The Sikh community celebrated Baisakhi with religious fervour and traditional enthusiasm across J&K on Tuesday.
Keeping with the tradition, the Mughal gardens Nishat and Shalimar witnessed heavy rush of visitors. Harwan and the Tulip garden also saw heavy footfall.
Bajan Keertans were performed at Gurudawaras across Kashmir. The biggest function was held at Chatti Pathshahi, Kathi Darwaza, Rainawari in the Downtown with due observance of COVID19 protocol.
The Sikhs woke up early and visited Gurdwaras where langars or community feasts were arranged as part of charity on the day.
People also exchanged greetings with friends, neighbours and relatives. Various social activists from Muslim community visited the Sikh leaders and felicitated them and exchanged sweets. Children spent their day in parks and gardens.
Guruduwaras were decorated while large number of Sikhs had also decorated their residential houses and localities.
Although Baisakhi is celebrated in various other northern states for a good harvest of Rabi crop, the Sikh community here celebrates the festival to mark the foundation of Khalsa Panth by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) expressed hope that the festival of Baisakhi would be harbinger of peace and prosperity in J&K.
In his Baisakhi greetings message, APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that festivals like Baisakhi bring about happiness and joy among the people.
Raina added that such festive occasions provide a chance to the people of different communities to come closer to each other while exchanging pleasantries.
“For Sikhs, Baisakhi is celebrated as the day of the creation of the Khalsa Panth. Culturally, much of India celebrates Baisakhi as a harvest festival,” he said.
He informed that in 1699, in Punjab, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, asked a crowd of thousands if anyone would be willing to give their heads to their Guru. In response, five men – all of different castes and backgrounds – rose up to offer their heads to their Guru.
Anxious moments followed where Guru Gobind Singh Ji took the men into a tent, only to emerge with a bloody sword. However, the men emerged dressed in what is now recognised as traditional Sikh garbs.
“Guru Gobind Singh Ji then publicly initiated the men, before asking them to do the same for him. These men, later known as the Panj Pyare (five beloved ones), were the very first members of the Khalsa Panth,” he said.
He added that this year it is a great omen that the festivals of Hindu, Muslims and Sikh brethren are falling in a same week.
Raina said that deserving and needy people should be kept in mind when festivals are being celebrated. He said the affluent class should always think about the underprivileged so that they too take part in the festivities.
In north Kashmir, devotees from Sikh community visited the Gurudawara Chatti Padshahi in Baramulla, Khawaja Bagh and Paranpila in Uri
In South Kashmir, Baisakhi was celebrated at many places. People kept pouring in at Gurudawaras at Mattan, Singhpora and Hutmora.
Similar reports were received from Jammu.
Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Navreh
Meanwhile, Kashmiri Pandits celebrated Navreh festival with gaiety today. The Navreh is the beginning of New Year for Kashmiri Pandits. On Navreh, they arrange different items on plate previous evening with each item having its own significance.
“Items arranged on the rice filled plate (Thal) have symbolic meaning and sharing same. Rice represents abundance, life, growth, development, expansion and prosperity,” said Dr Amit Wanchoo, a Kashmir Pandit.
He said that curd is a symbolic representation for fullness, stability and cohesiveness in life and bread represents absorption, expansion and integration in one’s socio-cultural surrounding.
“Walnuts are also arranged on plate, which indicate regeneration, evolutionary process, continuity and flow of life. A golden coin on plate represents good fortune, prosperity, and wealth and material strength,” he said.
“Medicinal herb is a symbolic representation for disease free life and good health. Flowers (Arin, Yamberzal and other flowers) represent freshness, hope, fragrance, compassion and feeling of concern in life,” Wanchoo said.
He said that pen symbolises wisdom, knowledge, awareness, insight, enlightenment, learning and intellectual brilliance salt is supposed to generate positive energy and drive away negative retardants and bad luck.
Mirror due to its attribute of reflection stands for duplication of auspiciousness, apart from all the good events of life, he said.
Pandits paid obeisance at different temples and prayed for peace and prosperity. Special prayers were held at Ram Mandir at Barbar Shah, Durga Nag Mandir, Kathleshwar Mandir at Habba Kadal, Hanuman Mandir Hari Singh High Street and other temples across Kashmir.
Devotees thronged Ram Mandir at Barbar Shah where they recited Bhajans and prayed for fast recovery of COVID19 patients.
On the occasion, members of Muslim community greeted Pandits and exchanged sweets.