The Festival of Baisakhi 2010

The Festival of Baisakhi is a major event, particularly in Northern India, but is also celebrated across the country. This year, it is on April 13th, 2010. It is a religious festival, harvest festival and in April, is considered the beginning of the Hindu solar New Year. In fact, this day is celebrated all over India as New Year day, under different names. For the Sikh community, Baisakhi is very special, as it is thought that on this day, their tenth and last Guru – Guru Gobind Singh – organized the Sikhs into Khalsa or the ‘pure ones’. By doing this, he  established that all human beings are born equal. The Hindus believe that thousands of years ago, Goddess Ganga descended to earth on this day, and to pay her tribute, many Hindus gather along the sacred Ganges River for ritual baths.  People plant poles wrapped in flags of embroidered silk in front of their homes, and hang pots of brass, copper or silver on top. Children wear garlands  and run through the streets singing “May the new year come again and again!” In the south Indian state of Kerala, the festival is known as  ‘Vishu’. It involves fireworks, shopping for new clothes and festive displays of ‘Vishu Kani’. These arrangements of flowers, grains, fruits, cloth, gold, and money are viewed early in the morning, to ensure the viewer a full year of prosperity. In the western state of Assam, the festival is called Bohag Bihu, and the community organizes a celebration featuring massive feasts, music and dancing.