Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh

One of the most popular and main festivals of the state of Punjab is the Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh. The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the harvest season in the state and is also one of the oldest festivals of the city.

The Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh has a distinct history of its own. In the year 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of the Sikhs, set up the Khalsa Panth or the Order of Pure Ones for the Sikh community in the month of April. From that year onwards, the festival was celebrated on this very day. The festival is usually celebrated in the moth of April and May, as per the Sikh calendar. Usually the festival is held on the 13th or the 14th of April.

Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh is also known as Vaisakhi Festival. As Punjab is primarily an agricultural state and agriculture the main occupation of its people, hence this festival is of great significance to the people of this state. On this day, in the morning, the Punjabi men and women go to a sacred river for a holy dip. Thereafter, they go to a Gurudwara, a Sikh Temple, to offer prayers for their loved ones. In the afternoons the people, especially the youngsters, take part in a long procession. In these processions one gets to see the people doing the Bhangra and the Gidda dances. The men with their colorful turbans and the women with their colorful and glossy clothes add to the beauty of this parade. In order to show their gratitude to the Almighty, the people loudly cheer the name of God. The men also shout out the phrase " Jatti aayi Baisakhi" loudly in this parade.

During the Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh, the people buy new clothes for themselves and exchange sweets amongst each other. The Kara Prasad and the Sweetened semolina are two of the main sweet dishes that are distribute in this festival. The biggest feature of this festival is the free lunch at the Langars. It is basically a community place where one is allowed to have lunch on this grand day free of cost.

The Baisakhi Festival in Chandigarh is one of the most elaborate and colorful festivals of the city. This harvest festival is celebrated with much jubilation by the people of Punjab.