Baisakhi
Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is a significant annual festival for the Sikh community, particularly celebrated in the northwestern region of Punjab, India. This observance commemorates the founding of the Khalsa, a military order established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, which played a crucial role in the Sikh fight against oppression during the Mughal Empire. The Baisakhi celebration typically involves large gatherings, prayers, and communal festivities, marking an essential event in Sikh history and identity. Participants often engage in traditional music, dance, and the sharing of festive meals, highlighting the community's cultural heritage.
Originally celebrated on April 13, Baisakhi also coincides with the harvest season, making it a time of gratitude for agricultural abundance. Although the festival is deeply rooted in Sikh traditions, it is observed by diverse communities, including some non-Sikhs, who recognize its significance in the region's cultural landscape. The observance faced challenges in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to muted celebrations and a shift to virtual greetings and home prayers. Despite these setbacks, Baisakhi remains a powerful symbol of Sikh resilience, community, and spirituality.
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Baisakhi
Baisakhi
Baisakhi, also spelled Vaisakhi, is an annual observance for members of the Sikh religion, most of whom live in India, particularly the northwestern region of Punjab. Baisakhi commemorates the founding of the Khalsa, the Sikh military order.
In the 17th century, the powerful Mughal Empire ruled most of India. The Mughals were Muslims and oppressed those whom they considered infidels, including the Sikhs, who belonged to a monotheistic religion founded in the 15th century. In 1699 the Sikh guru and leader Gobind Singh summoned his people to his capital at Anandpur Sahib, and hundreds of thousands gathered there beginning on March 30. On April 13, 1699, Gobind Singh founded the Panth Khalsa, the “Order of the Pure Ones,” most commonly referred to simply as the Khalsa. Sikh men who entered the Khalsa were expected to observe rigid personal discipline, including the wearing of distinctive military garb and headdresses, and take on the surname Singh, (lion). Women could enter the order too; they were given the surname Kaur, (princess). This order of warrior-saints became a powerful military machine, and the Sikhs were able to free Punjab from the Mughals and establish an independent state for themselves. Punjab remained independent until 1849, when it was subjugated by the British and became part of British India. By then the Sikh military tradition was so widely respected that the British were happy to recruit Sikh soldiers for their colonial armies.
Although Punjab is still the home of most of the world's Sikhs, there are substantial immigrant communities in Europe and North America. The faithful everywhere celebrate the founding of the Khalsa as a key event in their history and an essential part of their religious identity. However, in 2020, the observance was somewhat muted by the lockdown orders Punjab and the rest of India were compelled to enforce due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that had started with the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in late 2019. While people continued to use digital technology and social media to send one another greetings to mark the occasion and were able to pray at home, the customary large gatherings at public places of worship were absent and the celebratory harvest was delayed.
Bibliography
Barr, Sabrina. "Vaisakhi: What Is the Sikh Festival and How Is It Celebrated?" Independent, 13 Apr. 2019, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/vaisakhi-sikh-festival-religion-celebrate-punjabi-new-year-baisakhi-a8861601.html. Accessed 1 May 2020.
"Know the Significance of Baisakhi, the Harvest Festival of Punjab." Business Insider India, 12 Apr. 2020, www.businessinsider.in/thelife/article/know-the-significance-of-baisakhi-the-harvest-festival-of-punjab/articleshow/75105309.cms. Accessed 1 May 2020.
Patel, Anand. "Coronavirus: For Wheat Farmers, It's a Dull Baisakhi." India Today, 14 Apr. 2020, www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/coronavirus-for-wheat-farmers-it-s-a-dull-baisakhi-1666654-2020-04-14. Accessed 1 May 2020.