Baisakhi

Vaisakhi also spelled as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi and Vasakhi is a festivity of the northern part of India and is celebrated especially by the Sikhs in the Punjab Region. The Sikh community celebrates the festival as it was the very day of the establishment of the Khalsa by the 10^th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, in the year 1699. The festival is also rejoiced by Hindus as well as Buddhists for other reasons.

This mega event is held on the 13^th or 14^th of January, which marks the commencement of the Solar Year. The day is also observed with parades, processions along with many other traditional ceremonies and performances. The day is also considered as the Thanksgiving Day of the farmers for they pay their tribute to God in the process of having a good harvest and also seek blessings for the future. Thus, the festival is also recognized as the Harvest Festival and marks the maturing of the winter crop and the day signifies the farmers to gear up for harvesting again for the year.

All sorts of Bhangra Dances and other cultural programs are performed on the day with great fervor as to celebrate the harvesting festival, which also gives a clue of the period that is on the verge of the end of grey winter season and arrival of the spring season. The day is celebrated with lot of extravaganza which is accompanied by feasting and carousing.