an agricultural Land and the main occupation of the people is agriculture.
So, the people celebrate the Baisakhi Festival at time of harvest of the Ravi Crops when the golden harvest mesmerizes the onlooker. It is celebrated with much zeal and cadence. Punjab as we all know is a land of the five famous rivers namely the Jhelum, Chenub, Ravi Beas and Sutlej. The land consists of fertile soil and some lively people ho would make you feel welcome in any circumstance.
Description of the Baisakhi Festival
Baisakhi Festival is also known as the Vaisakhi Festival. In the morning the Punjabi men and women get up from their bed early in the morning and take a holy dip in the sacred river. After that they go to an adjacent Gurdwara and pray for the well being of their near and dear ones.
In the afternoon they participate in a long parade that follows the Paanj Piaras. This pageant is accompanied with much merrymaking like mock duets, Bhangra and Gidda dances. The farmers also enjoy full fledged in the time of the festivals.
They buy new clothes and dance to the tune of the rich golden harvest. At the end of the day sweet dishes are distributed among the people like the Kara Prasad and Sweetened Semolina. The celebration is made all the more charming by the free lunch at the Langars, where anyone can have lunch on that auspicious day completely without charge.
Cries of ‘Jatti aayi Baisakhi’ envelop the sky and even the God seems to hear the cry of men; it is a sort of avowing respect and gratitude to the benevolent Lord. Fairs are held to add more colors to the exorbitant fiesta.
Time of celebration of the Baisakhi Festival
This Baisakhi Festival is usually held in the month of April and May in agreement to the Sikh Calendar. It is scheduled to fall on April 16. It also coincides with the Bihu fete in Assam and the Naba Barsha celebration in Bengal.
