Vaisakhi 2027 वैसाखी

Why Vaisakhi is celebrated

Vaisakhi carries two meanings at once. For farmers across North India, it is the time when the golden wheat stands ready for cutting after months of work. The festival is a thanksgiving for the harvest and the start of a new solar year in many regional calendars.

For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is one of the most important days of the year. It marks the birth of the Khalsa, the community of initiated Sikhs who commit to a disciplined life, equality, courage and service. The day reminds Sikhs of their duty to stand up against injustice and protect the weak, whatever their faith.

The day also carries the memory of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, which turned a festival gathering into one of the darkest moments of the freedom struggle.

History and story of Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi was a seasonal fair in Punjab long before the Khalsa. Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, chose it as one of the days when Sikhs should gather before the Guru.

On Vaisakhi in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, called a large assembly at Anandpur Sahib. Holding a sword, he asked for a Sikh willing to give his head for the faith. One man stepped forward and went with the Guru into a tent. The Guru returned and repeated the call until five men had come forward. They came out alive, dressed in saffron, and became known as the Panj Pyare, the five beloved ones. Their names were Daya Singh, Dharam Singh, Himmat Singh, Mohkam Singh and Sahib Singh, and they came from different castes and regions.

The Guru initiated them with amrit, water stirred with a double edged sword in an iron bowl, to which Mata Sahib Kaur added sugar crystals. He then asked the five to initiate him in turn, showing that the Guru and the disciple stood equal. Men received the name Singh and women the name Kaur, and the Khalsa adopted the five articles of faith: kesh, kangha, kara, kachera and kirpan.

The day kept its importance in later Sikh history. Ranjit Singh chose Vaisakhi in 1801 for his investiture as Maharaja of Punjab, and Sikh assemblies often met on this day to take collective decisions.

On 13 April 1919, thousands of people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Vaisakhi. British troops under General Dyer opened fire on the unarmed crowd, killing hundreds. The massacre shocked the country and strengthened the demand for independence.

How Vaisakhi is celebrated

Sikh families begin the day with a visit to the gurdwara, where kirtan, ardas and readings from the Guru Granth Sahib continue for hours. Many gurdwaras complete an Akhand Path, an unbroken reading of the scripture over about 48 hours, timed to end on Vaisakhi morning. The Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag, is lowered, its pole washed and given a new cloth. Amrit Sanchar ceremonies are held for those who wish to join the Khalsa.

Later in the day a Nagar Kirtan passes through the streets, led by five Sikhs dressed as the Panj Pyare and followed by the palki carrying the Guru Granth Sahib. Volunteers serve water, sweets and langar to everyone along the route, and gatka performers display traditional martial skills.

In villages, farmers hold fairs with bhangra and gidda to the beat of the dhol, wrestling and folk songs. Homes cook kada prasad, kheer, chole bhature and sweet yellow rice. Hindus in North India take a holy dip in rivers on Mesha Sankranti and give grain in charity.

Vaisakhi across India

The largest gatherings are at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo and the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. The same solar new year is celebrated under other names: Bohag Bihu in Assam, Pohela Boishakh in Bengal, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Pana Sankranti in Odisha and Jur Sital in Mithila. In Jammu and the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, village fairs, temple visits and river baths mark the day.

In Uttarakhand, lakhs of pilgrims bathe at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar on Baisakhi. Almora district holds the Bikhauti fair at Dwarahat around this date. In Dehradun, gurdwaras hold nagar kirtans and langar for the large Sikh and Punjabi community.