April 14 for Sikhs all over the world celebrates the Birth of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism. He was the first of 10 Sikh Gurus and died on September 22 , 1539, leaving behind a great amount of spiritual writings and large number of followers. Early dawn of the Birthday of Guru Nanak, there are keertans, recitations of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, katha, and readings about Sikhism. In the afternoon Karah Parasaad is served still warm, a sweet tasting previously blessed food, made of semolina, wheat flour, sugar and ghee butter. This is just the beginning of the langar, or meal, which is shared by all.The day will end with fireworks and prayers that will go into the night.
Baisakhi is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar. It is celebrated on 13 or 14 April.This year, it falls on Monday the 13th of April 2020. Baisakhi is a Sikh religious festival and marks the beginning of the new harvest season and the Sikh New Year. All Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) are decorated with colorful flowers, images and flags. Communities of Sikhs join together to pray, sing and eat together.
The birth of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Tenth Sikh Guru is celebrated on the 23rd day of the month of Poh of the Nanakshahi calendar followed by Sikhs to determine dates of important Sikh events, it corresponds to January 5 on the Gregorian calendar. The Birthday celebration lasts for 3 days. Two days before the birthday there is a team of men and women that start reading the Guru Granth Sahib(The Sikh Holly Book) from start to end without interruption, this is called the Akhand Path and is done at any Gurdwara (Sikh worship place).
The sikh day parade is an event organized, the Panj Pyares lead the procession and are followed by musicians, dancers and gatka teams performing martial arts. Gurdwara Pul Pukhta host a lively and celebratory event to mark the birth of the Sikh faith, is expected to draw in excess of 30,000 people to the community to celebrate and enjoy one of the most important elements of the annual event, the amazing foods of India. Each year, hundreds of local businesses and individual families present free food offerings to the crowd in the celebration of the Parade.
