Baisakhi, Bihu, Pana Sankranti: It’s a festive Friday in Tricity

CHANDIGARH: City Beautiful on Friday celebrated the harvest festival of Baisakhi, when the Rabi crop ripens and North India welcomes the onset of the spring. City residents danced to the beat of dhols and thronged shrines to offer prayers on the occasion.
Khalsa Sirjana Diwas
At the crack of dawn, Tricity residents started streaming into gurdwaras to celebrate Khalsa Sirjana Diwas – the birth anniversary of Khalsa Panth, which falls on Baisakhi.Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur in Sector 34 drew a swelling crowd of devotees, who came throughout the day with offerings and partook in langar.

Gurdwara managing committee president Tejwant Singh said, “Over 30,000 devotees visited the gurdwara from early morning to late evening. It was on this day in 1699 that the tenth master, Guru Gobind Singh gave “amrit” to the first Panj Piaras and then took amrit from them.” Singh said that an “Amrit Sanchar” (baptism ceremony) would also be held here on Sunday. Contrary to popular belief, the Sikh New Year is not celebrated on Baisakhi but falls on March 14 every year, with the starting of the month of Chet.
Odisha festivities
Pana Sankranti – the Odia New Year also starts with the month of Vaisakh. Celebrating Sankranti on Friday, devotees paid obeisance at Shri Jagannath Temple in Sector 31 and offered flowers and prayers throughout the day. Anil Kumar Malik, cultural secretary of the temple said, “We received around 500 devotees till the evening. We are also celebrating Hanuman Jayanti and the foundation day of the temple today (Friday).”
Bihu Bohag, the Assamese New Year was also celebrated in Chandigarh in a private cultural event.