key_stages: Key Stage 4 (Age 14-16)

Vaisakhi Transcript

Contributor 1: Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Jaya Narrator: Every spring all over the world, Sikhs like me celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi. It's been a harvest festival in India for thousands of years. But for Sikhs it has an extra special meaning because it's also where the Khalsa began. Khalsa means the pure ones and it's what we call the community of Sikhs who have fully committed themselves to Sikhi. This is our temple where we worship and get together as a community. It's called a Gurdwara, which means House of the Guru because the Guru Granth Sahib Ji is here. Our living Guru, in the form of a book on the days leading up to Vaisakhi an Akhand Path will be held. This is when the Guru Granth Sahib Ji is read out loud from beginning to end. It takes 48 hours to read all 1,430 pages, so different readers take turns. On the day itself. Everyone goes to the Gurdwara in the morning for prayers and to hear the Guru Granth Sahib Ji being read.

Contributor 1: Vaisakhi to me means coming together as a whole community to celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. Celebrating togetherness and oneness. No matter what faith you are, what creed you are, what gender you are. We all come together as one.

Contributor 2: Vaisakhi to me is also a good time to reflect, to be grateful for all that we have.

Jaya Narrator: Vaisakhi is celebrated on the first day of the Sikh month of the Vaisakh, which falls on the 13th or 14th of April.

Contributor 3: Vaisakhi is signing up to the code and conduct of the Sikhs, and the storytelling that goes on in these days reminds you of the sets of values that created the Sikh faith.

Jaya Narrator: At Vaisakhi we remember an important event in our history. In 1699, the Sikh community didn't feel much like celebrating the harvest festival. They were facing vicious persecution from the Emperor Aurangzeb just for being Sikhs. 23 years earlier. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru and leader of the Sikh people, had been beheaded on the emperor's orders. Many people had decided that rather than share the fate of their guru, they would abandon Sikhi altogether. Now the Sikh community was in danger of falling apart, and it was up to Guru Gobind Rajij, the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur to do something about it. In the weeks leading up to Vaisakhi, word went out that the guru was asking every single Sikh to attend a special celebration in the town of Anandpur. And on the day, tens of thousands of people gathered in front of Kashgar Fort, where a large tent had been put up. Guru Gobind Rajij walked out in front of the crowd. He was an impressive sight in his saffron robes, his hair tied neatly in a turban. He held a sword above his head and it flashed in the sunlight. The crowd fell silent, waiting for their guru to speak. Who among you is willing to die for God and for their guru? Who will give their head to my sword? What did he mean? Eventually a man made his way up to the front. It was Daya Ram, a young man from a well-to-do family. The guru welcomed him like a brother and took him into the tent. Then a hush descended as the crowd strained to hear what was going on. There was a swish of a sword and a sickening thud. The guru emerged alone from the tent and waved his sword for all to see. Shock ran through the crowd like a wave. The blade was covered in blood. Had the guru beheaded Daya Ram. Who else is willing to give their life for God and for me? This time everyone remained absolutely still frightened to move. But then another man stepped forward. A farmer called Dharam Das. As before, he was welcomed by the guru and led inside the tent. Everyone held their breath, a swish, a thud, and the guru re-emerged, brandishing his bloodstained sword. Panic began to spread. My sword is still hungry. Who else is willing to give their head to serve me? Unbelievably, three more men volunteered. A tailor called Mokham Chand. A barber called Sahib Chand. And a water carrier called Himmat Rai. One at a time, the guru took them into the tent and then came out alone, his blade sticky with congealing blood. The crowd was in confusion. No one could understand what was happening. But then the guru threw back the flaps of the tent and all five men walked out alive and well. They were wearing turbans and saffron robes like the guru, and they were all smiling. Five men from very different backgrounds, standing shoulder to shoulder with the guru. Five men who were willing to die for their guru if necessary. The crowd cheered. The guru announced that they would be known as the Panj Piare, the beloved five. He invited them to drink holy water called Amrit, and then he anointed them, sprinkling the Amrit on their heads and eyes. They were the first members of the Khalsa, the Pure Ones. Sikhs who were truly committed to Sikki. The guru asked the Panj Piare to baptise him with Amrit in the same way. And then the crowd rushed forward, all eager to join the Khalsa. Each person was given a new name, Singh, which means lion for men and Kaur, which means princess or leader for women. Guru Gobind Rajij became Guru Gobind Singh Ji and new life was breathed into the Sikh people as they stood proudly together. They were more than a match for the Emperor. The Panj Piare are represented at our celebrations by members of the Khalsa, sometimes called the Khalsa Panth, which means the way of the Pure Ones.

Contributor 4: So the Panj Piare, they're the first Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa Panth. So Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who was the 10th guru of the Sikh religion, he felt it was necessary to create a distinct identity for the Sikhs in which they were clearly recognised and could follow a code of conduct which helps them in their daily life.

Contributor 5: The underpin of love and compassion and humility, of telling the truth and living a very simple lifestyle and being content with what you have.

Contributor 6: So Khalsa is someone who actually fights for the justice, someone who fights for the righteousness. Someone who is not biased. He would not take the side of his own religion or his own people. He would fight for righteousness. That is Khalsa.

Jaya Narrator: Vaisakhi is a popular time of year for people to join the Khalsa, which they do in the same way as the Panj Piare and the guru did by going through the Amrit ceremony or Amrit Sanchar.

Contributor 7: I was fortunate to take the Amrit Sanchar ceremony two years ago, when I felt it was the right time in my life to commit to the Guru's teachings and way of life. The Amrit Sanchar ceremony is open to all regardless of your faith, your background, your age, your colour. It's open to everybody. Through that ceremony, essentially, you're saying that you give your head, you will live a disciplined life, and ultimately you'll believe in the force of one. In treating humans together, humanity together, but also how you will conduct yourself and with others around you. Also, at that time, the Sikhs are given the five symbols of the Sikh faith. The Kesh, which is the long uncut hair, the Kara, which is the steel bangle, the Kirpan which is the sword that you may see worn on the outside, the Kachera, which is the the shorts that are worn as undergarments. And finally the Kangha, which is used to keep your your hair tied up as well.

Jaya Narrator: Every Gurdwara has a flag outside, like this one called a Nishan Sahib, which symbolises that everyone is welcome at the Gurdwara for food and help. At Vaisakhi it's taken down and a new one is put up in a ceremony called the Nishan Sahib Seva.

Contributor 5: Today is also particularly special because as you can see behind me, we are going to be doing the Nishan Sahib Seva. So the Nishan Sahib is our flag and the Nishan Sahib can be seen in every Gurudwara. Wherever you go in the world, there will always be a Nissan Sahib up and this time of year it's taken down and we clean it. We redress it, if you like. So that because the colours fade with the weathering over the year. So new bright robes are put onto the Nissan Sahib and everybody loves joining in, in that process. Especially children that like to see it all being done.

Jaya Narrator: All Gurdwaras have a Langar a dining hall that serves free vegetarian food so everyone eats together. And then celebrations often continue long into the night.

Contributor 7: It's springtime in India. It's about actually, you know, the start of a new beginning. It's a time for people to come together. The Sikh faith congregation around the world comes together to reflect on the values of the Sikh faith. But then also, I think it's an opportunity for us all to come together and think about how we want to lead our lives as well, and what was set out by the gurus initially, then how we want to take that forward in our daily lives as well.