The main Sikh holy days are Baisakhi (or Vaisakhi), Gurpurbs, and Diwali. (Search Sikhism, 2004)
Baisakhi, or Vaisakhi, is basically like a Sikh New Year’s festival. It is the day that they celebrate the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru. It generally falls on the 13 of April every year, and the celebration lasts one day and is held in Gurdwaras, which are the worship places of the Sikh people. (Search Sikhism, 2004)
Gurpurbs are happy occasions, festivals celebrated in association with the lives of the Gurus. During these celebrations, a team of readers read the entire Sikh scripture, each person reading for 2-3 hours. This takes about 48 hours total and is finished on the day of the festival. The main Gurpurbs are the birthday of Guru Nanak, the first Guru and the founder of Sikhism; the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru and the founder of the Khalsa; the martyrdom of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru; and the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru. (Search Sikhism, 2004)
Diwali, which means festival of lights, is generally celebrated in November and is held in a Gurdwara. It lasts for one day, and in the evening, illuminations are made with candles or Diwas, which are oil lamps made out of clay. There are fireworks to go along with the candles and Diwas. The festival is in celebration at the return of Amritsar, the sixth Guru, who had just been released from Gwalior Jail in 1620. The legends that go with the festival actually differ between some parts of India, but people still enjoy celebrating this bright holiday. (Search Sikhism, 2004).
No comments:
Post a Comment