Festivals of India: Karva Chauth

Posted on October 22, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of women, mostly belonging to the northern part of India will take part in a ritual immortalised in hundreds of Indian films, the festival of Karva Chauth.

Karva Chauth is a festival celebrated by Hindu women from mostly the northern part of the Indian subcontinent on the fourth day after the full moon or Purnima in the month of Kartika, about mid-October to mid-November. On Karwa Chauth, married women, especially in North India, observe a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The Karva Chauth fast is traditionally celebrated in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and is celebrated as Atla Tadde in Andhra Pradesh.

Karva is another word for a pot or a small earthen pot of water and chauth means fourth in a reference to the fact that the festival falls on the fourth day of the dark-fortnight, or Krishna paksh, of the month of Kartik. One hypothesis for this festival is that military campaigns were often conducted by men in far off places whereby men would leave their wives and children at home to go off to the war and their wives would often pray for their safe return. The festival also coincides with the wheat-sowing time or the beginning of the Rabi crop cycle. Big earthen pots in which wheat is stored are sometimes called Karwas, so the fast may have begun as a prayer for a good harvest in this predominantly wheat-eating Northwestern region.

Another story about the origin of this festival relates to the bond of feminine friendship. With the custom of arranged marriage being prevalent, the newlywed is supposed to reside with her husband and in-laws. Being new to the family, the custom arose of befriending another woman as her friend or kangan saheli or sister or dharam behn for life. The friendship would be sanctified through a Hindu ritual during the marriage ceremony itself. The bride’s friend would usually be of the same age or slightly older, typically married into the same village, so that she would not go away and not directly related to her in-laws, so there was no conflict of interest later. This emotional and psychological bond would be considered akin to a blood relationship and it is said that the Karva Chauth festival evolved to include celebrating this special bond of friendship.

There are legends associated with the Karva Chauth festival. In some tellings, the tales are interlinked, with one acting as a frame story for another. The story of Queen Veervati is about a beautiful queen called Veervati who was the only sister of seven loving brothers. She spent her first Karwa Chauth as a married woman at her parents’ house. She began a strict fast after sunrise but, by evening, was desperately waiting for the moonrise as she suffered severe thirst and hunger. Her seven brothers couldn’t bear to see their sister in such distress and created a mirror in a sacred fig or peepal tree that made it look as though the moon had risen. The sister mistook it for the moon and broke her fast. The moment she took the first morsel of food, she sneezed. In her second morsel she found hair. After the third she learned the news of her husband, the King, was dead. Heartbroken, she wept through the night until a Goddess appeared and ask why she crying. When the queen explained her distress, the Goddess revealed how she had been tricked by her brothers and instructed her to repeat the Karwa Chauth fast with complete devotion. When Veervati repeated the fast, Lord Yama, the God of death was forced to restore her husband to life. In a variant of this story, the brothers build a massive fire behind a mountain instead and trick their sister by convincing her that the glow is the moon. She breaks her fast and word arrives that her beloved husband has died. She immediately begins running to her husband’s house, which is somewhat distant, and is intercepted by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati reveals the trickery to her, cuts her own little finger to give the wife a few drops of her holy blood, and instructs her to be careful in keeping the complete fast in the future. The wife sprinkles Parvati’s blood on her dead husband and, coming back to life, they are reunited.

In a legend from the Mahabharata, Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast. Once Arjun went to the Nilgiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, out of desperation, remembered Lord Krishna and asked for help. Lord Krishna reminded her that on an earlier occasion, when Goddess Parvati had sought Lord Shiva’s guidance under similar circumstances, she had been advised to observe the fast of Karwa Chauth. In some tellings of this legend, Shiva tells Parvati the story of Veervati to describe the Karwa Chauth fast. Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their problems.

The legend of Karva tells us the story of a woman named Karwa who was deeply devoted to her husband. Once, while bathing at a river, her husband was caught by a crocodile. Karva bound the crocodile with cotton yarn and asked Lord Yama, the God of death to send the crocodile to hell. When Yama refused, Karva threatened to curse Yama and destroy him. Yama, who was afraid of being cursed by a devoted wife, sent the crocodile to hell and blessed Karva’s husband with long life and Karva and her husband enjoyed many years of wedded bliss.

A few days before Karva Chauth, married women would buy new Karvas or spherical clay pots, 7-9 inches in diameter and of 2–3 litres capacity and paint them on the outside with beautiful designs. Inside, they would put bangles and ribbons, home-made candy and sweets, make-up items, and small clothes. The women would then visit each other on the day of Karva Chauth and exchange these Karvas. Women begin preparing for Karva Chauth a few days in advance, by buying adornments or shringar, jewelry, and prayer or puja items, and the decorated prayer plate or puja thali. On the day of the fast, women from Punjab awake to eat and drink just before sunrise. In Uttar Pradesh, celebrants eat soot feni with milk in sugar on the eve of the festival. It is said that this helps them go without water the next day. In Punjab, sargi is an important part of this pre-dawn meal and always includes fenia. It is traditional for the sargi to be sent or given to the fasting woman by her mother-in-law. If she lives with her mother-in-law, the pre-dawn meal is prepared by the mother-in-law. On the occasion of Karva Chauth, fasting women choose to wear traditional wear like a sari or lehenga.

The fast begins at dawn. Fasting women do not eat during the day. In traditional observances of the fast, the fasting woman usually does no housework. Women apply henna and other cosmetics to themselves and each other and the day passes in meeting friends and relatives. In some regions, it is customary to give and exchange painted clay pots filled with goodies. Since Karva Chauth follows soon after the Kharif crop harvest in the rural areas, it is a good time for community festivities and gift exchanges. Parents often send gifts to their married daughters and their children. In the evening, a community women-only ceremony is held. Participants dress in fine clothing and wear jewellery and henna, and in some regions dress in the complete finery of their wedding dresses. The dresses are frequently red, gold or orange, which are considered auspicious colours. The fasting women sit in a circle with their puja thalis and depending on the region and community, a version of the story of Karva Chauth is narrated, with regular pauses. The storyteller is usually an older woman or a priest, if one is present. During the pauses, the festival song is sung collectively with the singers passing their thalis around in the circle. In Uttar Pradesh, a priest or an elderly woman of the family narrates the story of Beejabeti or Veervati. Thereafter, the fasting women offer baayna or a melange of goodies to the idols and hand them over to their mother-in-law or sister-in-law.

The ceremony concluded, the women await the rising of the moon. Once the moon is visible, depending on the region and community, it is customary for a fasting woman, to view the moon or its reflection in a vessel filled with water, through a sieve, or through a dupatta. Water is offered to the moon to secure its blessings with women praying briefly for their husband’s life in some regions. It is believed that at this stage, spiritually strengthened by her fast, the woman can successfully confront and defeat death, personified by Lord Yama. Her husband then takes the water from the thali and offers it to his wife and by taking her first sip of water during the day, the fast is now broken and the woman can have a complete meal.

In modern Northern and Northwestern Indian society, Karva Chauth is considered to be a romantic festival, symbolising the love between a husband and wife. Thanks to Bollywood, Karva Chauth isn’t limited to be a North Indian or Punjabi festival anymore and is now glamorised and widely popular in pan India. There have been calls to modify or eliminate the festival by commentators who hold it to be anti-women and to perpetuate the notion of women’s dependence on men. Karva Chauth has also been cited as a symbol of cultural repression of women by some Indian feminists with others calling the festival empowering for women because the festival enables them to quit housework completely for the day and expect gifts from their husbands.

To those celebrating the festival, here’s wishing you a very Happy Karva Chauth!

Festivals of India: Rishi Panchami

Posted on September 10, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Rishis are learned sages and the Sapta Rishis or the seven great sages are the seven rishis in ancient India, who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and other Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the Vedic religion.

In ancient Indian astronomy, the asterism of the Big Dipper, part of the constellation of Ursa Major, is called Saptarishi, with the seven stars representing seven rishis, namely Vashistha, Marichi, Pulastya, Pulaha, Atri, Angiras and Kratu. There is another star slightly visible within it, known as Arundhati with Arundhati and Vashishtha who are married, and together form the Mizar double.

The Saptarishis included Sage Kashyapa, Sage Atri, Sage Vashishta, Sage Vishvamitra, Sage Gautama, Sage Jamadagni and Sage Bharadwaja. The Saptarishis were created by Lord Brahma to impart education to the human race. They passed down wisdom to the mankind so that it is able to follow the path of knowledge, understand the basic principles of goodness, and become enlightened.

Tomorrow is Rishi Panchami, a very auspicious day for Hindus. Rishi Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapad, from mid-August to mid-September. It is celebrated two days after Hartalika Teej and the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is believed that this day honours the entire gamut of sages of ancient India and is especially dedicated to the Saptarishis, the seven great sages. In some parts of Kerala, the day is also observed as Vishwakarma Puja. The festival is very famous in Nepal among the Hindus where in some regions the three days Hartalika Teej fasting ends on Rishi Panchami.

On Rishi Panchami women fast to pay obeisance to the seven sages and to get purified. Hinduism gives highest priority to purity and there are strict guidelines to maintain the purity of the body and soul. Women are believed to be contaminated during their menstrual cycle and in many families, even today, women are not allowed to enter in the kitchen or to participate in any religious activities and touch anyone during this time. And it is believed that by doing such things, women are inflicted by the Rajaswala Dosha. The fast on Rishi Panchami is believed to get rid of this Rajaswala Dosha.

Rishi Panchami is also celebrated as Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi festival by some Dadheech Brahmins and also the Agrawal and Maheshwari communities of Rajasthan. Sisters tie the Rakhi or a sacred thread and both brothers and sisters pray for the well-being of each other and vow to protect each other.

The day is so auspicious that it is believed that a fast kept on this day and all the rituals followed will relieve a person from all sins in not just the current life, but also from past lives. The story behind Rishi Panchami was narrated by Lord Brahma himself. According to him, there was a simple Brahmin named Uttank who used to live with his wife Sushila and their daughter, a widow. One night, several ants covered the body of the daughter and the parents were astonished to see this. They became extremely worried and immediately called a sage, so that he could explain the situation and give them a solution. The Rishi whom they called was a learned sage and he explained the reason behind the trouble. He made them aware of the sin that their daughter committed in her previous life which was that she had entered the kitchen during her menstruation. The rishi advised the daughter to perform certain rituals on the day of Rishi Panchami to purify her body and soul, so that she would be relieved of the sin that she has committed. Following the instructions given by the sage, the daughter performed all the customs with absolute devotion which set her soul free from the dosha.

On Rishi Panchami, devotees wake up early morning and take a bath immediately and then begin their fast. The only purpose of Rishi Panchami is to sanctify a person completely which is why some people do things like the cleaning of teeth and bathing with herbs, which are very pure and are considered to leave the body extremely clean. A mixture of curd, milk, basil and butter is drunk to purify the soul. Worshipping Gods including Lord Ganesh, the Navagraha or nine planets, the Saptarishis and the star Arundhati form the concluding part of the rituals performed. The prayers are offered in order to invoke the presence of the seven sages, with different offerings like food and flowers being offered.

Festivals of India: Hariyali Teej

Posted on August 11, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Also known as Chhoti Teej, Madhusrava Teej and Shravana Teej, today is the festival of Hariyali Teej aka Green Teej, a festival celebrated on the third day after the full moon in the month of Shraavan, the fifth month of the Hindu calendar which begins in mid to late July and ends in August. As this is the monsoon season when the surroundings become green, the Shraavana Teej is also called Hariyali Teej. The month of Shravan is very important for the sub-continent as it is connected to the arrival of the south-west monsoons. The festival usually falls a couple of days before the festival of Nag Panchami, when snakes are worshipped. The festival of Hariyali Teej holds the same significance as Karwa Chauth observed by the married Hindu women in certain parts of India.

Teej is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women in many parts of India, mainly in north and central India and Nepal. The monsoon festivals of Teej are primarily dedicated to Goddess Parvati and her union with Lord Shiva with women often fasting in celebrations. Teej refers to the third day that falls every month after the new moon or amavasya, and the third day after the full moon night of every month. The festival celebrates the bounty of nature, the arrival of clouds and rain, greenery and birds with social activity, rituals and customs. These festivals for women, include dancing, singing, getting together with friends and telling stories, dressing up with henna-coloured hands and feet, wearing red, green or orange clothes, sharing festive foodsand playing under trees on swings.

Hariyali Teej is also celebrated to remember the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the day they married. As per Hindu mythology, on this day, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati was abducted by her friends to stop her marriage with Lord Vishnu. Goddess Parvati’s friends knew that she secretly loved Lord Shiva and yearned to marry him, so her friends kidnapped and hid her in the forest. Goddess Parvati used this time to pray Lord Shiva who was so moved by the prayers that he agreed and they were married with the blessings of her father. Goddess Parvati fasted and was austere for many years and was accepted by Lord Shiva as his wife in her 108th birth and is also known as Teej Mata. Devotes observe fast and do a special puja (prayer) to worship the moon with milk, flowers, and curd. On Sindhara Teej married daughters receive the gifts by her mother such clothes, bangles, bindi, mehandi, etc. Ghevar, a special sweet, are given to them on this day. These gifts are known as Sindhara.

On Teej, just as on Karva Chauth, the mother sends a baya or gift. The baya, which consists of a variety of foodstuffs, is placed on a thaali or a plate at a place of worship where a chowk or square has been decorated, and an idol or picture of Goddess Parvati has been installed. The puja is performed in the morning while the evenings are set aside for folk singing and dancing, including women’s prayers for their husbands’ longevity and their families.

The traditional areas of celebration of Hariyali Teej are Punjab, Haryan Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In Punjab, Teej is known as Teeyan and is seen as a seasonal festival which is dedicated to the onset of the monsoon. During Hariyali Teej, girls play on swings that are set up under trees or open courtyards and during Teej, in-laws, husbands and other family members give gifts, typically new clothes and accessories, to girls and women. Boys fly kites and make sweets. The festival is celebrated by women of all faiths, and lasts from the third day of the bright half of the lunar month of Sawan as per the Punjabi calendar to the full moon of Sawan for about 13 days. Teeyan involves women getting together and performing Gidda, married women visiting their families and receiving gifts. It is also traditional for women to ride on swings. Fairs are organised in schools and colleges where dance competitions are held.

In Haryana, the festival is celebrated as an official holiday. Many functions are organised by the government to celebrate this festival, which welcomes the rainy season. Boys traditionally flew kites from morning to evening. Swings are set up in open courtyards, under trees for the season. Girls apply henna to their hands and feet and are excused from household chores on this day. On Teej, girls often receive new clothes from their parents.

In Rajasthan, Teej welcomes the monsoon and is observed in the month of Shravan which comes in July or August. The monsoon rains fall on the parched land and the pleasing scent of the wet soil rises into the air. Swings are hung from trees and women dressed in green clothes sing songs in celebration of the advent of the monsoon. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Lord Shiva. Goddess Parvati is worshipped by seekers of conjugal bliss and happiness. An elaborate procession is taken out in Jaipur for two consecutive days during the festival watched by people in large numbers. The Teej idol is covered with a canopy whereas the Gangaur idol is open. The traditional ghevar sweet is also associated with the festival. The day before Haryali Teej, is celebrated as Sinjara, wherein women put henna on their hands and eat.

The celebrations of Hariyali Teej are very elaborate in all the Krishna temples in Vridavan in Uttar Pradesh. Swings are laid for the deity and this ceremony is known as Jhullan Leela. Religious hymes and songs are chanted in all the temples and idols of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha are beautifully adorned with ornaments and after the celebrations; water is showered over the devotees to mark the arrival of monsoons.

The tradition of Vat Vriksha also forms an important part of the Shravani Teej. In many places, swings are hung on the branches of a banyan tree or Vat Vriksha and even in houses. Women spend the day swinging along and dancing and singing with other women. On the day of Hariyali Teej women are given all the liberty for enjoyment and merry making. In Hindu mythology the banyan tree is sacred and its hanging branches are said to reflect knowledge. So, worshipping the Vat Vriksha on the occasion of Hariyali Teej is also considered auspicious.

On the day of Hariyali Teej, women also observe strict fast known as Nirjala Vrat, where they are not allowed to even drink water for the whole day. The Hariyali Teej vrat can be kept both by married and unmarried women and the fast is broken at night after worshipping the moon. On this day women worship Teej Mata or Goddess Parvati for the prosperity and well-being of their husbands. The idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are worshipped and songs are sung in their honour.

Festivals of India: Ashadi Ekadashi

Posted on July 19, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Tomorrow is Ashadi Ekadashi which is also known variously as Shayani Ekadashi which literally means sleeping eleventh or the Maha Ekadashi or the great eleventh or Prathama Ekadashi or the first eleventh. It is the eleventh lunar day or ekadashi of the bright fortnight or shukla paksha of the Hindu month of Ashadha which happens sometime in June or July and so is also known as Ashadhi Ekadashi or Ashadhi. This holy day is of special significance to Vaishnavas, followers of the Hindu protector God, Lord Vishnu.

On this day images of Vishnu and Lakshmi are worshipped and the entire night is spent chanting prayers and devotees keep fast and take vows on this day, to be observed during the entire chaturmas, the holy four-month period of rainy season. These may include, giving up a food item or fasting on every Ekadashi day. It is believed that Lord Vishnu falls asleep in Ksheersagar or the cosmic ocean of milk on Shesha naga, the cosmic serpent. Thus the day is also called Dev Shayani Ekadashi or the god sleeping eleventh or Hari Shayani Ekadashi or Vishnu sleeping eleventh. Vishnu finally awakens from his slumber four months later on Prabodhini Ekadashi or the eleventh day of the bright fortnight in the Hindu month of Kartik which comes sometime in October or November. A fast is observed on Shayani Ekadashi. The fast demands abstainance from all grains, beans, cereals, certain vegetables like onions and certain spices.

In the scripture Bhavishyottara Purana, Lord Krishna narrates the significance of Shayani Ekadashi to Yudhishthira, as the creator god Lord Brahma narrated the significance to his son, the sage Narada once. The story of king Mandata is narrated in this context. The pious king’s country had faced drought for three years, but the king was unable to find a solution to please the rain gods. Finally, sage Angiras advised the king to observe the vrata or vow of Dev Shayani Ekadashi and when the king sis so, by the grace of Lord Vishnu, there was rain in the kingdom.

In my home state of Maharashtra, on this day, a huge yatra or religious procession of pilgrims known as Pandharpur Ashadi Ekadasi Waari Yatra culminates at Pandharpur in Solapur district in south Maharashtra, situated on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River. Pandharpur is main center of worship of the deity Vitthal, a local form of Lord Vishnu. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come to Pandharpur on this day from different parts of the state with some of them carrying Palkhis or palanquins with the footwear and images of the saints of Maharashtra, each from a different part of the state. As per tradition, saint Dnyaneshwar’s palki leaves from Alandi, while saint Tukaram’s begins at Dehu, both near Pune. The pilgrims are referred to as Warkaris and they sing Abhangas or hymns written by Saint Tukaram and Saint Dnyaneshwar, dedicated to Lord Vitthal. This 700-800 year old tradition takes 21-days of walking from various parts of the state, reaching Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi where they take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga or Bhima River before proceeding to visit the Vitthal Temple. The road next to our building in Mumbai is part of one of the routes the warkaris take and in the beginning of their trek, one night, we hear them pretty much the whole night, as various groups of warkaris start their journey, singing abhangs and hymns and we just know that Ashadi Ekadashi is just around the corner.

Ashadi Ekadashi is also the beginning of the holy four month period known as Chaturmas from June/July to October/November which will end on Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Kartik which is the eighth month of the Hindu lunar calendar. It is believed that the devas of demigods start their four month long sleep on the Ashadi Ekadashi and sjould not be disturbed which is why the Chaturmas period is considered inauspicious for weddings and other celebrations and is considered a suitable time for householders to have an annual renewal of faith by listening to discourses on dharma, and by meditation and vrata or self-control. Penance, austerities, religious observances, recital of mantras, bathing in holy rivers, performing sacrifices, and charity are prescribed. Fasts and purity during this period help maintain health, for which there is likely a scientific rationale, disease spreading more readily with the onset of monsoon. A number of Hindus, particularly those following the Vaishnav tradition, refrain from eating onions and garlic during this period. In Maharashtra, a number of Hindu families also do not eat any preparations made from egg plant, brinjal or aubergene. Asetics or Sanyasis are supposed to halt during this period at one selected place called the monsoon retreat, and give discourses to the public. Major celebrations within this holy period include Guru Purnima, Krishna Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali and Champa Sashthi, which as per tradition in Maharashtra, is the day Chaturmas ends.

In Jainism this practice is collectively known as Varshayog and is prescribed for Jain monasticism when wandering monks believe that during the rainy season, countless bugs, insects and tiny creatures that cannot be seen in the naked eye take birth massively. Therefore, these monks reduce the amount of harm they do to other creatures so they opt to stay in a single place for the four months to incur minimal harm to other lives. These monks, who generally do not stay in one place for long, observe their annual rains retreat during this period, by living in one place during the entire period amidst lay people, observing a vow of silence, meditation, fasting and other austerities, and also giving religious discourses to the local public. One of the most important Jain festivals, Paryushana, falls during the beginning of this period, which concludes with Kshamavani Diwas or Forgiveness Day, when lay people and disciples say Micchami Dukkadam and ask forgiveness from each other. Amongst Jain merchants, there is a tradition of inviting monks to their respective cities during Chaturmas to give religious instruction.

In Buddhism, it is believed that Gautama Buddha stayed at the royal garden of King Bimbisara of Rajgir, whom he had recently converted, for the period of Chaturmas and gave sermons. This practice is followed by monks to this day. Another reason for ascetics to stay in one place during the rainy season is that the tropical climate produces a large number of insects, which would be trampled by travelling monks.

Festivals of India: Baisakhi

Posted on April 14, 2021 by memoriesandsuch

Today marks the beginning of the Hindu solar new year and this means its festival time! The new year is set in sync with the solar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar and it falls on or about 14 April every year according to the Gregorian calendar. Across the Indian subcontinent, various communities celebrate the day as their new year. It is the New Year’s Day for Hindus in Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and other parts of India. However, this is not the universal new year for all Hindus. For some, such as those in and near Gujarat, the new year festivities coincide with the five-day Diwali festival. For others, the new year falls on Cheti Chand, Gudi Padwa and Ugadi which falls a few weeks earlier. Essentially a spring harvest festival, in the state of Punjab, it is known as Baisakhi, Vaisakhi or Vaisakha Sankranti as it marks the first day of the month of Vaisakha.

Baisakhi is a historical and religious festival in both Hinduism and Sikhism. For Hindus, the festival is their traditional solar new year, a harvest festival, an occasion to bathe in sacred rivers such as the Ganges, Jhelum, and Kaveri, visit temples, meet friends and take part in other festivities. For the Sikhs, Vaisakhi observes major events in the history of Sikhism and the Indian subcontinent that happened in the Punjab region.

The significance of Baisakhi as a major Sikh festival marking the birth of the Sikh order started after the persecution and execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur for refusing to convert to Islam under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This triggered the coronation of the tenth Guru of Sikhism and the historic formation of the Khalsa, both on the Vaisakhi day. The Khalsa tradition started in the year 1699, as it is on this day that the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh laid down the foundation of the Panth Khalsa, that is the Order of the Pure Ones, by baptising Sikh warriors to defend religious freedoms. This gave rise to the Vaisakhi or Baisakhi festival observed as a celebration of Khalsa Panth formation and is also known as Khalsa Sirjana Divas and Khalsa Sajna Divas. The Birth of the Khalsa Panth was probably on 30 March 1699. Since 2003, the Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee named it Baisakh or Vaisakh, making the first day of the second month of Vaisakh according to its new Nanakshahi calendar. A special celebration takes place at the Talwandi Sabo, where Guru Gobind Singh stayed for nine months and completed the recompilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, in the Gurudwara at Anandpur Sahib the birthplace of the Khalsa, and at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire on 12 April 1801, which was the Baisakhi day, creating a unified political state with Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak dev, conducting the coronation. Vaisakhi was also the day when the British colonial empire official, General Reginald Dyer, committed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on a gathering, an event influential to the Indian movement against colonial rule.

On Baisakhi, Mandirs and Gurdwaras are decorated. Hindus perform a mandatory daan or charity especially of hand fans, water pitchers and seasonal fruits. A ritual dip in the Ganga river or other holy water bodies is often performed and community fairs are held at Hindu pilgrimage sites and in many areas, a procession of temple deities is taken out. Sikhs hold kirtans, visit local Gurdwaras, community fairs and Nagar kirtan processions are held, and people gather to socialise and share festive foods.

The tradition of celebrating Baisakhi among Punjabi Hindus predates the birth of Sikhism. In undivided Punjab, before India’s partition, the Hindu shrine of Katas Raj was known for its Baisakhi fair which was attended by around 10,000 pilgrims, mostly Hindus. Similarly, at the shrine of Bairagi Baba Ram Thaman, a Baisakhi fair was held annually since the 16th century, which is today in Kausar in Pakistan’s Punjab, which was attended by around 60,000 pilgrims and Bairagi saints from all over India used to throng the shrine. The most spectacular gathering of the Baisakhi fair is at Thakurdwara of Bhagwan Narainji at Pandori Mahatan village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab where the fair lasts for three days from the 1st day of Vaisakha to the 3rd day of Vaisakha. The celebrations start in form of a procession on the morning of the 1st day of Vaisakha, carrying the Mahant in a palanquin by Brahmacharis and devotees. After that, the Navgraha Puja is held and charities in money, grains and cows are done. At sunset, the Sankirtan is held in which the Mahant delivers religious discourses and concludes it by distributing prasad or holy offerings of Patashas or candy drops. Pilgrims also do the ritual bath at the sacred tank in the shrine.

According to the Khalsa Sambat, the Khalsa calendar started with the creation of the Khalsa which was 13 April 1699 and accordingly, Baisakhi has been the traditional Sikh New Year. The alternative Nanakshahi calendar begins its year a month earlier on 1 Chait which generally falls on 14 March and begins with the birth year of the Guru Nanak Dev in 1469.

Vaisakhi is an important festival among Dogra Hindus of the Jammu region. On this day, people get up early in the morning, throng the rivers, canals, and ponds and take a ritual dip on this occasion. In Dogra households, a puja or prayer is performed then and part of the food crop is offered to the deities. New fruits of the year are enjoyed with the ritual bath at the Tawi river being common in Jammu. Baisakhi is celebrated at Udhampur on the banks of the Devika river where for three days devotees enjoy folk songs. At Sudhmahadev, this festival is celebrated with great pomp and show where folk singers come down and competition of folk songs is held. You will find vendors with stalls of eatables and games during this time. People also go to the Nagbani temple near Jammu to witness the grand new year celebration. The occasion is marked by numerous fairs and people come by the thousands to celebrate the festival.

In Himachal Pradesh, Baisakhi is an important festival for the Hindus. People get up early in the morning and have their ritual bath. Two earthen lamps are lit on this day, one with oil and the other with ghee and kept in a large saucer along with a water pot, blades of evergreen turf, Kusha, Incense, sandal, vermillion and money and the household deities are worshipped with all these items. Alms are given in form of rice and pulses with small coins called Nasrawan. Fried cakes of black gram prepared a day in advance are distributed to neighbours after the prayers and other special delicacies are prepared. In the evenings’ people enjoy the many fairs organised for three days.

In the state of Haryana, Baisakhi is celebrated with a fair in Kurukshetra at Baan Ganga Tirtha, which is associated with Lord Arjuna of the Mahabharata. There is a Vaisakhi tradition of a ritual bath at the sacred tank of Baan Ganga Tirtha and a fair is held annually on Baisakhi. The Haryana government also organises a Baisakhi festival in Pinjore Gardens to commemorate this festival.

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, Baisakhi is also known as Sattua or Satwahi, as Sattu, made by dry roasting and finely grinding grams is donated and consumed on this day. The common rites during this festival are bathing in a river or pond and eating sattu and jaggery.

Wishing everyone who celebrates this festival a very Happy New Year! Enjoy this day and especially the yummy food, though socialising may still not be allowed under social distancing norms in most countries.

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