Baisakhi in Chandigarh

religious

13 or 14 April — a solar date, the first day of Vaisakh in the Bikrami calendar, so it does not drift the way lunar festivals do. One day, with a week of build-up at some gurdwaras

When it happens

April

13 or 14 April — a solar date, the first day of Vaisakh in the Bikrami calendar, so it does not drift the way lunar festivals do.

Annual

Significance

Observed across north India, but its Chandigarh form is specifically Sikh and organised gurdwara by gurdwara rather than by the city.

Why it's celebrated

Two things at once: the spring harvest of the Punjab plains, and the anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh founding the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699.

How it's celebrated

Nagar kirtan — a hymn-singing street procession behind the Guru Granth Sahib, often with gatka displays. An Akhand Path, the unbroken forty-eight-hour reading of the scripture, completes on the morning of the day, and langar runs throughout.

Key rituals

Akhand Path completing on the morning; nagar kirtan through the streets; gatka displays; langar served to all.

Beliefs & spiritual meaning

The founding of the Khalsa is remembered as the day the community was given its form.

History & origins

The Khalsa was founded by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi in 1699, which is why the harvest day carries a second meaning across Punjab.

Frequently asked

When is Baisakhi?+

On 13 or 14 April. It is a solar date — the first day of Vaisakh in the Bikrami calendar — so it stays put rather than drifting the way lunar festivals do.

Can non-Sikhs attend a gurdwara on Baisakhi?+

Yes. Gurdwaras are open to everyone regardless of faith, and langar is served to all. Cover your head with the cloth provided at the entrance, remove your shoes, and ask before photographing inside the prayer hall.

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