April 15, 2015: Thousands of celebrants are expected to converge upon Selma April 19 for the 21st annual Sikh Day Parade.
Organizers say the public is invited to sample free vegetarian food, meet the people of the Sikh community and learn more about their culture.
Ike Grewal explained that the event is a celebration of Vaisakhi, the beginning of the Sikh New Year.
In the Punjabi language, the parade is called Nagar Kirtan, Grewal said. It differs than just a traditional parade, as it has a religious and sacred meaning attached to it.
“The Punjabi word, ‘nagar’ denotes town, and ‘kirtan’ means singing of religious hymns. So ‘Nagar Kirtan’ literally means going around the town singing sacred hymns.”
The parade starts at 10 a.m. April 19 at the Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast, 2211 S. Highland Ave. The public is invited.
In addition to it being a New Year, Vaisakhi is celebrated as the birthday of Khalsa, or pure ones. Since 1699, Vaisakhi has gained additional significance as it’s celebrated as the time when the Khalsa was ordained by the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh who laid down a code for the Sikhs. This is when the Sikh is baptized.
Nagar Kirtan parades are conducted all around the world and Selma’s event has grown in size with the number of participants now numbering almost 8,000.
“Stalls will be set up to provide free vegetarian food to all and everyone is invited to join us to enjoy the food and see our vibrant people and culture,” Grewal said.
The parade itself starts at the Sikh Temple on Highland Avenue, proceeds north and then will head west on Rose Avenue. The procession will continue north on Thompson Avenue, go around Selma High School and the Floral Memorial Cemetery. It will return with participants walking south on Thompson and returning to the temple.
A Sikh Center flier explains that Sikhism was founded in India in 1469 by Guru Nanak. Nine prophet teachers, or gurus, who succeeded him added to their beliefs. The word "Sikh" means disciple or student. There are 22 million Sikhs worldwide who trace the origin of their faith to Punjab, meaning the "land of the five rivers," which is located in Northern India.
Copyright 2015 Hanford Sentinel.