Baisakhi 2021

Baisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated in the Punjab region by all Punjabis regardless of their religion. For people of Punjab, especially the Sikhs, Baisakhi is a very significant day. Baisakhi is also celebrated as Sikh New Year based on Hindu Solar calendar.

Baisakhi Festival falls on the 1st day in the month of Vaisakh (April-May) according to Nanakshahi or Sikh Calendar. For this reason, Baisakhi is also known as Vaisakhi. According to English calendar, the date of Baisakhi corresponds to April 13 every year and April 14 once in every 36 years. This difference in Baisakhi dates is because of the fact that the day of Baisakhi is reckoned according to solar calendar and not the lunar calendar. The auspicious date of Baisakhi is celebrated all over India under different names and different set of rituals and celebrations. Baisakhi date coincides with ‘Rongali Bihu’ in Assam, ‘Naba Barsha’ in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and ‘Pooram Vishu’ in Kerala.

For the Sikh community, Vaisakhi is not only a harvest festival but also a religious festival. Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi as the day of the formation of the Khalsa (the pure one).

On Vaisakhi day, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Sikh Guru, established the Khalsa. He eliminated the difference between higher and lower caste communities and declared that all human beings are equal. Later the Guru tradition in Sikhism was put to an end and Guru Granth Sahib was declared as eternal guide and Holy Book of Sikhism. Baisakhi is also spelled as Visakhi, Vaishakhi and Vaisakhi.