Baisakhi
Baisakhi is the New Year’s Day according to the Sikh Calendar. It occurs during the month of Vaisakh. It is essentially a harvest festival, which eventually marks the ripening of the Rabi crops. The day marks a coincidence with the solar equinox on April 13. On this day, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, founded the Khalsa or the Sikh brethren in 1699. For Sikhs, this is viewed as a collective birthday.
On April 13, 1699, at a meeting held in Anandpur, Punjab, the Guru called upon all Sikh devotees to come forward and sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the clan. Initially, the audience did not respond. However, after numerous calls from the Guru, 5 Sikh devotees, who were Himmat Rai, Sahib Chand, Mokhan Chand, Dharm Das, and Daya Ram Khatri readily offered themselves. Guru Gobind Singh took all of them to a tent one by one and returned alone with a sword dripping with blood. Then, the Guru entered the tent once more, this time for a longer time. He reappeared and was followed by the five men, brightly clad in saffron-coloured garments. In this way, all present in the crowd became members of the Khalsa Pantha, with everyone partaking in the “amrita” or the sacred nectar of immortality. Those five men were fondly called the “Panch Pyare.” The male Sikhs were required to add the suffix “Singh,” meaning lion, whereas the female Sikhs were to be called “Kaur,” or assistants to the Singh.
