The Punjabi New Year, also known as Vaisakhi or Baisakhi, is a harvest festival celebrated in the Punjab region of India and abroad, typically falling on April 13th or 14th, marking the beginning of the solar year and harvest season. Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India.
What is Vaisakhi?
Vaisakhi is the celebration of the birth of the Khalsa. It is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar.
Celebrated on either the 13th or 14th of April each year, Vaisakhi is a time dedicated to community spirit and forward-thinking as well as practising spiritual and physical integration.
Depending on a person’s dialect, Vaisakhi can also be spelt as Baisakhi.
History of Vaisakhi
Due to its close connection with the foundations of Sikhism, Vaisakhi forms a very important role in the Sikh yearly calendar.
Long-established as a new-year Harvest festival, the Sikh focus of Vaisakhi commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
The Guru had used the celebration to create the Khalsa (the collective term for Sikhs who have been baptised) after, as tradition tells it, he had invited five ardent followers of the faith into a tent, ostensibly for a sword battle.
Despite emerging from the tent with a bloody sword, all of the men involved came out unharmed. These men became the ‘Panj Piare’, or the holy Five.
They were then baptised with a sprinkling of holy water – a ceremony that is reflected in modern Sikh baptisms.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi 2025
Vaisakhi is observed in Punjab and other regions of North India on April 13, honouring the founding of the Khalsa Panth in 1699 under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. On this day, Hindus commemorate Goddess Ganga’s entry onto Earth. By the Ganga River’s banks, worshippers congregate in her honour to take a sacred plunge. When the rabi crops are harvested in Punjab on Baisakhi, farmers honour God by giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, which is a sign of wealth.
When Baisakhi/Vaisakhi will be Celebrated in 2025
- Baisakhi 2025 Day & Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
- Baisakhi Sankranti Moment: 08:56 AM
Baisakhi 2025 Overview
**Baisakhi, which is not only a harvest festival celebrated in the spring but also a day set aside to remember the founding of the Khalsa Panth of soldiers under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, is known as the Sikh New Year. It is observed on April 13 every year and April 14 every 36 years.
The Hindu calendar month of Vaishakh is where the word ‘Baisakhi’ originates. In the Hindu calendar, it is the second month after Chaitra that concludes with Falgun or Fagun. In the northern region of India, it is now harvest time, and farmers are getting ready to seed for the following season.
Significance of Baisakhi
The Khalsa Sikh order was established on Baisakhi, and when Guru Teg Bahadur refused to convert to Islam, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb pursued him and had him beheaded. After these occurrences, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, founded the Panth Khalsa in 1699 by baptising Sikh warriors to protect religious freedom.
This festival is observed throughout Punjab and other regions of North India. In the early hours of the morning, a number of Nagar Kirtan processions, lead by five Khalsas costumed as Panj Pyare, walk through the streets.
Sikhs honour Guru Gobind Singh, their tenth guru, on this day. He established the Khalsa order created the Khalsa by initiating the first five members and giving them a unique identity marked by the five Ks – Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a wooden comb), Kara (an iron bracelet), Kachera (a specific undergarment), and Kirpan (a sword).
Rituals and Celebration of Baisakhi
On this auspicious day, people dress festively, prepare and share a variety of delicious and traditional dishes with their family, friends, and community.
One of the most popular dishes associated with Vaisakhi is ‘langar,’ a communal meal served in gurdwaras. Langar is a symbol of equality, where people from all walks of life sit together and share a meal irrespective of their caste, creed, or social status. The meal typically includes dal (lentil soup), sabzi (vegetable dish), roti (bread), and kheer (sweet rice pudding).
The processions of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs’ sacred text, known as Nagar Kirtan. Devotees lead this devotional procession while reciting or singing sacred songs. The Panj Pyare, who make up the core of the Khalsa and are usually clothed in saffron, always lead the march. The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs’ holy book, and other participants in the procession follow them. Volunteers called sewadars assist in preparing the road through which the procession will pass. At the appointed Gurudwara, when Ardas, or the prayer, is offered, the procession finally arrives.
How Baisakhi Is Celebrated In India?
After the crops are harvested, Punjabi villagers truly enjoy themselves. Several people gather for Baisakhi dinners in Anandpur Sahib, the Khalsa’s birthplace. People frequently bring their family to gurdwaras in urban areas. The only people that visit the gurudwaras with their families and friends to partake in the cuisine and holy baths are Sikhs. There, people of other faiths go to perform similar activities.
Prior to visiting their local Gurdwaras as part of the festival, Sikhs travel and take a bath in lakes or rivers. On this day, there are also neighbourhood fairs, nagar kirtan procession activities, and get-togethers for socialising and feasting. For Hindus, this is an opportunity to bathe in holy rivers like the Ganges, the Jhelum, or the Kaveri, visit temples, socialise with friends, and consume traditional meals and beverages.
Baisakhi in the Public Eye
For Sikhs, Baisakhi is a very special day. According to the Nanakshahi calendar, it is the occasion to celebrate the ‘New Year.’ Colleges and schools must be closed on the celebration day. Also, all Sikh-owned businesses must remain closed or operate with shortened hours. Public transportation is unaffected by the festival. The public transportation timetable may be impacted by festival events.
Best Places To Celebrate Baisakhi 2025
Vaisakhi is celebrated with all the oomph and excitement all over India but there are some specific places where this festival is celebrated with unmatched gist and energy:
Amritsar
Visit the city of Amritsar if you’re looking for the ideal site to celebrate Vaisakhi in 2025. In fact, thousands of Sikhs travel there each year. Guru Gobind Singh, the city’s Golden Temple’s tenth Sikh guru, established the Khalsa at this location. On this day, visitors offer special prayers.
Delhi
The day is celebrated with a variety of events in Delhi, the capital of India. Many others from all over the country also go there. To offer special prayers and to exchange holiday pleasantries, people congregate at gurudwaras. Vaisakhi festivities are also organised in Delhi. Think about this location as well.
Punjab
Consider travelling to Punjab around Vaisakhi 2025 if you want to experience the authentic festivities. The state hosts singing and dancing concerts, similar to Delhi. Restaurants are supplying the festival food. The state must be visited.
Haryana
Every year, a sizable mela is held in Haryana. To participate in the well-known Vaisakhi mela, many people travel to this state. Moreover, a number of competitions are held for students. Adult singing and dancing contests are held in the evening.
Chandigarh
One of the most popular tourist locations during this event is Chandigarh. Visitors to the city go to gurudwaras to pray to God. They can take advantage of evening singing and dancing performances, much like Haryana.
Jalandhar
Vaisakhi is celebrated in Jalandhar in a beautiful way. The primary entertainment during the main event is the folk dancing performed by both men and women.
The Vaisakhi harvest celebration in countries such as in India is an occasion of dancing, singing, music, wearing of festive garments and religious praise. The festival marks the start of the New Year in the Nanakshahi solar calendar and recognizes the Sikh religious faith.
Is Vaisakhi a Public Holiday?
Vaisakhi is an optional holiday. Employment and holiday laws in India allow employees to choose a limited number of holidays from a list of optional holidays. Some employees may choose to take the day off on this day, however, most offices and businesses remain open.
What Do People do During Vaisakhi?
Many people in India celebrate Vaisakhi by dancing, singing, dressing in holiday finery, observing wrestling bouts and enjoying the many parades that take place at this time. Men dance the Bhangra and women dance the Gidda to celebrate this event. People enjoy holiday foods and special treats such as kada prasad (a type of sweet).
The festival holds special significance to Sikhs. Many Sikhs choose to be baptized during this holiday. During the Vaisakhi celebration, processions called Nagar Kirtan also make their way along the streets singing hymns from a sacred book of worship known as Guru Granth Sahib.
Public Life
Vaisakhi is a Sikh holy day as well as a celebration of the New Year in the Nanakshahi calendar. The date falls around April 13 or 14. Offices, educational institutions and major businesses are closed but some shops remain open and offer discounts. Public transport is also available, particularly to help tourists who are traveling and sightseeing during this time of the year. However, public transport schedules are not definite due to the holiday activities.
Background
Vaisakhi is also called Baisakhi. This harvest celebration takes place annually and harvesters celebrate and rejoice about the New Year and the harvested crops. However, there was added meaning to the celebration in 1699 when the Khalsa Panth (type of religious warrior) organization was established during the Vaisakhi Festival.
The 10th Guru Gobind Singh asked who in a crowd of thousands was prepared to die for the cause of religion. Eventually five men volunteered to give their lives but the Guru Gobind Singh did not kill the men. Instead he baptized them and the men became the first five members of a group called Khalsa. The tradition of Sikh baptism during the Vaisakhi festival originated from this historic event.
Symbols
The Sikh religion commemorates the first five men who comprised the Khalsa with five symbols of “purity and courage” called five Ks. The five Ks include the Kesh (uncut hair), the Kangha (comb), the Katchera (underwear), the Kara (steel ring), and the Kirpan (sword).
Vaisakhi observes major events in the history of Sikhism and the Indian subcontinent that happened in the Punjab region. Vaisakhi as a major Sikh festival marks the birth of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism, on 13 April 1699. Later, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi), creating a unified political state.