April 13th – The Sikh Celebration of Vaisakhi and Birth of the Khalsa
Happy Vaisakhi (Baisakhi)
Punjab (CHAKRA) - Wishing everyone a happy Vaisakhi on this auspicious day. Sikhs, Punjabis and Indians all over the world celebrate Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi) today.
Vaisakhi is a historic harvest festival based out of the Punjab and Haryana area which starts a new harvest season as well as marking a new solar year. For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is one of most significant festivals in the Sikh calendar and commemorates the beginning of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in year 1699. This was done by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the 10th Sikh Guru) where the first Sikhs were baptized using amrit (sweet nector juice). Therefore, Indian Punjabis and Sikhs reflect on the values taught by Sikh Gurus and celebrate the Khalsa’s birth.
The start of the Hindu solar new year is also celebrated today by Hindus in Nepal and various Indian states such as Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal.
A clear miss is the mention of the Tamil New year which falls around the same time i.e. April 14th.