🙏 Going to the gurdwara
Sikhs go to the gurdwara, often early. They listen to kirtan, hear the story of 1699 and share karah prashad and langar. The gurdwara is the centre of the community, so being together on this day matters.
Sikhism: Celebration and Pilgrimage » Baisakhi and the Birth of the Khalsa
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Sikhism (4RS1/2F), 2.1
- The events celebrated at Baisakhi: the creation of the Khalsa in 1699
- The panj pyare, Mata Sundari and the taking of Amrit
- How Sikhs observe Baisakhi, including nagar kirtan and taking Amrit for the first time
- Different understandings of Baisakhi and its importance today
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In Guru Gobind Singh, the Khalsa and the Five Ks you met the Khalsa, the community of committed Sikhs founded by the tenth Guru in 1699. This lesson looks at the festival that celebrates that day. You will see the story of 1699 in more detail, then how Sikhs mark it today.
What is Baisakhi?
Baisakhi (also spelt Vaisakhi) falls in mid-April, usually on 13 or 14 April. It matters to Sikhs in three ways.
🌾 Harvest
In Punjab, the home region of the Sikh faith, it is the time when the wheat harvest is gathered in. Farmers give thanks for the crop.
🎉 New year
It is the Punjabi new year, so families celebrate a fresh start with food, music and visits.
🎂 Birthday of the Khalsa
For Sikhs it is above all the day in 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa.
Key terms:
- Baisakhi: the mid-April festival that is the Punjabi harvest and new year and the birthday of the Khalsa.
- Panj pyare: the "five beloved ones", the five Sikhs who offered their heads to the Guru and became the first members of the Khalsa.
- Amrit (recap from Love, Sex and Relationships in Sikhism): sweetened water that is blessed with prayers, drunk by a Sikh who joins the Khalsa.
- Khanda: the double-edged sword used to stir the Amrit.
- Nagar kirtan: a procession through the streets, singing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Nishan Sahib: the Sikh flag that flies outside a gurdwara.
The events of 1699
Sikh tradition says that on Baisakhi in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh called a great gathering at Anandpur. Thousands of Sikhs came. The Guru stood before them with a drawn sword and asked for a volunteer who was ready to give his head for the faith.
- The call. There was silence. Then one Sikh stepped forward and the Guru led him into a tent.
- Five times. The Guru asked again, and four more Sikhs came forward, one after another. Each one was taken into the tent.
- The five return. The Guru brought out all five, unharmed and dressed alike. Sikhs call them the panj pyare.
Why the panj pyare matter
Each one was ready to give everything, even his life, for the Guru and for God. Tradition says they came from different backgrounds and different parts of India. Sikhs see them as the model of total devotion, and of equality, because they were joined together as one family.
Amrit and the role of Mata Sundari
The Guru then prepared Amrit. He poured water into an iron bowl and stirred it with a double-edged sword (khanda) while prayers were read. Tradition says that the Guru's wife, Mata Sundari, added sugar crystals to the water. The sugar shows that the Khalsa should have sweetness, kindness and gentleness as well as the strength of the sword.
The five Sikhs drank the Amrit first, and they became the first members of the Khalsa. Then, tradition says, the Guru asked them to give Amrit to him, and he drank it too. This shows that the Guru and his Sikhs stood as equals in the Khalsa. The ceremony as it is carried out today is taught in The Naming Ceremony and Amrit Sanskar.
Different names for the Guru's wife
The spec names Mata Sundari. Many Sikh accounts name Mata Jito as the wife who added the sugar, and Mata Sahib Kaur is honoured as the Mother of the Khalsa. In the exam, use the spec's name, Mata Sundari, and you can add that accounts differ.
How Sikhs observe Baisakhi
🌺 Decorations
Gurdwaras are decorated with flowers and lights. The Nishan Sahib flagpole is taken down, washed and given a new cloth, and then raised again as a sign of renewal.
🎺 Nagar kirtan
A street procession is led by five Sikhs who stand for the panj pyare. The Guru Granth Sahib is carried on a decorated float. People sing hymns and hand out free food. Nagar kirtans are held in cities across the UK, and everyone in the neighbourhood is welcome to watch.
🌟 Taking Amrit
Baisakhi is a popular day for Sikhs to take Amrit for the first time. They do so because it was the day the Khalsa began, so it feels like joining the Guru's family on its birthday. Anandpur Sahib is a place where many gather to do this.
Different understandings and importance today
- Amritdhari Sikhs (those who have taken Amrit) see it as the day they renew their promises to follow the Rehat Maryada and keep the Five Ks.
- Other Sikhs may not be initiated, but they still go to the gurdwara, join the nagar kirtan and feel part of the Sikh community. For some it is mainly a cultural and family occasion, with a harvest and new year feel.
- Importance today. It reminds Sikhs of courage, equality and readiness to defend the faith, and it brings communities together.
Some Sikhs say the religious meaning should come first and that the day should not become only a party. Others say the colour, food and music are a good way to include everyone, especially young people.
Common mistakes
- Saying Baisakhi is only a harvest festival. It is also the new year and, for Sikhs, the birthday of the Khalsa.
- Saying every Sikh takes Amrit at Baisakhi. Only some do, and only the Amritdhari are initiated Khalsa Sikhs.
- Writing only "Mata Jito" when the question follows the spec. Use Mata Sundari and add that accounts differ.
- Describing the festival without saying why it matters. Link each custom to a belief, such as equality, devotion or community.
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two ways in which Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi. [4 marks, Paper 2, AO1]
Model answer (a)
One way is to go to the gurdwara (1), where they hear kirtan and the story of the Khalsa and share langar (1). A second way is to join a nagar kirtan (1), a street procession led by five Sikhs, with the Guru Granth Sahib carried on a decorated float (1).
(b) Explain why the events of 1699 are important to Sikhs. [6 marks, Paper 2, AO1 and AO2]
Model answer (b)
The events of 1699 are important because Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa on this day. The panj pyare were ready to give their heads, so Sikhs see them as the model of total devotion to God and the Guru. The Amrit, stirred with a khanda and sweetened by Mata Sundari, shows that a Sikh needs both strength and gentleness. The Guru took Amrit alongside the five, which shows that he and his Sikhs were equal members of the Khalsa. Sikhs who take Amrit today follow this and promise to live by the Guru's teaching. This is why Baisakhi is the birthday of the Khalsa and so important.
(c) 'Baisakhi is the most important festival for Sikhs.' Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view, and your own opinion. [10 marks, Paper 2, AO1 and AO2]
Plan for (c)
For: it is the birthday of the Khalsa, so it celebrates the Guru's call for devotion and equality; many Sikhs take Amrit for the first time on this day; the nagar kirtan shows the Guru Granth Sahib in public. Against: other festivals that remember the Gurus (which you meet later) also matter greatly to many Sikhs, and Sikhs who have not taken Amrit may enjoy Baisakhi mainly as a harvest and cultural day, so it may not be their central festival. Other view: Amritdhari Sikhs would place it highest, while other Sikhs may value other festivals just as much. Possible conclusion: for Sikhs committed to the Khalsa it is probably the most important, but the importance depends on the Sikh.
Exam tip
In an Outline question, give two clearly different ways and add one detail to each. In a (b) answer, say why each custom matters, not only what happens.