Happy Baisakhi 2016: Here is why do we celebrate it

The festival of Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is celebrated with great joy and fervor in the northern state of Punjab and Haryana. This is considered the auspicious occasion of the Harvest festival, a day when God is thanked for a good harvest season.

As per the Punjabi calendar, Vaisakhi is celebrated on April 13 every year. This festival also marks Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s establishment of the Khalsa Panth. This is one of the biggest festivals for the Sikh community located anywhere in the world.

Special prayers and meets mark the Baisakhi procession. For farmers this is a Thanksgiving Day and it marks the day when Sikhism was born as a collective faith in 1699.

This day the Granth Sahib scriptures are placed on a throne and read out loud, people also go to the Golden temple, to seek blessings. The word ‘Khalsa’ means pure.

People of Assam celebrate April 13 as Rongali Bihu, in West Bengal it is celebrated as Naba Barsha. Bihar celebrates Baisakhi as Vaishakha in honour of the Sun God, Surya while Kerala celebrates it as Vishu and Tamil Nadu as Puthandu.

This day is marked by processions known as a nagar kirtan. Not only in India but people also celebrate this around the world by getting involved in the processions and prayer meets.