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The first day of the spring month of Vaisakh or Baisakh is the harvest festival of Baisakhi in the north, especially Punjab.
Beyond its agricultural and cultural roots, the festival is linked to spiritual, social, and historical milestones.
Photograph: Munish Sharma/Reuters
1. Harvest Festival
Baisakhi celebrates the wheat harvest in Punjab, and farmers express their joy by dancing the bhangra and giddha and other folksy steps lending the fest a lively, rural charm.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Michael Clark/ Wikimedia Commons
2. Birth Of A Warrior Community
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh formally established the Khalsa or an order of saintly Sikh soldiers during Baisakhi at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. This transformed Sikhism from a peaceful spiritual movement into one ready to defend justice and equality.
Photograph: Kind courtesy jeminichronicles/Wikimedia Commons
3. The Date Is Solar, Not Lunar
Unlike many Indian festivals that shift yearly, Baisakhi usually falls on April 13 or 14, because its date follows the solar calendar, marking the sun's entry into Aries, known as Mesha Sankranti.
4. A Historical Tragedy Occurred On Baisakhi
In 1919 on Baisakhi, the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened in Amritsar. Thousands had gathered for the festival after which British troops opened fire, killing hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children, including a seven-month-old, making the day deeply and sadly significant in Indian history.
Photograph: Kind courtesy waferboard/Wikimedia Commons
5. It's Celebrated Worldwide
Large processions, called Nagar Kirtans, take place not only in India but also in countries with large Sikh communities like United Kingdom and Canada. London and Vancouver, for instance, host some of the biggest Baisakhi parades outside India.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Anandajoti Bhikkhu Wikimedia Commons
6. Red-Letter Day For Buddhists
Baisakhi is associated with the enlightenment of Lord Gautam Buddha. According to this belief, he attained Nirvana while meditating beneath the sacred Bodhi Tree in Gaya on Baisakhi Purnima, or Buddha Purnima.
Beyond its agricultural and cultural roots, the festival is linked to spiritual, social, and historical milestones.
Photograph: Munish Sharma/Reuters
1. Harvest Festival
Baisakhi celebrates the wheat harvest in Punjab, and farmers express their joy by dancing the bhangra and giddha and other folksy steps lending the fest a lively, rural charm.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Michael Clark/ Wikimedia Commons
2. Birth Of A Warrior Community
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh formally established the Khalsa or an order of saintly Sikh soldiers during Baisakhi at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. This transformed Sikhism from a peaceful spiritual movement into one ready to defend justice and equality.
Photograph: Kind courtesy jeminichronicles/Wikimedia Commons
3. The Date Is Solar, Not Lunar
Unlike many Indian festivals that shift yearly, Baisakhi usually falls on April 13 or 14, because its date follows the solar calendar, marking the sun's entry into Aries, known as Mesha Sankranti.
4. A Historical Tragedy Occurred On Baisakhi
In 1919 on Baisakhi, the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened in Amritsar. Thousands had gathered for the festival after which British troops opened fire, killing hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children, including a seven-month-old, making the day deeply and sadly significant in Indian history.
Photograph: Kind courtesy waferboard/Wikimedia Commons
5. It's Celebrated Worldwide
Large processions, called Nagar Kirtans, take place not only in India but also in countries with large Sikh communities like United Kingdom and Canada. London and Vancouver, for instance, host some of the biggest Baisakhi parades outside India.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Anandajoti Bhikkhu Wikimedia Commons
6. Red-Letter Day For Buddhists
Baisakhi is associated with the enlightenment of Lord Gautam Buddha. According to this belief, he attained Nirvana while meditating beneath the sacred Bodhi Tree in Gaya on Baisakhi Purnima, or Buddha Purnima.
