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Baisakhi radiates brotherhood
Photo: K.R. Deepak
Langar Girls preparing rotis for community meal
The spirit of brotherhood and joy prevailed at the 306th Khalsa Panth Foundation Day, also known as Baisakhi, at the Gurdwara in Seethammadhara. It was a colourful congregation as more than 250 Sikh families came to participate in the celebrations from the wee hours on Thursday.
Women, charming and graceful with their long lustrous hair tied back and heads covered with duppattas, along with their men and children, were all ears to the 'katha' and 'kirtan', which preacheed equality among all human beings and protection of the religion at all costs.
Sikhism emerged from the revolt against Moghul rulers like Aurangzeb who insisted that people shun their religion to embrace Islam.
Baisakhi is the festival, which celebrates the Sikh New Year and the founding of the Sikh community, known as Khalsa. It was on this day in 1699 that the 10th Guru Gobind Singhji founded the Khalsa Panth (order of the pure ones) to serve and protect the community. The Khalsa men took on a common surname, Singh (lion), a reminder to be courageous, which they still do to this day. Women took on the name Kaur (princess), to emphasise dignity. It was then that the men started wearing turbans.
Celebrations
Gaity and religious fervour marked the occasion when a 'kirtan jatra' was specially invited from Chennai for the katha and kirtan. A 48-hour non-stop 'akhandpath' of Guru Granth Sahib was done before the actual Baisakhi celebrations started. Families came as early as 3 a.m. for the preparations. Men became expert cooks as they whole-heartedly participated in the kitchen.
Giggling young girls and boys gave a helping hand to the elders by dapping the rotis with ghee.
Langar, the community meal that followed, had the unmistakable stamp of equality and brotherhood as people from all castes and creeds sat together to enjoy the sumptuous meal.
Helping the poor and fostering a sense of equality is a precept that has come down as a tradition and well-remembered on Baisakhi day.
N.G.
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