Baisakhi is the harvest festival mainly celebrated in Punjab and other parts of northern India. It marks a new beginning, the start of a new harvest season or the solar year. This Sikh religious festival falls in the month of April according to the Gregorian calendar. The day of Baisakhi is celebrated as the beginning of the Hindu solar new year by various other communities also. This year, the festival falls on 13-14th April.
The festival is celebrated in its full glory in rural areas of Punjab, with the farmers of the state elated with the plentiful harvest, make merry and participate in the Baisakhi mela (fair) with lots of joy and enthusiasm. If one is planning to visit Punjab during Baisakhi, the best way to experience this festival is to stay at a rural farm and enjoy to the fullest, the festival of Baisakhi.
One of the most colorful aspects of Baisakhi in rural Punjab are the Baisakhi melas (fairs). People come from far off places come with their family and friends to take part in these colorful fairs, held in the prominent villages. Most captivating features of the fairs are the lively traditional bhangra and gidda dance performances. Other than this, there are a lot of fun filled activities such as races, wrestling bouts, singing and acrobatics in the fair. Also, at some of these fairs, rural folk artists entertain people by playing traditional instruments like vanjli and algoza. The fairs are dotted with stalls selling local handicrafts and items like bangles, toys, and other trinkets of domestic use. Food stalls selling scrumptious Punjabi dishes are also major crowd-pullers at the fairs.
This year, Baisakhi falls on a weekend (April 13-14th, Friday and Saturday) and it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy an exciting break in the rural heartland of Punjab amongst lush greenery, jovial people and lots of revelry.
(Photo Courtesy: The Hindu)
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