Jamshedpur : The Steel city got soaked in colours of Baisakhi celebrations, the Sikh New Year on Saturday. The Gurudwaras were decked up for Baisakhi as it is an important day for the community. It was on this day in 1699 that Khalsa was established.
Baisakhi, the festival of harvest and New Year for Punjabis all over the world, was celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm at the Gurudwaras
As part of the celebrations non-stop recital of Sri Guru Granth Sahib for 48 hours �was organised, followed by Ardas by the Granthi – priest – and others. Keertan was rendered by the devotees.
Langars were organised after the keertan with a large number of people from all religions, including women and children, participating in the celebrations.
”I have come along with my family to see and seek blessings. Blessings of the Gurus is what we have come here for and in addition to this it also shows the solidarity of the Sikh community in striving for achieving the tenets of the Guru Granth Sahib,” said Surjit Singh, 50, a resident of Sakchi.
The devotees offered prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Gurdwaras in Muktsar, Talwandi Sabo and Anandpur Sahib. Community kitchens were also organised on the occasion.
Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi as the day of the formation of the Khalsa (the pure one). On the day, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh (the tenth Sikh Guru) established the Khalsa and eliminated the differences of high and low and established that all human beings are equal.
Usually, harvesting of wheat is also initiated on the occasion of Baisakhi, but this time it has been delayed in view of prolonged winter spell in the region.
“Baisakhi is one of the most important festivals for us and my family will celebrate the birth of Khalsa on this day. There will be regular “ardaas” (prayer) at home and we will spend the remaining day together doing charity work. We have been following this tradition for the last four years,” said professor Bijender S Ahluwalia, a retired employee of Tata Motors.
Ravneet Kaur, a student said, ” We have been carrying social work on this day and plan to continue.” Ravneet added that they have also contributed books at a gurdwara library. “This library is for kids who want to study religious books or those who cannot afford them,” she said.
