Psyfamily magazine April 2016 | Page 13

Vaisakhi It is the harvest festival of the Punjab region, the Punjabi New Year falling on the same day, Khalsa Sirjana Divas and Mesha Sankranti festival. It is celebrated on 13 April. It marks the birth of the Khalsa in the year 1699. During Vaisakhi in Vancouver Vaisakhi or Baisakhi is of major importance for the people following Sikh faith. As it was on a Baisakhi Day, in the year 1699 that the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh founded Khalsa Panth or the Order of Pure Ones and gave a unique identity to Sikhs. On the same day the guru administered amrit (nectar) to his first batch of five disciples making them Singhs, a martial community. By doing so, he eliminated the differences of high & Dance during Vaisakhi celebration Guru Gobind Singh ji establishing Khalsa panth in 1699 low and established that all human beings were equal. Thus distinction between the Guru and disciple was fused and the Guru undoubtedly became the father of the Khalsa nation. Mata Sahib Kaur who was the plutonic wife of the 10th Guru and spiritual mother of the Khalsa partook in the preparation of Amrit (baptismal water) by rendering it the sweetness and ensuring gender equality in the ceremony. There was a span of continuous period of 230 years from the time of Guru Nanak to the last and tenth Guru. During that period the ten Sikh Gurus or prophets gave us their message, teachings and philosophy. After the ten Guru there was need to protect the teachings and philosophy that was imparted over the past couple of centuries and its safe keeping, custody and propagation. The creation of Khalsa nation gave rise to 3 important aspects of Sikhism namely the Khalsa civilisation; the Sikh form and the manner of implementing the philosophy of Guru Nanak as prescribed – Shabad surat abyass --Sikhiwiki.org