Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi today

Sacred day: Devotees decorating the ‘singgahsan’ or throne as a volunteer reads the Sikh scriptures from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Gurdwara Sahib Seremban. The scriptures will be read continuously over three days to mark Vaisakhi.

SEREMBAN: Sikhs will celebrate Vaisakhi today to commemorate the birth of the Khalsa order more than three centuries ago.

The celebrations at most gurdwara, or Sikh places of worship nationwide, started yesterday morning with the continuous recitation of the Sikh holy scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Vegetarian meals were served throughout the day at these places of worship as Sikhs, donned in colourful turbans, veils and traditional attire, came in droves to offer prayers and partake in preparing meals as well as other activities.

Some gurdwara management committees also organised trips to orphanages and old folk homes to mark the occasion.

Blood donation campaigns and other community-related and religious activities were also carried out.

Gurdwara Sahib Seremban president Arjan Singh Ranjit Singh said Vaisakhi is one of the most important religious events in the Sikh calendar.

“It was on this day in 1699 that our 10th master Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Khalsa order in Anandpur Sahib in India by carrying out a baptism ceremony according to Sikh teachings.

“After the event on that day, Sikh men started carrying the name Singh, which means lion, with our names while the women used Kaur, which means princess,” he said, adding that a Khalsa was to live the life of a saint-soldier.

Arjan said the Khalsa, which means the pure was, among others, created to put an end to caste and religious discrimination and promote equality among men and women.

It is also to advocate truthful living, to share the fruits of one’s labour with others, to protect anyone against religious persecution and propagated service to mankind.

In Punjab, India, where Sikhs originated from, Vaisakhi is also celebrated to mark the bumper harvest festival.

Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1469, is the fifth largest religion in the world.

Arjan said several events had been lined up to celebrate the occasion.

“We have many events lined, including a ‘dastaar’ workshop where Sikh youths are taught the art of tying the Sikh turban,” he said.

The turban, Arjan said, represented a commitment to justice and reminded them to be honest, humble and compassionate.

“We will also a have a Vaisakhi festival at the SMK King George V field where sports and other games will be jointly organised with the Negri Sembilan Sikh Union,” he said.

There will also be other special sessions organised together with other Sikh groups such as medical workshops, a wellness clinic and dietary and nutritional consultation so that the community, especially the elderly, can make informed decisions on such matters.

“Some of the Sikhs have been taking their non-Sikh friends to the gurdwara to partake in vegetarian meals and to learn more about us.

“We will also be having a Vaisakhi dinner after Hari Raya so that our non-Sikh friends can also celebrate the occasion with us,” he added.