Thousands of devotees converge in gurudwaras to celebrate Baisakhi in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh: Hundreds of devotees on Tuesday thronged gurudwaras across Punjab and Haryana to celebrate Baisakhi, one of the biggest festivals that marks the foundation day of the Khalsa Panth (Sikh order) by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
It also marks the start of harvest season. The Golden Temple in Amritsar, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines, was tastefully decorated, and a huge number of devotees came before dawn to offer prayers.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages gurudwaras in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, has deployed task force staff to manage crowds.
A sea of devotees was also witnessed at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib in the holy city of Anandpur Sahib, where the Khalsa Panth was founded in 1699.
Many consider taking the holy dip in the Golden Temple sarovar as significant to mark the day. Day-long langars (community kitchens) have been organised to mark the day.
Besides the Golden Temple, people took a holy dip in scores of historic gurudwaras across Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann extended greetings on Baisakhi and Sajna Diwas of Khalsa Panth. In a message, CM Mann said, “The Khalsa Panth, founded by the 10th guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, always inspires us to stand guard over righteousness and truth, and to serve humanity.”
The day also marks the ripening of the Rabi harvest, a time for the farmers to reap the wheat crop.
This day marks a watershed moment in India’s freedom movement in 1919, as many known and unsung martyrs sacrificed their lives on this day in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
A jatha of pilgrims this week left for Gurudwara Sri Panja Sahib in Pakistan from Amritsar to participate in the religious congregation to be held to mark Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi).
In greetings, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, “May this sacred festival, filled with faith and joy, and bearing the message of prosperity and wellbeing for our farmers, infuse new energy, enthusiasm, and zeal into everyone’s lives — this is my heartfelt wish.”