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Baisakhi- Vaisakhi-Festival
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Vaisakhi also known as
Baisakhi or Vasakhi) is an ancient harvest festival
in the Punjab region, which also marks beginning of a new solar
year, and new harvest season. Baisakhi is a Sikh religious
festival. It falls on the first day of the Baisakh month
in the solar Nanakshahi calendar, which corresponds to April 14
in the Gregorian calendar.
In Sikhism, it is one of the most
significant holidays in the Sikh calendar, commemorating the
establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the
10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
It also marks the beginning of the Sikh new
year.
This day is also observed as the
beginning of the Hindu solar new year celebrated by the people
of Nepal and India in Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal and some other
regions of India. The particular significance attached to the
occasion shows regional variation outside of Punjab too. In
Himachal Pradesh, the Hindu Goddess Jwalamukhi is worshipped on
Vaisakhi, while in Bihar, the Sun-god Surya is honoured.The
festival is celebrated as Rongali Bihu in Assam, Naba
Barsha or Pohela Boishakh in Bengal, Assam and
Tripura, Puthandu (Tamil New Year) in Tamil Nadu,
Vishu (or Vaishakhi) in Kerala, Maha Vishuba Sankranti
(or Pana Sankranti) in Orissa, and the Sinhala and Tamil new
year festival in Sri Lanka. Besides Punjab, Baisakhi is widely
celebrated as traditional harvest festival in many northern
states of India, such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand. In many places the day is marked by ritualistic
bathing in sacred rivers like the Ganges.
To mark the celebrations, devotees, irrespective
of Sikh religion, throng at gurdwara the Sikh place of worship. The celebrations
start early as devotees, with flowers and offerings in their hands, proceed
towards the gurdwaras and temples before dawn. Processions through towns are
also common. Baisakhi is the day on which the Khalsa (The Pure Ones) was born
and Sikhs were given a clear identity and a code of conduct to live by. The
event was led by the last living Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who baptised the
first Sikhs using sweet nectar called Amrit. Around the world at Baisakhi time,
Sikhs and Punjabis reflect on the values taught to them by their Gurus and
celebrate the birth of the Khalsa
History of Baisakhi
Baisakhi or Vaisakhi Festival is celebrated as
the Sikh New Year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth. History of Baisakhi
traces its origin from the Baisakhi Day celebrations of 1699 organized by
the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to form Khalsa - Brotherhood of Saint
Soldiers to fight against tyranny and oppression.
Story of Baisakhi
The story of Baisakhi Festival began with the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the
ninth Sikh Guru who was publicly beheaded by the Aurungzeb, the Mughal ruler.
Aurungzeb wanted to spread Islam in India and Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up for the
rights of Hindus and Sikhs and the Mughals therefore saw him as a threat.
After the death of Guru Teg Bahadur, his son, Guru Gobind Singh became the next
Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh wished to instill courage and strength to
sacrifice among his fellow men. To fulfil his dream, Guru Gobind Singh called on
the historic Baisakhi Day congregation of Sikhs at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur
on March 30, 1699.
When thousands of people assembled for Guru’s blessing, Guru Gobind Singh came
out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. He gave a powerful speech to
infuse courage amongst fellowmen. At the end of the speech he said that every
great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice and demanded that anyone
prepared to give his life come forward. On the Guru’s third call, a young man
offered himself. The Guru took the man inside a tent and reappeared alone with a
bloodied sword. Guru Gobind Singh asked for another volunteer. This was repeated
another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent with the
Guru. Everyone present was worried and though that Guru Gobind Singh has killed
five Sikhs. At this point Guru presented all the five men before the people.
Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans
and saffron-coloured garments.
These five men were called Panj Piara or 'Beloved Five' by the Guru. The
Guru blessed them with a Pahul ceremony. In an iron vessel, the Guru
stirred with a sword called Khanda Sahib, the batasha that his wife, Mata
Sundari Ji had put into water. The congregation recited verses from scriptures
as the Guru performed the sacred ceremony. The water was now considered the
sacred nectar of immortality called amrit. It was first given to the five
volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed amongst the crowd. With
this ceremony, all those present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members
of the Khalsa Pantha (the Order of the Pure Ones).
The Guru regarded the Panch Piaras as the first members of the Khalsa and the
embodiment of the Guru himself. With the constitution of the Panj Pyare the high
and low castes were amalgamated into one as among the original Panj Pyare, there
was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba, calico printer; one
Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh
(Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he
became Guru Gobind Singh. This was seen as a great step in national integration
because society at that time was divided on the basis of religion, caste and
social status.
Guru Gobind Singh also bestowed on Khalsa, the unique Sikh identity. He directed
Sikhs to wear five K's: Kesh or long hair, Kangha or comb, Kripan or
dagger, Kachha or shorts and a Kara or bracelet. Guru Gobind Singh also
discontinued the tradition of Gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha
Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and
beard unshorn to get baptized by the sword.
( Courtesy:
http://www.baisakhifestival.com/history-of-baisakhi.html )
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