INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

about his beheading by the Moguls in Delhi. Other gurpurubs during the twelve
months are mentioned in the daily morning and evening liturgy and sometimes celebrated
by recitations from the Guru Granth Sahib and extra musical programs. But it
is primarily the birthdays of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh that are staged
with pomp and show in Varanasi.
It is noteworthy that the festival Vaisakhi was given comparatively little attention
by my interlocutors in Varanasi. In the Punjab Vaisakhi occurs on the first day of
the month Vaisakh and marks the ripening of the wheat harvest whereby people attend
fairs and cultural programs with sports competitions, folk dances and songs. To
SIKH FESTIVALS
CELEBRATED IN VARANASI
Guru Nanak’s birthday
Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday
Guru Arjan’s martyrdom
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom
Vaisakhi (at Mogul Sarai)
Figure 23.
farming villagers the festival has been an
occasion to celebrate the fruits of labour. In
the Sikh tradition Vaisakhi has gained special
significance as a historical festival day
since it was on this day Guru Gobind Singh
founded the Khalsa community at Anandpur
in 1699. People visit gurdwaras at
different places in the Punjab, especially
the Sikh centres at Anandpur and Amritsar,
for presenting donations and participating
in worship activities. The reasons
why the Sikhs in Varanasi gave less attention to Vaiksakhi can be found partly in the
urban life-style and partly in the local organization of the festival. Many calendric
events which by tradition have been associated with the agricultural cycle loose their
relevance in an urban setting. An elderly Sikh woman said: “Vaisakhi is celebrated a
lot in the Punjab because of the crops. But we have stayed too long in Benares. We do
not celebrate it any more.” Since many years back the congregation at Varanasi has
handed over the responsibility of Vaisakhi celebrations to the neighboring congregation
at Mogul Sarai. Annually the Grand Trunk Road Gurdwara on the other side of
river Ganga organizes a three day-long program with town processions (Nagar kirtan)
and performances of music and gurbani expositions. In connection with the yearly
festivity the congregation at Mogul Sarai arranges the Khande di pahul ceremony for
all who wish to take amrit and adopt the Khalsa discipline. Although the gurdwara
committee provides transport services to attract devotees from neighboring congregations,
the urban Sikhs still give Vaisakhi less notice in comparison to the festivals they
themselves organize in the city.
Many of my informants perceived gurpurubs as days to venerate the Gurus.
“We commemorate the sacrifices they have made for us and India,” as a male interlocur
said. The festival days provided occassions for religious worship and teaching
others, especially their own children about the Guru’s births and deeds. My interlocutors
also separated the Sikh gurpurubs from other types of festivals that do not originate
from the Sikh tradition but which can be collected under the term “cultural festivals”.
This grouping encompasses a large number of regional and national Hindu
festivals connected with the changes of seasons and mythologies and worship of a
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008