On the 6th of April, Trafalgar Square hosted its annual Vaisakhi Festival, a celebration of the Sikh New Year and a day to commemorate the yearly harvest.

Vaisakhi, which falls on either the 13th or 14th of April every year, is the celebration of the birth of the Sikh community, the Khalsa. The Khalsa was founded in 1699 during the by Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the 10th Sikh Guru) in Panjab during the annual local harvest festival. The Guru asked for those who were willing to give their life to the Sikh religion to step forward into his tent. Five men entered the tent, but only the Guru exited, holding a blood covered sword in his hand. Soon after, however, the five men left the tent, unharmed and dressed in turbans. These men, who were then baptised, became known as the Panj Piare, also known as the ‘Beloved Five’, and were the first five members of the Khalsa.

This day is the most important festival in the Sikh faith, symbolising not only the birth of the Khalsa, but also celebrating the past year’s harvest.

Traditionally, Vaisakhi is a colourful celebration, marked by visiting a Gurdwara, where processions and parades known as Nagar Kirtans (the singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book)) take place.

On the 6th of April, Trafalgar Square hosted its free annual Vaisakhi Festival. From Turban tying workshops and educational talks, to stalls providing Langar (food), the festival was a way for not only those of the Sikh faith, but also people from other walks of life, to learn more about the Sikh religion. The event also welcomed famous guest speakers, such as Virdi Mazaria from the 2024 season of The Apprentice and The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to entertain the crowds. One of the most impressive events that took place during the festival was the Gatka demonstration. Gatka, martial art popular amongst those of the Sikh faith, is a form of fighting with the use of wooden sticks and swords!