Baisakhi

Punjabi Community from North India celebrates Baisakhi Day as the dawn of Punjabi New Year and the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab, India. This day mostly falls on 13th April every year. This day actually falls on the first day of Vaishakh month when the Sun enters the Mesha Rashi.

This day is famous within Sikh community and is celebrated for the birh of Khalsa on this day. This day marks the anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh's gift of Panth Khalsa on this day more than 300 years ago. Guru Gobind Singh who was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, sent the special edicts to the congregants to be gathered on Baisakhi Day in the year 1699. They were told to come with unshorn hair under their turbans and chunis.

They were told not to cut their hair and the mem were asked to come with full beards. On Baisakhi day in that year, there was the mass gathering of people around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh after emerging from his tent flashed his sword and told the gathering that the every great deed i preceded by equally great sacrifice. He asked for volunteers to offer their life for his faith. After intial apprehensions, there came forward a volunteer who got ready to offer his life for the cause.

Baptisation By Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gond Singhjee took him inside the tent and came out a little later with his sword dripping with blood and asked for another head. Another Sikh came forward and offered his life. He was also taken inside the tent and little after Guru Gobind Singhjee reappeared with his sword covered with more blood.

This process is repeated for three more volunteers. The gathering was getting very perplexed and started to disperse. At that time, Guru Gobind Singhjee went inside the tent and little later appeared with all the five volunteers who were dressed in apious white dress with turbans and other symbols which are today closely associated with Sikhism. Those five men were then baptised in a unique ceremony which is today widely known as Amrit. Those baptised five men were called Panj Pyare by Guru Gobind Singh.

Then those five Amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs were told by Guru Gobind Singh to baptise him as well. It was told by Guru that where ever there are or will be Panj Pyare- 'the beloved five' together, the Guru would be present. All those people who will get baptised or receive Amrit through 5 Amritdhari or baptised Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and the strength to sacrifice for the cause. With these principles of purity and strength, he established the order of Pure ones which is called Panth Khalsa. From that day onwards, every year the Baisakhi Day is celebrated by Sikhs as the birth of Panth Khalsa.