Baisakhi marks the beginning of the harvest season for farmers in the Northern region of India in particular Punjab and it is a time of great joy and celebration. People dress up in colorful traditional clothing, perform bhangra dance, and participate in fairs and feasts.
In addition to being a harvest festival, Baisakhi also has historical and religious significance for the Sikh community, as it marks the day when the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, established the Khalsa Panth, a community of initiated Sikhs.
On this day in 1699, in a congregation of people from all corners of India, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Rai asked for sacrifice of five men from different castes and regions of India for protecting the country. These men; a shopkeeper Daya Ram from Lahore, a farmer Dharam Das from Meerut, a low caste water carrier Himmat Rai from Jagannath Puri, Odisha, a tailor Mukham Chand from Dwarka Gujrat and a barber Sahib Chand from Bidar, Karnataka stood up from the crowd of thousands to offer themselves.
With his choice of disciples from five different corners of India, Gobind Rai ji visualized the national dream of an integrated, classless society. The five were christened as the First Five Khalsa Sikhs, and in turn, christened their Guru as the sixth, Gobind Singh ji. All caste names and surnames were dropped, and a common surname was proposed for all Indians that denoted a casteless, classless creed of men willing to sacrifice themselves for the nation and against injustice.
Guru Gobind Singh ji’s vision of a classless society was an amalgamation of ancient Indian thought of Rishis and the Kshatriya tradition of warriors. He chose an image for this new society that included the head hair and the Talwar, symbolizing the physical and spiritual strength of the people. The concept of Miri-Piri was coded in the dress system of this new society, a group of people strong in both physical and spiritual strength and humility.
This spirited group of people uprooted Afghan and Mughal rule from entire North India from the Yamuna to the Khyber pass, showing the power of this vision. Guru Gobind Singh ji’s vision should not only be limited to Sikhism, but to the entire Indian culture as it is time for all Indians to leave behind caste barriers, acquire knowledge, be strong in body, and be a Khalsa in spirit. Khalsa is a state of mind, not just a religion.
Therefore let’s celebrate all festivals as one and embrace the diversity that makes India so special. Happy Baisakhi!
Guchi.
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