Baisakhi National Fair is held during the festival of Baisakhi which marks the arrival of the harvesting season. The word 'Baisakhi' is derived from the name of the month Vaisakha (April-May), a time when the farmer returns home with a good harvest. A special day for the Sikhs, it holds immense significance for them. On this day in 1699, their tenth Guru Gobind Singh organized the order of the Khalsa. On this day also, Guru Arjan Das was martyred by the Muslim rulers in barbaric cruelty.

Features of Baisakhi National Fair in Bathinda

 

• Baisakhi is a harvest festival which is celebrated on the thirteenth day of April according to the solar calendar.
• It is celebrated when the Rabi crop is ready for harvesting.
• When everyone is free from the works of cutting and gathering of the grains, it is time to relax, time to sing and dance.
• This is the time when cries of "Jatta aai Baisakhi" reverberate everywhere. People sport their best attires and accessories and sing and dance to express their joy.
• They carry a portion of the first harvest of wheat to the historical gurudwara of Talwandi Sahib making an offering of it.
• Langars or voluntary free community kitchens are organized for the people by the devotees who even come from far off places.
• They consider it as a part of sewa or community service.
• The ingredients for the meal like wheat flour, rice, vegetables, milk and sugar are provided by the villagers living nearby.
• The womenfolk volunteer to cook and take part in cleaning utensils and other manual tasks.
• The pilgrims are served traditional cuisine and they eat in Pangat or sitting in rows on the ground.
• The next day sees the participation of the Nihangs and their feats of the martial arts.

Season of Baisakhi National Fair in Bathinda

April is the month when Baisakhi National Fair is celebrated.

How To Reach Punjab

Reaching the land of Baisakhi National Fair is not difficult at all.

By Air Chandigarh and Amritsar are the two major airports, connected to other cities in India by regular flights. Indian airlines do have regular flights from Chandigarh to Delhi, Lucknow, Leh and Amritsar.

By Rail Bathinda is well connected with other parts of the country by rail. Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Jalandhar are the major railway hubs in Bathinda.

By Road State Highways connect major cities to the state capital. NH 1 or the Grand Trunk Road connects the state with most of the north as well as east India.