Sikhs Worldwide Mark Baisakhi on April 14

Sikhs around the world marked Baisakhi on April 14 with vibrant festivities honoring the harvest season and the 327th anniversary of the Khalsa Panth's founding by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The festival, which blends agricultural gratitude with spiritual renewal, drew thousands to gurdwaras, processions and community gatherings across India, Pakistan and the Sikh diaspora.

In Punjab, the heartland of Sikh culture, celebrations unfolded with traditional enthusiasm. Farmers expressed thanks for the rabi crop harvest through joyful bhangra and giddha dances, while devotees flocked to gurdwaras for prayers and communal meals. Processions led by the Panj Pyare, the five beloved ones, wound through city streets, accompanied by hymns and displays of gatka, the Sikh martial art. Participants received kara prasad, a sweetened semolina offering, before sharing guru ka langar, a free community kitchen meal open to all.

Similar fervor animated events in other parts of India. In Hyderabad, hundreds gathered at Sri Guru Gobind Singhji Playground in Ameerpet, organized by the Gurudwara Saheb Ameerpet committee. The day began with a vishaal deewan, featuring gurbani keertans and sermons by...