Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is a popular harvest festival of Hindus and Sikhs of northern India and marks the beginning of Hindu Solar new year. It also marks the first day of the month of Vaisakha and is usually celebrated on 13th or 14th of April every year. Baisakhi 2024 is being celebrated on 13th April 2024.
This festival is celebrated in different states like Punjab, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, etc with great enthusiasm. Outside India, Baisakhi is also celebrated in by the Hindus in Pakistan, Nepal and Sikhs of United Kingdom, United States and Malaysia.
One interesting fact regarding Vaisakhi is that its date keeps on changing slowly over years. In 1801, it used to fall on 11 April and it would fall on 29 April in year 2999. Complete details related to Baisakhi 2024 such as significance, celebrations, etc are provided here in this article.
Baisakhi 2024 Overview
| Festival | Baisakhi |
| Also known as | Vaisakhi |
| Baisakhi 2024 Date | April 13, 2024 |
| Day | Saturday |
| Celebrated by | Sikhs, Hindus |
| Vaisakhi 2025 Date | April 14, 2025 |
| Baisakhi 2026 Date | April 14, 2026 |
Date of Baisakhi 2024 Festival
Every year, Baisakhi is celebrated on 13th or 14th of April. In the year 2024, Baisakhi is being observed on Saturday, 13th April. A public holiday is observed on the day of Baisakhi in the state of Punjab and all offices under the Government of Punjab observe an off on this day.
Apart from Punjab, some other states also mark Baisakhi as an optional holiday.
Significance of Baisakhi
Both Sikhs and Hindus consider Baisakhi as an important festival. Not only religious, Baisakhi is also a festival of historic importance for the Sikhs.
Hindus believe that on the day of Vaisakhi, River Goddess Ganga descended on earth from heaven. Taking a dip in this holy river on the day of Baisakhi is considered as highly auspicious.
For Sikhs, it marks the first day of the month of Vaisakha as well as the beginning of Sikh New year. It is also said that triggered by the persecution and execution of his father Guru Tegh Bahadur by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for refusal to convert to Islam, Guru Gobind Singh formed Khalsa on the day of Vaisakhi. Khalsa was a group of five warriors, also known as Panj Pyare, who volunteered in front of Guru Gobind Singh to sacrifice their head for Sikhism.
Going back to the recent Indian history, in the year 1801, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire on 12 April, the day of Vaisakhi. Also, it was the day of Baisakhi when the British colonial empire official, General Reginald Dyer, opened fire on unarmed Indians gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab. It was a major incident that invoked a major surge in fight against the British rule in India.
Vaisakhi Rituals and Celebration
Hindus celebrate Vaisakhi as a harvest festival and taking a bath in the holy rivers like Ganges, Jhelum and Kaveri is a famous ritual. People visit temples, cook delicious dishes and meet their friends and relatives on this day. Also, people make donations, especially of hand fans, water pitchers and seasonal fruits, to poor and needy on the occasion of Baisakhi. Melas or fairs are also held at many Hindu pilgrim sites. Sikhs hold kirtans and visit Gurudwaras on the occasion of Baisakhi. Processions are carried out from Gurudwaras that are joined by large number of people.
Other Festivals Similar to Vaisakhi
The festival of Vaisakhi coincides with other new year festivals celebrated in different states of India. Check out the new year festivals related to different states below.
- Bohag Bihu- Bohag Bihu or Rangali Bihu marks the beginning of the New Year in Assam and usually coincides with the festival of Baisakhi.
- Poyla Baishakh or Pohela Boishakh– Poyla Baishakh is celebrated as the Bengali new year on 14 April every year. This festival is celebrated as a national holiday in Bangladesh.
- Pana Sankranti- Pana Sankranti, also called as Maha Vishuba Sankranti, marks the starting of new year in Odisha. As per the Gregorian calendar, it falls on 13th or 14th of April every year.
- Jur Sital in Mithila– Jur Sital is a new year festival celebrated in the Mithila region of Bihar and also in Nepal. Sattu and jau are served to every family member on this day.
- Puthandu– Also known as Puthuvarusham, Puthandu marks the beginning of Tamil New Year and falls on the same day as baisakhi. Other than Tamil Nadu, this festival is also celebrated in parts of Sri Lanka.
- Vishu– Vishu is a festival that marks the beginning of new year in the state of Kerala. According to the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls on 14th or 15th of the April month coinciding mostly with the festival of Baisakhi.
Summary
People also pronounce Vaisakhi as Baisakhi and Basoa. This festival is mainly observed by Sikhs, Dogras, Punjabi Hindus, and North Indians.
Vaisakhi was celebrated for the first time 5297 years ago. The festival was celebrated on the first day of Vaisakh month.
In 2999, Vaisakhi will be celebrated on 29 April.
Other new year festivals celebrated in India are- Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Bisu in Tulu Nadu, Bwisagu in Bodoland region of Assam, Jur Sital in Mithila Bihar, Pana Sankranti in Odisha, Pohela Boishakh in West Bengal, and Bohag Bihu in Assam.
FAQs
This year, Baisakhi falls on 13th of April.
Vaisakhi is solar new year.
No, Baisakhi and lohri are not same.
