- 13 or 14 April
- Harvest and solar new year
- Khalsa founded in 1699
- Punjab, Haryana and the Sikh diaspora
Where it began
The name comes from Vaisakh, the month in the Indian calendar when the festival falls. For farmers in Punjab it is the time the golden rabi wheat is ready to cut, so the day began as a thanksgiving for the harvest and a start to the new year.
For Sikhs the day carries a deeper meaning. On Vaisakhi in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, called the community together and created the Khalsa. Five men who came forward became the Panj Pyare, the five beloved ones, and were the first to receive amrit.
The day is also kept as a new year by many communities across India under other names, such as Bohag Bihu in Assam, Pohela Boishakh in Bengal and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.
How it grew over time
Ancient times
Farmers in the Punjab plains mark the wheat harvest and the start of the solar year with fairs and thanksgiving.
1699
Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib, and Vaisakhi becomes one of the most important days for Sikhs.
1800s and 1900s
Big fairs grow at places like Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and Amritsar, drawing pilgrims and farmers alike.
Late 1900s
Sikh and Punjabi communities in Britain, Canada and the United States begin large street parades called nagar kirtans.
Today
The day is kept with prayer, processions, harvest fairs and dancing in Punjab and wherever Punjabis live.
How it is celebrated in different places
Amritsar, Punjab
Pilgrims gather at the Golden Temple to bathe in the sacred pool and listen to kirtan through the day.
Anandpur Sahib
The town where the Khalsa was born holds a large gathering and processions.
Punjab and Haryana villages
Farmers start the harvest, and fairs bring bhangra, gidda, wrestling and food stalls.
Canada
Surrey and Toronto hold some of the largest Vaisakhi parades outside India, with floats, music and free food for all.
United Kingdom
Southall in London and cities like Birmingham see colourful nagar kirtans and community meals.
Baisakhi moments
Baisakhi today
Sikh families visit the gurdwara in the morning for prayer and langar, the shared free meal. Nagar kirtan processions led by the Panj Pyare move through the streets with hymns and music.
In the fields and towns people dance bhangra and gidda to the beat of the dhol, wear bright new clothes and share sweet dishes like kheer and jalebi.
