Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi, also spelled Baisakhi or known as Mesadi, is traditionally celebrated on 13 April (sometimes 14 April) each year, marking the first day of the month of Vaisakh in the Indian solar calendar. It is a spring harvest festival, especially significant in Punjab and Northern India, and is culturally celebrated across many regions of India as the Solar New Year. However, according to the Nanakshahi calendar, Sikhs celebrate the New Year on the first of Chet.

Originally rooted in Hindu traditions as a harvest and market festival, Vaisakhi predates Sikhism but gained deep religious importance for Sikhs in 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, founded the Khalsa Panth on this day at Anandpur Sahib.

 

For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is both a spiritual and cultural celebration. The day includes:

• Kirtans and prayers in Gurdwaras
• Nagar Kirtan processions
• Raising of the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag)
• Langar (community meals) and fairs

It also commemorates other significant events in Sikh and Indian history:

• In 1801, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was crowned ruler of the Sikh Empire on Vaisakhi.
• In 1919, the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on this day, a pivotal event in India’s independence movement.

Beyond Punjab, Vaisakhi is celebrated under different names in other Indian states:

• Puthandu (Tamil Nadu)
• Pohela Boishakh (Bengal)
• Bohag Bihu (Assam)
• Vishu (Kerala)

For many Hindu communities, the festival involves:

• Holy river baths in rivers like the Ganges, Jhelum, and Kaveri
• Charitable giving (daan) of fans, water pots, and fruits
• Temple visits, deity processions, and seasonal fairs
• Worship of deities like Durga, Surya, and Vishnu, depending on the region

The exact date of Vaisakhi shifts gradually over centuries due to the movement of the solar calendar. For example, it fell on 11 April in 1801, and in the year 2999, it is predicted to fall on 29 April.