Baishakhi is a harvest festival, which is celebrated on the thirteenth day of April according to the solar calendar. It is celebrated in North India, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, when the Rabi Crop is ready for harvesting.
On this day men have 'Bhangra dance and wrestling etc. Women, too, break into revelry of dances, particularly the Giddha dance, executed with favour and rhythmic exactitude. Both men and women adorn themselves with colourful dresses. Children are seen more enthusiastic on these occasions.
Baishakhi has special significance for two of India's major religious groups. Hindus take it as the start of the new year. Hence, they celebrate it religiously by taking holy dip in the sacred river Ganga, They pray for peace and prosperity in the
new year. In Assam, this festival in known as Bohag Bihu, and the Assamese celebrate it with full gaity. In Kerala this festival is called Vishu. The people of Kerala enjoy it with fireworks. They do grand shopping for new dresses. They make
interesting display called Vishu Kani-the arrangements of flowers, grains, fruits, clothes, gold and money. They do this to cast their first look early in the morning so that their new year may be auspicious for them.
And for Sikhs, Baishakhi has some special significance. Their tenth Guru Gobind Singh organised the order of Khalsa and administered nectar to his first batch of five disciples making them Singhs, a martial community on this very day in the year 1699. This day is equally important for the Arya Samaj too. Swami Dayanand Saraswati on this day in 1875 established Arya Samaj and discarded idol worship. The Buddhists too regard this day as a religious day because Gautam Buddha attained enlightnment and Nirvana only on this day.
Thus, Baishakhi is a festival which is celebrated in different names and forms in almost all parts of the country by almost
all major communities.
