Baisakhi Utsav celebrated

Vijayawada: Baisakhi Utsav, the Sikh New Year Day was celebrated with festive fervour at the Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA) here on Saturday. The event was jointly organised by the Gurudwara Sri Sikh Singh Sabha, Andhra Arts Academy and the CCVA.

Karam Kaur of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation said that Vaisakhi marks the harvest festival and thanksgiving to god by the farmers, and also commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth of Warriors under Santh Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 AD.

She also said that the festival also known as Khalsa Sirjana divas and Khalsa Sajna divas among the Sikh community, which coincides with the New Year. She said that Sikhism is a religion which preaches general equality without any prejudice. A quiz competition was held and cultural programmes were performed.

Prizes were distributed to the women for best traditional Punjabi dress. Display of Sikh martial arts (Gatkha) and Sikh folk (Bhangra and Giddha) dances by the Punjabis enthralled the audience. Mementos were presented to the office-bearers of the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Vijayawada who participated as special invitees.

The programme was concluded with Sikh prayer known as Shabad in which everybody participated. Among the guests, Mrs Kuldeep Kaur, Chairperson, Guru Govind Singh Foundation, Harvindar Singh (Pinki), Jyothi, district chairman, Latha, president, Innerwheel Midtown, Radhika, president, Ratnaleela, Innerwheel Vijayawada Main, YV Krishna Mohan, president, Rotary Club of Vijayawada, Dr Jandhyala Sankar, former mayor, Golla Narayana Rao, secretary, Andhra Arts Academy, Mohindar Singh Sahni, Anisha Begam of Princess Fashion Design Institute, CPI candidate for Vijayawada Central constituency Ch Babu Rao attended the programme. Dr E Sivanagi Reddy, CEO, CCVA, conducted the event.