“SukhDukhKeSathi” celebrated Baisakhi

P.B. Mishra

“SukhDukhKeSathi”, the socio cultural association of senior citizens, celebrated the vibrant festival of Baisakhiin Sector-22 Dwarka, in high spirits filled with gusto and enthusiasm,on 13th April. Members of the association gathered in a park early in the morning, exchanged greetings, distributed sweets and narrated principles & stories of great saints Guru Nanak and others. From the park, these enthusiastic senior citizens proceeded to participate in a sanitary drive of road & footpath cleaning arranged by them with safaiwala staff of Government agencies, in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh who founded KhalsaPanth,or the Order of Pure Ones (khalis),on this day in 1699, for eliminating differences of high and low and established that all human beings were equal.

This festival is celebrated by farmers of Punjab and Haryana as a ‘Thanks giving day’ to express gratitude to the Almighty for the bountiful harvest and pray for prosperity and good times in future. They go to temples, have kada Prasad, sing & dance and organize langars. “SukhDukhKeSathi” also organized a langar in Sector-22 with special focus on weaker class of the society, which continued without break for three hours.

 Baisakhihas anastrologically significance also as it marks sun’s entry into Mesh Rashi and falls on April 13 every year and April 14 once in every 36 years. This auspicious day is celebrated as ‘RongaliBihu’ in Assam, ‘NabaBarsha’ in Bengal, ‘Puthandu’ in Tamil Nadu, ‘PooramVishu’ in Kerala and ‘Vaishakha’ in the state of Bihar.In Kashmir, a ceremonial bath and general festivity mark Baisakhi while in Himachal Pradesh devotees flock to the temple of Jwalamukhi and take a holy dip in the Hot Springs. 

Swami DayanandSaraswati founded Arya Samaj, on the auspicious day of Baisakhi in 1875.This day isalso of relevance for the Buddhists as Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and Nirvana on this sacred day.