This week, millions of Sikhs wearing vibrantly colored turbans parading to the sound of beating drums will commemorate a tradition centuries old.
The Sikh celebration called Vaisakhi happens annually in mid-April. The origins of Vaisakhi stem from a spring harvest festival native to the Punjab region of South Asia, but more importantly marked as a religious significance for Sikhs.
But while some may confuse Vaisakhi as the initiation of Sikhism, that is not the case.
"Vaisakhi celebrates the culmination of a centuries-long journey, from the foundation of the faith in 1469, to ensure equality of all people — regardless of race, gender, faith, nationality, or any other identity," Sumeet Kaur Bal, communications director for Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, told NBC News. "This journey culminated in the institutionalization of the Sikh identity and our shared values, which occurred on Vaisakhi."
>> Vaisakhi: A Sikh's New Year 0:38
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666-1708) — the tenth Sikh guru-prophet — gathered a record number of Sikhs to formally establish the Khalsa Panth, a community of initiated Sikhs. The Khalsa Panth was formalized and entrusted as the collective body with authority. It is important to note that Sikhism was born at a time of great inequality and injustice in India — which in many ways continues today, according to Bal.
"Guru Gobind Singh Ji vested power in the Khalsa Panth, or Sikh familyhood, to be politically and civically engaged and combat injustice in the world around us, but to have this engagement guided and fueled by our understanding of religion," Bal said.
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded on the principles of equality, freedom of religion, and community service. As the fifth-largest religion in the world, one of the core teachings of the Sikh tradition is that all Sikhs must cultivate spirituality while also serving the world around us. Sikhs, both men and women, cover their uncut hair with a turban which represents a commitment to equality and justice.
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| www.nbcnews.com Thousands of Sikhs paraded through streets in Vancouver to celebrate Vaisakhi, ... |
"One of the many terms that captures this outlook is sant-sipahi, which translates to saint-soldier," Simran Jeet Singh, senior religion fellow for the Sikh Coaltion, told NBC News. "Maintaining such a balance is a difficult thing to do, yet being both spiritually focused and politically engaged is an integral part of the Sikh faith."
Sikhs have been in the U.S. for over a 100 years, with large communities in California and New York. For decades, New York City has hosted the annual Sikh Day Parade, which will take place this year on April 23. Thousands of Sikh community members from around the country are expected to come together to share their traditions with local New Yorkers.
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| A dancer performs during Vaisakhi the Sikh New Year celebration event at London's Trafalgar Square, Sunday, May 4, 2008. Akira Suemori / AP |
"The most popular aspect of the Parade is the langar, free food served in the way of the Sikh tradition, in Madison Square Park," says Singh. "Tens of thousands of people enjoy the langar together, and it serves as a powerful way to socialize and connect with others who join."
Sikhs mainly worship by singing from the scripture and reflect on their Gurus' teachings as a way to model values and principles within their own lives. Vaisakhi is fundamentally about celebration, remembrance, community, and progress. This week Sikhs will gather with their communities at gurdwaras, local places of worship, and reflect on these values.
Related Article by Huffington Post
The History And Meaning Behind Vaisakhi, Sikh Springtime Festival
This holiday commemorates the formation of the Khalsa, the body of fully initiated Sikhs.
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| www.youtube.com Bhangra Music for Baisakhi 2016 |
04/12/2016: The Sikh Holiday of Vaisakhi falls on Wednesday. Also frequently spelled Baisakhi, Vaisakhi has origins as a springtime festival in the Punjab region, but since 1699 has taken on a great deal of religious significance for Sikhs. On Vaisakhi in that year, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa and established much of what is at the core of the Sikh faith today.
HuffPost blogger Satpal Singh explains:
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On the Vaisakhi day of 1699 (the first day of the month of ‘Vaisakh’ in the Sikh calendar), Siri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the tenth Guru, formalized the concept of Saint-Soldier by introducing the Amrit ceremony (the formal initiation ceremony). The initiates were instructed to keep the five K’s: Kes (uncut hair), Kangha (a small comb), Karra (an iron bracelet), Kachh (a special short) and Kirpan (a sword). They were given the title of Khalsa, meaning those whose life and spirit belonged only to the One Universal Creator and not to any ruler, tyrant or even a messenger of the Creator. The principle of One Universal Creator, a founding principle of the Sikh Faith, means that all human beings are children of the same One Creator, and are thus all equal, irrespective of their religion, gender, race, color, caste or the like. |
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| www.thehindu.com Sikh devotees throng Golden Temple to pay obeisance |
Many Sikhs observe Vaisakhi by making pilgrimages and participating in rituals at traditional holy sites. Dancing, fireworks, and feasts among family and friends are also common practice for those in India, Pakistan, and around the world.