In Pics: Baisakhi celebrated with great fervour across Punjab

Amritsar, Apr 14: A large number of devotees on Monday thronged the gurudwaras across the state, including the Golden Temple, to mark Baisakhi festival, which was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm.

The festival commemorates establishment of the Khalsa panth or Sikh order by tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh on Baisakhi Day on April 13, 1699.

It also relates to the start of the season in which wheat is harvested in north India. The devotees offered prayers at Golden Temple in Amritsar, Talwandi Sabo, Anandpur Sahib, Muktsar, Fatehgarh Sahib among other places in Punjab and at Nadha Sahab (Panchkula) and Kurukshetra in Haryana.

Many devotees took holy dips in the Sarovars (sacred tanks), while 'Akhand Paths' (48-hour long recitation of Sikh scripture), 'kirtans' (singing of hymns) and 'kathas' (religious discourses) were undertaken to mark the occasion.

Community kitchens were also organised on the occasion. In Amritsar, a large number of devotees including many from abroad, paid obeisance in the holy Sikh shrine of Golden Temple.

Keeping in view the heavy rush of the devotees, the district administration and SGPC officials had jointly made elaborate security arrangements at the Golden Temple.

Here are some pics of the Baisakhi festival:

Baisakhi celebrations in Haridwar

Devotees assemble at the bank of river Ganga to take a holy dip on the occasion of Baisakhi in Haridwar on Sunday.

In Pics: Baisakhi celebrations

Baisakhi is a new year festival celebrated in the northern part of India, especially in Punjab by the Sikh community.

In Pics: Baisakhi celebrations in Delhi

Devotees take a holy bath at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to mark the occasion of Baisakhi in New Delhi on Sunday.

In Pics: Baisakhi celebrations in Haridwar

A devotee takes a holy dip in river Ganga on the occasion of Baisakhi in Haridwar on Sunday.

In Pics: Baisakhi celebrations in Attari

Indian Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan for Baisakhi celebrations in Attari on Thursday.

In Pics: Baisakhi celebrations in Punjab

Baisakhi is celebrated mainly in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Bihu in Assam, Mesadi and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu. The festivals also mark the beginning of the Hindu solar new year.

OneIndia News

(With PTI inputs)