This year 14 April marks the beginning of the Bengali, Assamese, Tamil and Sikh new year (Vaisakhi festival). Every year, thousands of people celebrate their new years, which include prayers, processions, festivities and feasts. Vaisakhi is celebrated by 20 million Sikhs worldwide, including big processions in cities like Toronto, Canada.
The Mayor of London Rt Hon Sadiq Khan will celebrate the Vaisakhi festival on 29 April at the Trafalgar Square in London.
On Wednesday 19 April the Ministry of Defence is organising a Vaisakhi festival at the Memorial Courtyard in their headquarters. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon will attend. Festivities will begin with a kirtan, a prayer singing the Lord’s praises and events will continue throughout the morning until mid afternoon.
There will be a speech by the Defence Secretary, there will be talks from military and civilian personnel in Defence and from external speakers. The festivities will close with a presentation on traditional weapons and their relevance to the military today.
The celebrations are seen as an important message encouraging togetherness and solidarity regardless of social status, gender, race or background not only amongst the 230 Sikhs who serve in Britain's Regular and Reserve forces, but for the whole of Defence.
On Sunday 9th, crowds gathered in Southall to watch the annual Vaisakhi parade, which started and ended at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall Gurdwara on Havelock Road.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was in attendance and tweeted: ‘Londoners don’t just tolerate our diversity, we celebrate it! Brilliant to be back in Southall alongside thousands at Vaisakhi celebrations.’
Other MPs including Southall MP Virendra Sharma and Feltham and Heston MP Seema Malhotra were in attendance.
The Birmingham celebrations, organised by the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Birmingham, will be on Sunday, April 30, and are expected to attract more than 100,000 people.
There will be two processions plus open-air family festivities in Handsworth Park. Sangat (congregations) from gurdwaras (temples) throughout Birmingham and Sandwell will share meals from a langar (community canteen/kitchen) to overcome cultural differences and break down barriers.
People from diverse communities will join in the festivities at the park and enjoy meals prepared by members of the Sikh community, as well as sing hymns that are set to music.
It was on this day in 1699 that the Khalsa order was established by Guru Gobind Singh.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 people gathered outside the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Well Lane, Wednesfield on Sunday 9th in this tradition which dates back centuries. The procession was led by a drummer, followed by sword bearers, Khalsa flag bearers and a float carrying the Sikh holy book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.Among the dignitaries at the celebration was Wolverhampton Mayor Barry Findlay, who said: "It is a great community event, and an important part of my mayoral role. And they brought the sunshine!"
Thousands take to the streets of Glasgow for annual Sikh festival and procession
The Sikh Community in Scotland gathered in their thousands to celebrate the historic Sikh festival, Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi is celebrated by Sikhs in April every year and the community marks this occasion by having an annual procession, which weaves thousands of Scottish Sikhs through the heart of Glasgow.
This year’s procession began at Glasgow’s West End Gurdwara on Otago Street on Sunday before heading to Central Gurdwara on Berkeley Street and then proceeded to the Southside Gurdwara’s at St Andrews Drive, before the finale of the procession at the Glasgow Gurdwara on Albert Drive.
Thousands of Sikhs from across Scotland have taken part in this annual procession, which this year celebrated its 25th anniversary. The first procession took place in April 1992.
Gurdwara President, Mr Labhaya Singh, said: “Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi every year to commemorate the creation of the Sikh Nation, the Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru. Vaisakhi reminds Sikhs worldwide about our responsibility to preserve human rights, promote equality, practice compassion and implement selfless service into our daily lives.
“For the last 25 years the Glasgow Gurdwara Council, have held a city-wide procession through Glasgow called the Nagar Keertan. This procession is close to the heart of the Sikh community and marks an important time for us to come together and celebrate our contributions to the City of Glasgow."
