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Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! A Basic Rundown of Vaisakhi Vaisakhi is a dharmic, and cultural festival which is celebrated on the 13th or 14th of April every year. For Sikhs, it commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth, for Punjabi's it marks the beginning of the harvest season. The celebration of Vaisakhi predates Sikhi itself, however after the formalization of the Khalsa in 1699 it was mainly celebrated as a religious event for Sikhs. A lot of people might not realize this, but Guru Nanak Dev Ji was also born on Vaisakhi 1469 (Wikipedia is wrong), the same day Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Human form of Nanak, decided to lay down the formalization for the Khalsa Panth. This fact is often forgotten, but it amplifies the importance of Vaisakhi for Sikhs, as not just a celebration for the creation of the Khalsa, but also the day Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born. The Truth about Vaisakhi Vaisakhi used to be a Punjabi new years harvest festival, and was transformed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to celebrate the creation of the Khalsa, but modern day Vaisakhi has mostly devolved from a celebration of the Khalsa back into a Punjabi festival. Vaisakhi for Sikhs isnt about Bhangra dancing, colorful cloths, or free food, it's about celebrating the creation of the Khalsa Panth. When I ask non-sikhs, and even some sikhs about Vaisakhi, they seem to be clueless as to why we celebrate it in the first place, and instead make it about free food or socializing with friends. We attend all these Nagar Kirtan parades and we eat food and meet friends, but at the end of the day we dont end up learning anything about Sikhi. Sadly, Vaisakhi also gets hijacked by corporations trying to promote their business, and Politicians trying to promote their party. This is bad becuase their are taking advantage of such an important occasion, however isn't that bad becuase these corporations and politicians also contribute a lot of funds to organizing Vaisakhi, help spread awareness, and participate in it themselves to attract even more people. I think we should find a way to limit them, if not cut them out completely. We are not responsible for promoting another culture at a Sikh event, especially when they are using Gurdwara money, on Gurdwara property, under the name of a Sikh event. Punjabi culture itself is often times anti Sikh as it promotes alcohol, sexism, caste system, etc. If we allow any of it, then we risk mixing it and passing it off as Sikhi to the rest of the world. This will create a lot of problems becuase people will be fed misinformation that will be the direct result of Sikhi being watered down by Punjabi culture. Now before you get triggered and start calling me a radical, fundamentalist, zealot, extremist or any of the buzzwords people like to use, just keep in mind that I am a freedom of speech and expression advocate, and I dont feel like we should outright ban Bhangra, Punjabi Music, or food. I definitely feel like their are a lot of people who come to Vaisakhi just for the food, music, dancing, etc, and to ban the aforementioned practices would cut off a lot of people who could be potentially educated on Sikhi. Instead of having a complete blanket Ban like some Sikhs propose, I think that we should try to somehow limit the Punjabi culture and push back hard and find a way to bring the focus on Vaisakhi back to Sikhi instead of Punjabi culture. Typical Punjabi "Counterarguments" When I bring up the issue of the Punjabiization of Vaisakhi, I often times hear the same pathetic counterarguments from Punjabis who try to defend the Punjabification of Vaisakhi. I will now address some of these common "counterarguments" that Punjabis bring up in defense of the current state of Vaisakhi. One common argument Punjabis like to bring up is "oh but most people who attend Vaisakhi are already Sikh, why do you have to promote relgion so much?", that might be true, but keep in mind that most people are only Sikh in name, and when confronted, they know very little about Sikhi, or just know misinformation. When I personally do parchaar and hand out the "3 Facts about Sikhi" leaflets at Vaisakhi, a lot of Punjabi "Sikhs" reject my lefts saying something along the lines of "were already Sikh,we know about Sikh-ism, just focus on the white people, not us", however when I ask them to explain the basic principles they fail miserably and then finally bend the knee and accept the leaflet. Another common argument is "oh but Vaisakhi existed before Sikhi, and was celebrated by farmers as a new year's/harvest festival, you can't just hijack it", it's true that Vaisakhi and was celebrated as a new year's/harvest festival prior to Sikhi, however Sikhs celebrate it becuase of the creation of the Khalsa, and that is what really popularized Vaisakhi, and is what it's known for today. How many people, especially Sikhs in the west, honestly celebrate Vaisakhi as a harvest festival? Most of us aren't even farmers, without Sikhi, Vaisakhi would be all but irrelevant in the modern age. If someone wants to celebrate Vaisakhi as a harvest festival, then they are free to do so and we aren't stopping them, however we as Sikhs must remember that we celebrate Vaisakhi as the creation of the Khalsa. Make Vaisakhi Great Again At the moment Vaisakhi is nothing more than a Punjabi festival with a Sikhi twist, we need to reverse that. I propose that we start by increasing all efforts to do parchar and educate the community on Sikhi. Vaisakhi attracts hundreds of thousands of people, all of whom have the potential to be educated. This is a golden opportunity that only comes once a year, and we as a Panth need to capitalize on it if we are to grow Sikhi. What better place and time to spread Sikhi than at a Nagar Kirtan during Vaisakhi time. It honestly says a lot about the Sikh community when very few "Sikhs" are educated on it, and even fewer are fully committed to the faith. I feel like we need to really focus on our community, and not sideline them in favor of non-sikhs, becuase at the end of the day these are the people who identify as Sikh and still practice some form of Sikhi, even tho it is a watered down, and heavily Punjabiized version. Punjabi culture is like a double edged sword, it promotes anti-sikh practices, however it also promotes pride & bravery to defend ones way of life. When things get serious, Punjabi's are often the first one to go fight on the frontlines. During 1984 many non Amritdhari Punjabis, who were otherwise never religious and would never wake up for Amritvela, joined the fight and died fighting in defense of Harmandir Sahib. The thing about Punjabi's is that they are always ready to die for the Panth, but aren't willing to live for the Panth. I feel like Punjabis have a place in the Sikh community becuase without them we wouldn't get very far. We need to take the good things about Punjabi culture and leave the bad, this is why I dont feel like Punjabis are a lost cause and are worth doing Parchaar to. What I propose is that we drastically increase our education efforts. This can be done in the form of educational events, school programs, university courses, and most importantly: street parchaar. We must also compare and contrast between Sikhi and Punjabism in order to separate them, and demonstrate Sikhi's obvious superiority. Instead of a straight up ban, I would suggest we specifically stop Music that contains anti Sikh themes that promote drugs, alcohol, degrading women, etc at Sikh associated events and Gurdwaras. If someone wants to go around blasting anti Sikh music then by all means go ahead, but not at a Sikh event. As for bhangra, although it does not represent Sikhi, if someone wants to dance to celebrate the creation of the Khalsa then I think it's fine. If we follow through with the aforementioned strategies, we can still keep the Punjabis happy, all while promoting Sikhi! My Question for the Community What would you improve or change for Vaisakhi to make it focus more on sikhi, rather than Punjabi culture? Please leave your suggestions down below. Resources Informative Leaflets RajoanaTV Exposing the Culturalization of Vaisakhi Nanak Naam on why Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi, & its significance Basics of Sikhi on The Unique Khalsa Panth! Vaisakhi Katha

I heard some places around the uk which were doing nagar kirtan for more than decade have stopped doing them for vaisakhi. The east london one used to have a huge procession with 15,000-20,000 attendances that starting from rosebury gurdwara in manor park but has stopped for past 2 years now. Any one know what the reasons are?

Hi what date is Vaisakhi on, according to 1. official Gurdwara date 2. moon calender (original calender) 3. new calender 'NanakShahi'. thanks for you help

SOURCE: http://singhstation.net/2017/05/vaisakhi-2017-thousands-flock-sikh-festival-federation-square-melbourne/ MELBOURNE – Federation Square became a spectacle of colour as over five thousand Sikhs flocked together to the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi on Sunday, 30th April. The event featured Turban tying stalls, Sikh exhibitions, Gatka (Sikh Martial Arts), Musical performances, kids area and over 25 local community organisations sharing their projects with the wider community of Australia. During the event, volunteers lined to hand out food and drink to crowds gathered to witness the Khalsayee event. The event started with the Sikh procession lead by Panj Singhs followed by Ardas ceremony. Various interfaith group leaders attended the event and shared their prayers to congratulate Sikh community for celebrating Vaisakhi. It was the first time that Sikh Flags (Nishan Sahibs) were rising high in the heart of Melbourne city centre. In addition to the day guests in attendance included Hon. MP Andrew Giles, Member of Scullin, Hon MP Dee Ryall, Member of Ringwood, Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp, Victoria Police. There was a one minute silence observed during the event to pay tribute to the victims of Bourke st. incident. The Vaisakhi festival bears a great significance for Sikhs due to the fact that on the Vaisakhi Day in the year 1699, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, laid down the foundation of the Khalsa Panth – the “Order of the Pure Ones”. Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council President Harshminder Singh in a message thanked all Gurdwaras and local organisations in making the event successful and said, Event Coordinator Gurinder Kaur said that It is significant to organise Sikh Festivals with wider communities because there is an identity crisis, in terms of people thinking Sikhs are part of other communities, but they are completely separate. Vaisakhi at Federation Square is a unique event to celebrate the contributions and aspirations of Sikh community in Australia and develop a greater understanding and appreciation for a rich, unique and diverse heritage. There were Sikh members of defence and Victoria Police who were educating the wider community about Sikh contributions in Australia. This was Melbourne’s first celebration of Vaisakhi at Federation Square and it was amazing to see the love and passion of the community for their culture & heritage.

SOURCE: http://singhstation.net/2017/04/invited-sikh-communitys-vaisakhi-khalsa-day-federation-square/ THE Sikh community will celebrate the first ever celebration of Vaisakhi Khalsa Day with traditional colours and culture at Federation Square on Sunday, 30th April 2017. For Victorians, the event will be the first of its kind celebrating Sikh heritage, history and culture. Celebrated across the northern Indian subcontinent, especially in the Punjab region, the festival marks the founding of Khalsa, or the Sikh community, 318 years ago. April 14 was the day the Khalsa was born and Sikhs were given a clear identity and code of conduct to live by when the first five Sikhs were baptised in 1699. Around the world at Vaisakhi time, Sikhs reflect on the values taught to them by their Gurus and celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. The event is being organised by Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council (VSGC) & Khalsa Education Society Inc. in collaboration with more than 25 other Australian organisations. Project Coordinator Gurinder Kaur said the Vaisakhi Mela Festival was one of the biggest in the Sikh calendar. The day will be marked by live Kirtan (spiritual singing) performances, Gatka displays, Sikh Heritage exhibitions showcasing Sikh culture, Turban tying stalls, Sikh literature stalls, and kids’ activity area. The event will commence with an entry by panj payre (Five beloveds) followed by an Ardas ceremony. Hon. MP Dee Ryall, Member of Ringwood and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Andrew Crisp will be joining the event along with other dignitaries. The festivities run from 11am to 6pm on Sunday, April 6 at Federation Square. It’s a completely free non-alcoholic and family event and there will be lots of free food available.

Wjkk wjkf, I am curios to understand what does Vaisakhi mean to those that are not Amrithdhari/have cut their hair/don't exactly identify as Khalsa per say. This question stems from my understanding of Vaisakhi which is basically the birth of the Khalsa. And while many identify as Sikh, not all Sikhs are part of the Khalsa (do note that many have subjective views as to how they identify with being Sikh).

I think I can understand humdardi but I don't think Sikhs should be apologetic about celebrating the birth of Guru Panth , what do you all think? Why are we constantly being pulled into denying ourselves because of others' actions and fights? http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/srinagar-city/in-wake-of-civilian-killings-sikh-community-to-celebrate-baisakhi-with-austerity/246217.html

In the month of April, Sikh world celebrates Vaisakhi - the day when foundation of Khalsa was laid by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Here is a beautiful Infographic by Sikh Stage that shows the basics of Vaisakhi and its history. For more Sikh Infographics, follow Sikh Stage on facebook - facebook.com/SikhStage Click here to read - http://on.fb.me/1CK1u0V

ਖਾਲਸਾ ਸਾਜਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਮਾਜ ਲਿਆਂਦੀ ਅਧਿਆਤਮਿਕ ਅਤੇ ਸੂਰਮਈ ਕ੍ਰਾਂਤੀ| Khalsa sajna and revolutions in society by Guru Sahibaan. ਖਾਲਸੇ ਦੀ ਸਾਜਨਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੁਆਰਾ ੩੦ ਮਾਰਚ ੧੬੯੯ ਨੂੰ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ, ਪਰ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰਾਂ ਤਿਆਰ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ੨੩੦ ਸਾਲ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਲੱਗਾ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਕ੍ਰਾਂਤੀਆਂ ਲਿਆਂਦੀ ਗਈਆਂ| Foundation of Khalsa was laid by Guru Gobind Singh Ji on 30 March 1699. But preparation of Khalsa was a long process of 230 years. In these years, Guru Sahibaan brought about several revolutions in the society. Check out this infographic by Sikh Stage for complete read - ਪੂਰਾ ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਲਈ ਕਲਿੱਕ ਕਰੋ http://on.fb.me/1NCEgFQ

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Dear Khalsa Ji, You are all invited to Celebrate the Birth of the Khalsa Panth at the Sikh Missionary Society (U.K) - Sikh Missionary Society U.K. (Regd.) 10, Featherstone Road. Southall, Middx, UB2 5AA http://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org Programme Details 25th April 2014 10.00 – Arambh Sri Akhand Path Sahib 26th April 2014 16:00 to 19:00 – Kavi Darbar 27th April 2014 10.00 – Bhog Sri Akhand Path Sahib 10:30 to 11:15 – Kirtan by Sikh Children 11.15 to 12.30 – Kirtan and Katha Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

A lot of people consider it a ritual that serves no purpose, so then why do we do it? Please give your opinion. And if anyone finds this question offensive or rude, I'd like to apologize in advance. (I'm 15 years old and I'm deeply sorry if I've made a mistake) WJKK WJKF

happy vaisakhi dear brothers and sisters on Khalsa's 314th founding hope you all have a happy, prosperous and productive new year. Lets do ardas for our brothers who are langhishing in indian jails on death row and see that they are released asap or given a shahadat that will bring honour to them, their family and give us the Sikh panth new energy to destroy the oppressor of our kaum and desh .......will not forget nor forgive the tyrants.

in regards to the sanctioning of the death sentance of sikh political prisoners/ banning of movies like sadda haq, murder of bhai jaspal singh and no justice. Is this a well planned deep rooted conspiracy to cut down the new generation of Sikhs who are witnessing the discrimination and helpness they face trapped in hindustan / indian union? Knowing the strength of the Sikh spirit especially during vaisakhi time is this another episode of Sikh history about to unfold before our eyes?

April 9, 2013 by princeofpunjab Source: princeofpunjab.blogspot.com Vasakhi....its ringing, will you answer the call? Monday, April 08, 2013: The truth is often bitter, so to escape it we deny, we dodge and we duck. Yet at some point there is nowhere to hide and you are left standing face to face with the reality. All that time that was wasted in trying to deny the obvious then starts stinging as missed opportunities to change, to update, or fix what we were running from. They say sometimes experience is required to understand, however we have hardened ourselves so much that even experience rolls off of us like water on oil. Vasakhi is the most prestigious time of year for Sikhs. In Sikh history, Vasakhi holds such a special place as deep meaningful transformation of the Sikh psyche. It was the culmination of the religion as a whole, the last Guru in human form, Guru Gobind Singh blasted such energy and life into the followers of the faith that it directly changed the course of history not just for India, but for many nations around the world. The Khalsa was formed upholding rights of all, fighting against injustice and people who laid tyranny on the oppressed. They were hunted, tortured, killed, yet still the community was constantly inspired and growing, because the belief system and heritage was unparalleled to anything known to mankind. There was never a forced conversion, there was never even any advertising or selling of the religion yet people were in awe of what the Khalsa stood for. They were in awe of Guru Gobind Singh’s sacrifice for the faith, community and nation. They put their lives on the line to be a part of it, to experience that life style which was full of challenges in a worldly sense but ultimate peace from a spiritual standpoint. The showmanship at Indian weddings is intense. There is a typical scene at an Indian wedding, the bride and groom are on the dance floor and one of their family members comes up with a handful of cash , circle’s it around their heads and throws it in the air. We call this Varna (sacrificing), since money is the most prized position it is saying to the audience and the new couple that even this money is nothing compared to our well wishes and love for you. Sometimes it even becomes a competition where another family member will come with a larger wad of cash and do the same thing, everyone is wowed and the DJ’s who receive this cash in the end are very happy. Money is considered love, the closer the relation the better the more we spend, because we want that person to know how close we are to them. Then we must start to think how much love, beyond measure, beyond words, beyond explanation Guru Gobind Singh had for his Khalsa, when he sacrificed his children, (4 son’s) for us. How close did he feel to that Gursikh, that instead of throwing money, he //’d his children for the love of his community and nation? It is mind blowing and very difficult to think in that terms. We are used to superficial acts of love, we get more money from someone and think wow they must really like me, we devise ways to be able to reciprocate and appreciate that love back. We will think about that person, contemplate how can I also show my appreciation/love for them. Yet have we ever thought about reciprocating the love that Guru Gobind Singh showed us? Have we ever thought how can we pay this love back? How can we even comprehend this love, which unlike any that we have experienced in our life? All he asked was become a better person by becoming a Khalsa. He did not lay any conditions for his sacrifice as many of our friends and family members do, the unsaid loyalty has to exist. I scratch your back you scratch mine, all these relationships are based on some fulfillment of our needs, our desires, or our wants which we try to receive. Becoming a Khalsa, taking Amrit and living a lifestyle which can uplift us as it did so many others is the only way we can begin to understand, the vastness of the Sikh faith. But today, there are excuses, since we cannot comprehend such love. We have our list of reasons we cannot acknowledge what is needed. Some need time, some need space, some want experience whatever the reason that unconditional love is rejected by us. In our worldly desires and motivations we forget that someone //’d their most invaluable possession’s so that we could live free today, free to even reject that gift of Amrit, free to even reject that we need to be a Khalsa ourselves, even that choice, that every individual should be able to choose what they believe is part of the essence of that love that was given to us. In our area three of the largest Gurdwara's have to pool together to do Amrit Sanchar a handful of people are urged and encouraged, some inspired yet the numbers are very low. Meanwhile we are easily selling out concerts of Jazzy B, Yo Yo Honey Singh where thousands of our community members turn out and show their 'support/love'. Today our pockets and bank accounts may be full, because that has been our focus, but in doing so we have lost/are losing our deep, rich and unparalleled heritage. We openly and unashamably regret this gift. We knowingly in our full conscious are able to put it on the back burner, that ‘one day’ I will commit, ‘one day’ I will answer the call. Nothing can describe our disrespect towards that love more than our excuses of rejecting it. Worrying about a better job, worrying about acceptance from others, worrying about our image, the way we look, the way we fit in the way we may get treated, we run away. We choose ourselves to live in our petty hang-ups, rather than experience something so great that it was worth sacrificing your life at one point. Forget our lives, we can’t even sacrifice our sleep, our comfort, our material possessions and our falsely high image. Then we wonder why there are no results. Why our lives may feel empty, or why our community is in disarray. In taking Amrit we make the first step towards acknowledging that we are meant to be something more, not the last step in a pursuit of perfection. You do not get married because you already know what a perfect marriage is, you get married to commit, to make mistakes to understand, and to grow. The same way Amrit is not the end result, it is the beginning of our commitment, yet even that first step we are not willing to take. Of course we cannot learn standing outside of the school. We did not even enter the building, and then we complain that we do not understand what it’s about. We know the call, we hear the call, but will we answer the call? Here in lies the most important truth, that when we reject a love that is so pure, when we fail to acknowledge a debt that is so large our lives no matter how materially fulfilled remain empty. Wherever we run, wherever we hide, whatever we choose as our ‘excuse’ we are unable to completely deny the fact that we let go of something so great that others flocked to it without consideration of their existence. Those few souls taking Amrit this Vasakhi I congratulate you, and though I myself have been a failing member in this institution for years, I would not trade it for any other experience out there!

Might sound like a silly question, but i am hearing tera tera 13/2013 everywhere, but then you google it and its the14th ,we dont want to miss our own birthday do we ?

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