The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum

To the Punjabis, Baisakhi is a harvest festival marking the advent of a season when ripened wheat crop is gathered. In remote times the farmers used the traditional methods of harvesting and winnowing. Hence, they did not face the hazards which their counterparts face today as a consequence of multiple cropping, the commercialisation of agriculture, economic slumps, increasing competition and above all the uncertainty about the fixation of prices of their products by the government. Amidst the beating of drums they drowned themselves in song and dance, and moved through the fields in a joyous manner. The Bhangra marked by the beating of drums, recitation of bolis, physical gyrations and the exuberant sound of Balle Balle reflected the mood of jubilation of the farmers and brought out their chivalrous, straightforward and happy-go-lucky mood.

Unfortunately, Bhangra, the traditional harvest dance is no more a spontaneous expression of happiness but a simulated version with filmi overtones. Incarcerated in cultural shows, it appears dull and drab due to repetition.

Baisakhi is particularly sacred to the Sikhs as a number of events reflecting on their historical past are associated with it. Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs ordained his disciples to get together every year on Baisakhi, Maghi and Divali at his place so as to promote mutual understanding and goodwill in the sangat. Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru heralded Baisakhi gatherings at Harmandar Sahib.

It was on Baisakhi in 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa panth at Sri Kesgarh to infuse new spirit in the crestfallen Hindu society. Bhakti was synthesised with shakti and virtue with valour. Henceforth, sparrows were to swoop at hawks and human lambs were to have a leonine heart to quell the forces of tyranny.

Baisakhi is reminiscent of the masterly plan of the Guru to establish an equitable social order without caste and class distinctions, in which everyone would be physically and spiritually strong and will have full faith in himself. The Khalsa brotherhood was not to be a conglomeration of humans but to be a fraternity of souls. It was not to be based on phylogenic traits — the pigment of skin or the texture of bones, but on the basic human values. — Its eidos lay in the five K’s — kesha, kangha, kirpan, kaccha and kara and its ethos in the rehat or sanctified code of living aimed at creating heroic persons or characters.

In the subsequent period, Baisakhi provided an occasion not only for the Guru’s blessings but also for settling scores with adversaries, and for taking important decisions regarding religion and politics. The gurmatas incorporating the unanimous decisions of the Sikh sangat used to be passed on Baisakhi or at festive gatherings on similar occasions.

The establishment of Dal Khalsa or the congregated army of Sikh sardars — a sequel to the Mughal persecution of Sikhs — also took place on the sacred occasion of Baisakhi in 1748. Whenever the Sikhs were in trouble, Baisakhi furnished the much needed opportunity to them to reunite and strengthen their ranks. After the Ghallughara of 1762, observers had written off the Sikhs as a political power. However, they were astonished to see them unite again on the occasion of Baisakhi, the very next year. The plan to rebuild the Harmandar Sahib which had been smashed with gun powder and to clean the sacred tank which had been filled with the flesh and blood of kine and with other rubbish by Ahmad Shah Abdali was formulated this time. The decision of the Dal Khalsa to occupy Lahore after the seventh invasion of Abdali, was also taken on Baisakhi day in 1765. In less than a month the Sikh trio — Gujjar Singh, Sobha Singh and Lehna Singh — drove out Diwan Kabuli Mal (Abdali’s governor) from Lahore and struck the Gobindshahi coin to proclaim their sovereignty in Punjab.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh chose to be coronated on Baisakhi. According to contemporary accounts, the festival was dear to the Maharaja’s heart, and he did every possible thing to observe religious ceremonies connected with it.

In 1831, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ordered Prince Kharak Singh to visit Amritsar on Baisakhi and "rub his forehead at the Harmandar in order to secure everlasting felicity." A year later, he himself moved from Lahore to Amritsar to take a dip in the holy sarovar.

Lala Sohan Lal Suri, author of Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, records the event thus: "In an auspicious moment, on the blessed day of Baisakhi, the Maharaja went to Harmandarji. At first he stayed happily in his own bunga and enlightened the eyes of the onlookers by his own auspicious face. After that he went into Harmandar Sahib and secured the felicity of both worlds by listening to the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib, offered his ardas there, went to the central place, offered ardas at every other place and returned in a very happy mood and went over to Ram Bagh, and gave away in charity some horses, one elephant, clothes and tuladan and much of cash to the deserving and the Brahmins by way of sankalpa." The Maharaja repeated his munificent gesture year after year.

The Jallianwallah Bagh massacre in Amritsar on Baisakhi in 1919, lent political weightage to the festival. "An unarmed crowd", said Winston Churchill "stands in a totally different position from an armed crowd. At Amritsar, the crowd was neither armed nor attacking." From then Baisakhi became hallowed with the blood of martyrs and gave inspiration to nationalist leaders. Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest. Sir Shankar Nayar resigned from the Viceroy’s council. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya meticulously gathered the details of the tragedy and planned to place them before the Imperial Legislative Council in the shape of 92 questions.

The Congress Enquiry Committee described the tragedy as a calculated piece of inhumanity which was "unparalleled for its ferocity in the history of the British administration". Later, when General Dyer was offered a siropa at the Golden Temple by the government-appointed priest there was a strong protest from the Sikhs which culminated in the Gurdwara Reform Movement.

The Amritsar carnage on Baisakhi proved to be the flame at the end of the fuse wire. It was only a matter of time when it reached the barrel.

Although Baisakhi is no more a boisterous affair as it used to be in the past, it is still celebrated with enthusiasm in some parts of Punjab. The most spectacular Baisakhi gathering can be seen at Pindori Mahantan in village Tallpur (Gurdaspur district). According to local tradition, the festival has been celebrated every year since the time of Baba Narainji, the disciple of Bairagi Bhagwanji who impressed Jahangir so much with his spiritual powers that he ordered the construction of a holy place for him in the shape of a Muslim tomb.

Here the celebrations last for three days from the first to the third of Vaishakha. The Mahant is carried in a palanquin from Naraini Deorhi to the baradari of the tank where he takes a dip and performs the rituals prescribed for the occasion. He is then taken back to Naraini Deorhi where he blesses the devotees, and participates in the sankirtan (chanting of devotional songs in a chorus). The whole show is neatly planned and skillfully consummated. Multitudes of people visit the fair not merely for spiritual satisfaction but also for breaking life’s "monotonous routine."

The Baisakhi fair at Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo), the headquarters of Nihangs, is equally a centre of attraction for the people. The place became hallowed when Guru Gobind Singh stayed there for nine months and dictated the entire Adi granth to Bhai Mani Singh after he had been refused access to the original manuscript by the Sodhis of Kartarpur. Before paying obeisance at the 10 holy shrines in the vicinity of Damdama Sahib, the pilgrims bathe in the Guru Sar Sarovar. The Sarovar was dug at the behest of Guru Tegh Bahadur who gleaned through his clairvoyant vision that the pitcher of nectar concealed by the gods from demons lay underneath the spot. The personal belongings of Guru Gobind Singh and his family are exhibited there every year on Baisakhi. The procession of Nihangs from Gurdwara Ber Sahib to Gurdwara Mahal Sar lends great charm to the festive occasion. On the second day of Vaishakha, Sukhnidhan, a beverage with Bhang (cannibis sativa) as its main ingredient, is freely and generously served. Baisakhi celebrations at Anandpur Sahib are also marked with much religious fervour bringing out the vigour and vivacity of the devout.

Baisakhi fairs are also organised, though with less religious ardour, in many other parts of Punjab such as Yusafpur, Dariwal, Riyatpur, Sodhiwala, Kaonke, Ghaunspur, Macchiwara, Taragarh, Chola Sahib and Bal Bawa. People visit these fairs to watch Bhangra, games and sports, to listen to lilting folk songs, to get their forearms tattooed, to enjoy rides on merry-go-rounds of different types or just to eat and shop. In Himachal Pradesh, Baisakhi (Lalal) fairs are held at Unchagaon, Kunihar and Mashran (Mahasu district), at Markanda (called Basoa festival) in Bilaspur Sadar Tehsil and at Rewalsar and Karsog tehsil (district Mandi).

In this materialistic age, few realise the spiritual significance of the festival which Guru Arjan Dev emphasised in these words:

"Progeny, wife, wealth — nothing with man shall last,

But only the Lord immortal.

All creation in false concerns and illusion is involved,

All towards destruction moving.

Those bereft of devotion to the Lord‘s sole Name,

In the Hereafter are robbed:

In being unmindful of the Lord lies ignominy-

Other than the Lord no other help is for man.

Pure is the repute of such as to the feet of the,

Beloved in devotion are attached.

Nanak thus supplicates the Lord:

Pray grant union with Thyself: annul separation.

Happy is Baisakhi made by union with Lord‘s devotees."

Guru Granth Sahib, (Ragha Majh, p.134.)