Sunday, April 22, 2007

Vaishaki celebration Pt 1

Vaisakhi (Punjabi: ਵੈਸਾਖੀ, vaisākhī, also known as Baisakhi), to Sikhs marks the creation of the Khalsa and to others, the Punjabi and Nepali New Year and the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab, India and Nepal.

Vaisakhi falls in the Nanakshahi calendar (neither in the Amantha- nor in the Purnimantha-calendar) on the first day of Vaisakh month and marks the sun entering Mesha Rasi (this fact is called Mesha Sankranti). Vaisakhi is therefore determined by the solar calendar. Baisakhi usually falls on April 13, and on April 14 once every thirty-six years, however it has now been agreed for Vaisakhi to always fall on the 14th of April.

It occurs at the same time as the "Hindu/Vedic New Year" commemorated in different parts India as follows: Rongali Bihu in Assam, Naba Barsha (literally meaning "New" = "Nava" "Year"="Barsha") in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, 'Pooram Vishu' in Kerala, and the Sinhala/Tamil new year festival in Sri Lanka.




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