The harvest festival Baisakhi is a traditional symbol of humility for all Sikhs. Baisakhi is predominantly a farmer's festival. It is a time when farmers enjoy the fruits of their hard work by performing joyful bhangra and gidda dance. Farmers, this day, thank God for the good harvest and also pray for a better crop next year. Visit to religious shrines and celebrations of several ritual performances are part of the festival. Vaisakhi processions with cultural traditional performances are also the highlights of the day. This festival symbolizes the beginning of the solar year. Vibrant festival Baisakhi is celebrated as 'Rongali Bihu' in Assam, 'Naba Barsha' in Bengal, 'Puthandu' in Tamil Nadu, 'Pooram Vishu' in Kerala and 'Vaishakha' in Bihar.

History of Baisakhi Festival
The festival of Baisakhi was first institutionalized in 1567 by Guru Amar Das. In 1699, also on this day, their tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, organized the order of the Khalsa. On that day he put an end to the Guru tradition in Sikhism and declared that the Granth Sahib is the eternal Guru of all Sikhs. To make it more significant Sikh community celebrates this harvest festival also as a birthday of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

On this day, Guru Arjan Dev was martyred by the Muslim rulers. They murdered him by throwing him alive into a cauldron of boiling oil. Apart from the Sikh religion this day is equally important for the other communities. According to the astrology, Sun enters into Mesh Rashi this day which make it auspicious.

This day also religiously important to the Buddhists, as Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree on this propitious day. The day is also known, as Buddha Purnima amongst the Buddhist.

Baisakhi Festival Celebrations
This day people take an early morning holy dip in the rivers. Religious people celebrate this day by visiting gurudwaras and distributing kada prasad among all. Many people open Langar this day for the poor. The young people of Punjab attired in their best clothes break into celebrations. They do Bhangra dance to express their joy. The dancers and drummers dare each other. Through the dance girls enacts the popular harvest scenes of sowing, harvesting, winnowing and gathering of crops. Apart from the recreational activities, wrestling bouts are also held amongst the locals. Colorful processions led by the Panj Piaras are taken out. Children, dueling youths and musical bands are the main highlights of these processions. At evening kirtans are organized in gurudwaras.

Baisakhi Festival Date in 2008
13th April