Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is one of the most significant annual celebrations in the Sikh religion and in India. Historically, it has always occurred in mid-April and started with the earliest crop harvest. As a religious celebration, it has consistently been a convivial observance with several festivities and communal celebrations. With time, this historic tradition began to take on other meanings and a new significance for Sikh history.

In the late 1600s, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth of the ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion, was executed by the leaders of the Mughal Empire for refusing to convert to Islam. Shortly afterward, Guru Gobind Singh ascended as the tenth guru of the Sikh religion, who inaugurated the Khalsa identity in 1699. As the prominence of Sikh communities grew around the region, it triggered a conflict with Mughal authorities. As such, the Vaisakhi celebration became symbolic of the Sikh struggle for the recognition…