List of Sikh festivals

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This is the list of the major festivals of the Sikh religion.

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Other Sikh festivals

There are some other (around 45) festivals that are celebrated at a much smaller scale with some being centred in particular regions or towns that are not included in the above list. Thoses include Parkash Utsavs (Birth anniversaries of the other 8 Sikh gurus), Gurgadi Divas (passing of guruship), Jyotijot Divas (death anniversaries of other Sikh gurus), Basant Festival of kites which is celebrated in Chheharta Sahib Gurdwara in the village of Wadali where Sri Guru Hargobind Ji was born in 1595, to celebrate the birth and [5] many other such festivals. All Sikh festival include celebrating by gathering at Gurdwara, paying obeisance to the Guru Granth Sahib and listening to Gurbani, Kirtan and reciting Paath.

However, there are quite a few other local fairs which are historically important to the Sikhs and attract crowds in hundreds of thousands and last two to three days. The most important of these are:

See also

Related Research Articles

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaisakhi</span> Religious, harvest and traditional new year festival

Vaisakhi, also pronounced Baisakhi marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India. Further, other Indian cultures and diaspora celebrate this festival too. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi is also the date for the Indian Solar New Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anandpur Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, the third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takht Sri Damdama Sahib</span> Sikh religious site in Amritsar, Punjab, India

The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo, near the city of Bathinda in Bathinda district of Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the full version of the Sikh scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. The other four Takhts are the Akal Takht, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamkaur Sahib</span> Place in Punjab, India

Chamkaur Sahib is a Sub Divisional town in the district of Rupnagar in the Indian State of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatehgarh Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Fatehgarh Sahib is a city and a sacred pilgrimage site of Sikhism in the north west Indian state of Punjab. It is the headquarters of Fatehgarh Sahib district, located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Sirhind. Fatehgarh Sahib is named after Fateh Singh, the 7-year-old son of Guru Gobind Singh, who was seized and buried alive, along with his 9-year-old brother Zoravar Singh, by the Mughals under the orders of governor Wazir Khan during the ongoing Mughal-Sikh wars of the early 18th century. The town experienced major historical events after the martyrdom of the sons in 1705, with frequent changes of control between the Sikhs and Mughals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hola Mohalla</span> Sikh festival

Hola Mohalla, also called Hola, is a three-day long Sikh festival which normally falls in March. It takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chett, usually a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi but sometimes, coincides with it. Hola Mohalla is a big festive event for Sikhs around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fateh Singh (Sikhism)</span> Fourth son of Guru Gobind Singh

Fateh Singh, commonly referred to with honorifics as Baba Fateh Singh or Sahibzada Baba Fateh Singh, was the fourth and youngest son of Guru Gobind Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jujhar Singh</span> Sikh martyr (1691–1704)

Jujhar Singh (Punjabi: ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਾ ਜੁਝਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ, pronunciation: ; 9 April 1691 – 23 December 1704), the second son of Gobind Singh, was born to Mata Jito at Anandpur Sahib. This event is now celebrated on April 9 each year according to the Nanakshahi Calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Muktsar Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Sri Muktsar Sahib is a historical city and district headquarters in Punjab, India. The 2011 Census of India put the total population of Sri Muktsar Sahib municipality at 117,085, making it the 14th largest city of Punjab, in terms of population. The second Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Angad was born in the village Matte-di-Sarai (Sarainaga) in the same district. Earlier the city was called Khidrana/Khidrane di dhab, the city was named Muktsar after the Battle of Muktsar in 1705 and the district headquarters in 1995. The government officially changed the name of the city to Sri Muktsar Sahib in 2012, though the city is still primarily referred to by its unofficial name – Muktsar.

Gurpurab, alternatively spelt as Gurpurb or Gurpurub, in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary of a Guru's birth marked by the holding of a festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehdiana Sahib</span> Gurdwara in Punjab, India

Gurdwara Mehdiana Sahib, also called the 'School of Sikh History' is a Sikh gurdwara located in the village of Mehdiana, just outside Mallha, near Jagraon in Ludhiana district, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandi Chhor Divas</span> Sikh celebration

Bandi Chhor Divas is a Sikh celebration commemorating the day the sixth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind and 52 Hindu Kings were released from Gwalior Fort, who had been imprisoned by Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Emperor Jahangir had held 52 Kings at the Gwalior Fort for several months. Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor Sahib is located at the place of the Guru's internment in the Fort. The day falls in autumn and often overlaps with Hindu Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated across Punjab and the rest of India. Historically, from the time of the third Sikh Guru Amar Das, Sikhs and Hindus of the time used the occasion of Diwali, Vaisakhi and other such festivals to congregate at the seat of the Gurus. In 2003, Sikh religious leaders and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee led by Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar formally adopted this day into the Nanakshahi calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Muktsar</span> 1705 conflict in the Mughal-Sikh Wars

The Battle of Sri Muktsar Sahib(Muktsar) or Battle of Khidrāne Dee Dhāb took place on 29 December 1705, (29 Poh) following the siege of Anandpur Sahib. In 1704, Anandpur Sahib was under an extended siege by the allied forces of the Mughals and the Hill States of Shivalik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maghi</span> Seasonal festive gathering of Sikhs in January

Maghi is the regional name of the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti celebrated in Punjab, Haryana Jammu division and Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal, the festival is also known as Maghi Saaji or Magha Ra Saza. In Bihar and Nepal it is also referred to as Maghi Parva or Maghi Sankranti. whereas it is known as Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain (Uttarayana) in Jammu and Sakrat in Haryana, Maghi is celebrated on first day of the month of Magh of Hindu Calendar. It follows on the heels of the mid-winter festival of Lohri which is marked by bonfires in North Indian fields and yards. The next morning Hindus see as an auspicious occasion for ritual bathing in ponds and rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mela Maghi</span> Occasion when Sikhs commemorate the sacrifice of forty Sikhs

Maghi da Mela (Punjabi: ਮਾਘੀ ਦਾ ਮੇਲਾ ), held at the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib each year in January or the month of Magh according to Nanakshahi calendar and it is one of the most important melas or fairs of India and the most important of all religiously significant gatherings of the Sikhs.

Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by Punjabis in Pakistan, India and the diaspora Punjabi community found worldwide. The Punjabis are a diverse group of people from different religious background that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, the total population of Punjabi Muslims is about 90 million, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus who predominantly live in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazur Sahib</span> One of the 5 Takhts in Sikhism

Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Sundari</span> Wife of Guru Gobind Singh

Mātā Sundarī (died 1747, Punjabi: ਮਾਤਾ ਸੁੰਦਰੀ) was a wife of Guru Gobind Singh.

A takht, or taḵẖat, literally means a throne or seat of authority and is a spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism. There are five takhts, which are five gurudwaras that have a very special significance for the Sikh community. Three are located in Punjab whilst the remaining two are located outside of it.

References

  1. "Sikhism holy days: Baisakhi". BBC . Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  2. 1 2 "Sri Guru Tegh Bhadur Sahib Ji p2 | Sikh Gurus :Gateway to Sikhism". Archived from the original on 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  3. 1 2 Surinder Singh Kohli. 1993. The Sikh and Sikhism. P.78-89
  4. "Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh".
  5. Johar, Surinder Singh Holy Sikh Shrines