Baisakhi 2024: Baisakhi is a popular harvest festival and Sikh New Year. This year the festival will be celebrated on April 14. Typically observed on the first day of Vaisakh month, Baisakhi is also known as 'Vaisakhi' or 'Basora'. This harvest festival is majorly celebrated in the northern parts of India.
Baisakhi 2024: Date, Time
As per the Drik Panchang, the Vaisakhi Sankrati tithi will fall at 9:05 pm on April 13.
Baisakhi 2024: Significance
Baisakhi is primarily a festival of the Sikh population. This festival marks the formation of the Khalsa (the pure one). Guru Gobin Singh established the Khalsa on Vaisakhi day in 1699. On this day, Guru Gobind Singh abolished the distinction between all castes and proclaimed all humans as being equal.
Eventually, the Sikh Guru tradition came to an end, with the Guru Granth Sahib being declared the eternal guide and Holy Book of Sikhism, according to Drik Panchang.
Baisakhi is also celebrated as the Sikh New Year. Baisakhi is primarily celebrated by Hindus in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. In West Bengal, it is celebrated as "Naba Barsha" or Bengali New Year.
Baisakhi 2024: Rituals and celebrations
- Devotees wake up early on this day and dress up in bright colours.
- They go to Gurdwaras to offer prayers.
- A special sweet called "Kada Prasad" is distributed among the devotees.
- A ‘Langar’ is organised around the afternoon where people from all classes rich or poor are offered free food prepared collectively by the devotees.
- Young men and women dressed in bright gaudy coloured outfits perform traditional dance forms like the ‘Bhangra’ and ‘Gidda’.
- The Sikh community prepares various kinds of delicacies like makki di roti, sarso da saag, paneer tikka, potato vegetable, poori, vegetable pakoras and much more to add to the festivities of the occasion.
