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PreviewAdvancedSpecial charactersHelpHeadingLevel 2Level 3Level 4Level 5FormatInsertLatinLatin extendedIPASymbolsGreekGreek extendedCyrillicArabicArabic extendedHebrewBanglaTamilTeluguSinhalaDevanagariGujaratiThaiLaoKhmerCanadian AboriginalRunesÁáÀàÂâÄäÃãǍǎĀāĂ㥹ÅåĆćĈĉÇçČčĊċĐđĎďÉéÈèÊêËëĚěĒēĔĕĖėĘęĜĝĢģĞğĠġĤĥĦħÍíÌìÎîÏïĨĩǏǐĪīĬĭİıĮįĴĵĶķĹĺĻļĽľŁłŃńÑñŅņŇňÓóÒòÔôÖöÕõǑǒŌōŎŏǪǫŐőŔŕŖŗŘřŚśŜŝŞşŠšȘșȚțŤťÚúÙùÛûÜüŨũŮůǓǔŪūǖǘǚǜŬŭŲųŰűŴŵÝýŶŷŸÿȲȳŹźŽžŻżÆæǢǣØøŒœßÐðÞþƏəFormattingLinksHeadingsListsFilesDiscussionReferencesDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getItalic''Italic text''Italic textBold'''Bold text'''Bold textBold & italic'''''Bold & italic text'''''Bold & italic textDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getReferencePage text.<ref>[https://www.example.org/ Link text], additional text.</ref>Page text.[1]Named referencePage text.<ref name="test">[https://www.example.org/ Link text]</ref>Page text.[2]Additional use of the same referencePage text.<ref name="test" />Page text.[2]Display references<references />↑ Link text, additional text.↑ Link text===Sikh festivals/events=== [[Guru Amar Das]] chose festivals for celebration by Sikhs like [[Vaisakhi]], wherein he asked Sikhs to assemble and share the festivities as a community.<ref name="ColeSambhi1995p135">{{cite book |first1=William Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC&pg=PA135 |date=1995 |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4 |pages=135–136 |quote=Since the time of Guru Amar Das it has been customary for Sikhs to assemble before their Guru. }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Kathleen |last=Kuiper |title=The Culture of India |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=c8PJFLeURhsC&pg=PA127|date=2010 |publisher=Rosen |isbn=978-1-61530-149-2|page=127}}</ref> Vaisakhi is one of the most important festivals of Sikhs, while other significant festivals commemorate the birth, lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. Historically, these festivals have been based on the moon calendar [[Bikrami calendar]].<ref name=nesbittbc>{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Nesbitt |title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XebnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-874557-0 |pages=122–123 |access-date=6 March 2017 |archive-date=15 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415073742/https://books.google.com/books?id=XebnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2003, the [[SGPC]], the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the historical gurdwaras of Punjab, adopted [[Nanakshahi]] calendar.<ref name=nesbittbc/> The new calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Sikh festivals include the following: * [[Vaisakhi]] which includes Parades and Nagar Kirtan and occurs on 13 April or 14 April. Sikhs celebrate it because on this day, which fell on 30 March 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, inaugurated the [[Khalsa]], the 11th body of Guru Granth Sahib and leader of Sikhs until eternity.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} ** [[Nagar Kirtan]] involves the processional singing of holy hymns throughout a community. While practiced at any time, it is customary in the month of Visakhi (or Vaisakhi). Traditionally, the procession is led by the saffron-robed Panj Piare (the five beloved of the Guru), who are followed by the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy Sikh scripture, which is placed on a float.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} {{wide image|Yuba City Nagar Kirtan 2011.jpg|760px|[[Nagar Kirtan]] crowd listening to [[Kirtan]] at [[Yuba City, California]].}} * Band Chor Diwas has been another important Sikh festival in its history.<ref>{{cite book |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |last=Mandair |title=Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-4411-0231-7 |pages=128–130 |access-date=16 May 2016 |archive-date=8 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308160619/https://books.google.com/books?id=vdhLAQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> In recent years, instead of Diwali, the post-2003 calendar released by SGPC has named it the [[Bandi Chhor Divas]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Nesbitt |title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4ysRDAAAQBAJ |date=2016 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-106276-6 |pages=6, 124}}</ref> Sikhs celebrate [[Guru Hargobind]]'s release from the [[Gwalior Fort]], with several innocent [[Raja]]s (kings) who were also imprisoned by Mughal Emperor [[Jahangir]] in 1619. This day continues to be commemorated on the same day of Hindu festival of [[Diwali]], with lights, fireworks and festivities.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} * [[Hola Mohalla]] is a tradition started by Guru Gobind Singh. It starts the day after Sikhs celebrate [[Holi]],<ref name="McLeod2009p95">{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |title=The A to Z of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA95|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|page=95}}</ref> sometimes referred to as ''Hola''.<ref name="Roy2005p192">{{cite book |first=Christian |last=Roy |title=Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&pg=PA192 |date=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-089-5 |pages=192–193}}</ref> Guru Gobind Singh modified Holi with a three-day [[Hola Mohalla]] extension festival of martial arts. The extension started the day after the Holi festival in [[Anandpur Sahib]], where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises.<ref>{{cite book | first1=James K. Jr. |last1=Wellman |first2=Clark |last2=Lombardi |title=Religion and Human Security: A Global Perspective|url= https://archive.org/details/religionandh_xxxx_2012_000_10856028 |url-access=registration|date=2012|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-982775-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/religionandh_xxxx_2012_000_10856028/page/n125 112] note 18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Nikky-Guninder |last=Kaur Singh |title=Sikhism: An Introduction|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=e0ZmAXw7ok8C&pg=PA93|date=2011 |publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]] |location=London / New York |isbn=978-1-84885-321-8|pages=93–94}}</ref> * [[Gurpurb]]s are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh Gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurbs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurb that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a Shaheedi Gurpurbs, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of [[Guru Arjan]] and [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page