More than 10,000 Sikh NRIs attended Baisakhi celebration in Los Angeles
Vaisakhi is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar.

Los Angles, April 10, 2007
NRIpress
Sam Sidhu/Manjinder Sagoo

More than 10,000 NRI (non-resident Indians) sikhs from all over the Southern California State attended Baisakhi celebration in Los Angeles, marking the Punjabi new year and the start of the harvest season. The celebration took place Sunday, April 08, at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 7:30 p.m. till evening. Nagar Kirtan include devotional music and a colourful parade featuring 15 decorative floats through downtown Los Angeles.

Nagar Kirtan, meaning, ‘town and songs of praise’ describes the street processions which form an important part of the Vaisakhi celebrations. The holy book of the Sikhs, 'Granth Sahib' was taken in a procession, led by the 'Panj Pyaras' (five senior Sikhs) who are symbolic of the original leaders.

This is the single largest annual Punjabi event in Los Angles area that shows cases the Punjabi performing arts and promotes talent amongst the next generation of the local community. The generosity of the community can be seen with people giving free food along the streets, sharing, helping each other, singing and walking in the parade. Families get together wearing traditional clothes from far and wide. Businesses and other community organizations are commonly seen sharing and giving at their booths or on floats.

The Vaisakhi celebration in Los Angeles was organized with the coordiation of 17 Sikh organizations- mostly Gurdwaras of Southern California

Vaisakhi Day is of paramount importance for the Sikhs, as it was on this day Guru Gobind Singh - the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs sought to eliminate social discriminations with the establishment of the universal caste Khalsa Panth.

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi Festival is celebrated as the Sikh New Year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth. History of Baisakhi traces its origin from the Baisakhi Day celebrations of 1699 organized by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to form Khalsa - Brotherhood of Saint Soldiers to fight against tyranny and oppression.

Baisakhi is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the vibrant state of Punjab to mark the harvest of Rabi crops. Baisakhi usually falls on April 13, and on April 14 once every thirty-six years. Baisakhi is one of the festivals where huge amount of cooking with authentic recipes and eating takes place.

On this memorable Baisakhi day (March,30 of A.D.1699) , Guru Gobind Singh Sahib called a big meeting at Kesgarh Sahib near the City of Anandpur Sahib. Between fifty to eighty thousand Sikhs attended this meeting. When all were expecting to hear words of comfort and consolation from the lips of their Guru, they were perturbed to see him with a drawn sword in his hand and cried ' Is there anyone here who would lay down his life for Dharam?' There was a big silence, but the Guru went on repeating his demand. At the third call Daya Ram, a Khatri of Lahore, rose from his seat and offered himself. The Guru took him into an adjoining enclosure....(and soon after) came out with the (blood) dripping....(sword in hand) and flourshing it before the gathering, asked again, 'Is there any other Sikh here who will offer himself as a sacrifice(for the cause of dharma)? At this Daram Das, a Jat of Delhi (Haryana side) came forward and was taken into the enclosure....(The Guru again came out with the blood-stained sword, and made his previous demand). In the same way three other men stood up, one after another, and offered themselves for the sacrifice. One was Mohkam Chand, a washerman of Dwarka (Gujarat State); another was Himmat, a cook of Jagannath (Orissa State); and the third was Sahib Chand, a barber of Bidar (Karnataka State). The Guru, after dressing the five in handsome clothes, brought them from the assembly.

These five men were called Panj Piara or 'Beloved Five' by the Guru. The Guru blessed them with a Pahul ceremony. In an iron vessel, the Guru stirred with a sword called Khanda Sahib, the batasha that his wife, Mata Sundari Ji had put into water. The congregation recited verses from scriptures as the Guru performed the sacred ceremony. The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called amrit. It was first given to the five volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed amongst the crowd. With this ceremony, all those present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members of the Khalsa Pantha (the Order of the Pure Ones).

With the creation of Khalsa, the Khalsa created history and since the birth of Khalsa, the history of Punjab has been the history of Sikhs. Baisakhi played a significant role in this regard. In 1762, Ahmed Shah Abdali, with the sole purpose to destroy the entire Sikh nation, declared 'Jehad'(holy-war) against the Sikhs and all the Muslims of the Punjab rallied under this slogan. The Sikhs were surrounded near the village Kup in Ludhiana District. Chronicles mention that about twenty thousand Sikhs were martyred in a single day. This event is known in the history of the Sikhs as "Ghallughara" (Bloody Carnage). After this, Ahmed Shah Abdali thought that he had crushed the entire Sikh nation, but was greatly disillusioned when after a few months heard that the Sikhs in large number are celebrating Baisakhi at Amritsar. In due course of time Baisakhi reminds every Sikh of his cultural and religious heritage. On Baisakhi day all the Sikhs used to assemble at Amritsar and decide their problems relating to politics and religion. This convention still goes on.

The celebrations of Baisakhi are similar to the three-day schedule of the the celebrations of other Gurpurabs.