Baisakhi Festival
Baisakhi is one of the major festivals of Sikhs and is
celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and gaiety in the state of Punjab and
all throughout the world where there is a significant Sikh population.
For the large farming community of Punjab, Baisakhi Festival marks the
time for harvest of rabi crops and they celebrate the day by performing
joyful bhangra and gidda dance. For the Sikh community, Baisakhi
Festival has tremendous religious significance as it was on a Baisakhi
Day in 1699, that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru laid the
foundation of Panth Khalsa-the Order of the Pure Ones.
Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
Date of Baisakhi
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
Baisakhi Celebrations
People of Punjab celebrate the festival of Baisakhi with exuberance and devotion. As the festival has tremendous importance in Sikh religion, major activities of the day are organized in Gurdwaras. People wake up early to prepare for the day. Many also take bath in the holy river to mark the auspicious occasion. After getting ready people pay a visit to their neighbourdood gurdwara and take part in the special prayer meeting organized for the day. At the end of the Baisakhi ardas, congregates receive specially prepared Kara prasad or sweetened semolina. This is followed by a guru ka langar or community lunch.Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
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Celebrations by Farmers
For the large farming community of Punjab and Haryana, Baisakhi marks a
New Year’s time as it is time to harvest rabi crop. On Baisakhi,
farmers thank god for the bountiful crop and pray for good times ahead.
People buy new clothes and make merry by singing, dancing and enjoying
the best of festive food. Cries of "Jatta aai Baisakhi", rent the skies as gaily men and women break into the bhangra and gidda dance to express their joy. Everyday farming scenes of sowing, harvesting, winnowing and gathering of crops are expressed through zestful movements of the body to the accompaniment of ballads and dhol music.
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
In several villages of Punjab Baisakhi Fairs are organized where besides other recreational activities, wrestling bouts are also held.
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History of Baisakhi
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.
The story of Baisakhi Festival began with the martyrdom of Guru Teg
Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru who was publicly beheaded by the Aurungzeb,
the Mughal ruler. Aurungzeb wanted to spread Islam in India and Guru
Tegh Bahadur stood up for the rights of Hindus and Sikhs and the Mughals
therefore saw him as a threat.
After the death of Guru Teg Bahadur, his son, Guru Gobind Singh became the next Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh wished to instill courage and strength to sacrifice among his fellow men. To fulfil his dream, Guru Gobind Singh called on the historic Baisakhi Day congregation of Sikhs at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur on March 30, 1699.
When thousands of people assembled for Guru’s blessing, Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. He gave a powerful speech to infuse courage amongst fellowmen. At the end of the speech he said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice and demanded that anyone prepared to give his life come forward. On the Guru’s third call, a young man offered himself. The Guru took the man inside a tent and reappeared alone with a bloodied sword. Guru Gobind Singh asked for another volunteer. This was repeated another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent with the Guru. Everyone present was worried and though that Guru Gobind Singh has killed five Sikhs. At this point Guru presented all the five men before the people. Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans and saffron-coloured garments.
Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
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).
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
The Guru regarded the Panch Piaras as the first members of the Khalsa
and the embodiment of the Guru himself. With the constitution of the
Panj Pyare the high and low castes were amalgamated into one as among
the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat,
farmer; one Chhimba, calico printer; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one
Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh
and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru
Gobind Singh. This was seen as a great step in national integration
because society at that time was divided on the basis of religion, caste
and social status.
Guru Gobind Singh also bestowed on Khalsa, the unique Sikh identity. He directed Sikhs to wear five K's: Kesh or long hair, Kangha or comb, Kripan or dagger, Kachha or shorts and a Kara or bracelet. Guru Gobind Singh also discontinued the tradition of Gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and beard unshorn to get baptized by the sword.
Story of Baisakhi
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
After the death of Guru Teg Bahadur, his son, Guru Gobind Singh became the next Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh wished to instill courage and strength to sacrifice among his fellow men. To fulfil his dream, Guru Gobind Singh called on the historic Baisakhi Day congregation of Sikhs at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur on March 30, 1699.
When thousands of people assembled for Guru’s blessing, Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. He gave a powerful speech to infuse courage amongst fellowmen. At the end of the speech he said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice and demanded that anyone prepared to give his life come forward. On the Guru’s third call, a young man offered himself. The Guru took the man inside a tent and reappeared alone with a bloodied sword. Guru Gobind Singh asked for another volunteer. This was repeated another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent with the Guru. Everyone present was worried and though that Guru Gobind Singh has killed five Sikhs. At this point Guru presented all the five men before the people. Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans and saffron-coloured garments.
Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
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).
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
 |
Guru Gobind Singh also bestowed on Khalsa, the unique Sikh identity. He directed Sikhs to wear five K's: Kesh or long hair, Kangha or comb, Kripan or dagger, Kachha or shorts and a Kara or bracelet. Guru Gobind Singh also discontinued the tradition of Gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and beard unshorn to get baptized by the sword.
Legends of Baisakhi
Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
Harvest Festival
Baisakhi Festival marks the time for the harvest of Rabi crops and is therefore celebrated with utmost joy and enthusiasm in the state of Punjab where agriculture is the predominant occupation of the people. To celebrate the occasion, people dress themselves gaily and perform the joyful bhangra and giddha dance on the tune of the dhol. Farmers in Punjab celebrate Baisakhi Festival to hilt by feasting and merrymaking before they hit on tiring but joyful task of harvesting from the next day.
Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
Birth of Khalsa
The day of Baisakhi marks the birth of Khalsa Panth and therefore holds
tremendous significance for the Sikhs. It was on the
Baisakhi Day meeting organized at
Anandpur Sahib, in 1699, that the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Sigh
laid the foundation of Khalsa Panth and called on the Sikhs to sacrifice
themselves for their community. Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
Besides, it was on the Baisakhi Day that Guru Gobind Singh administered amrit (nectar) to his first batch of five disciples, the Panj Piaras making them Singhs, a martial community. After the Baisakhi Day in 1699 the tradition of gurus was discontinued, and the Granth Sahib - the Holy book of the Sikhs was declared the eternal guide of the Sikhs.
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Day to Receive Guru’s Blessings for Sikhs
According to a popular legend in Sikhism, it was on the day of Baisakhi in 1567 that Guru Amar Das had first institutionalized Baisakhi as one of the special days when all Sikhs would gather to receive the guru's blessings at Goindwal.Foundation of Arya Samaj
The day of Baisakhi Festival is also important for the Hindus as it on this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj - a reformed sect of Hindus who are devoted to the Vedas for spiritual guidance and have discarded idol worship.Wish u Happy Baisakhi 2016
Attainment of Nirvana by Gautam Buddha
For the Buddhist, the day of Baisakhi Festival is significant, as according to a popular legend it was on this auspicious day that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree in the town of Gaya. For this reason, the day of Baisakhi is celebrated as Buddha Purnima is several parts of the country.Happy Baisakhi Festival | Baisakhi Day 2016 | Baisakhi SMS | Baisakhi Poem | Baisakhi Messages
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