Baisakhi (or Vaisakhi) is the Harvest Festival of the Sikh religion, traditionally held on the 13th or 14th of April each year, also marking the New Year of the Punjabi calendar. Sikhs often celebrate this special day by attending the Gurdwara – the Sikh place of worship – and the celebrations are often accompanied with prayers, Sikh hymns and processions.
I was very pleased to receive an invitation to join in with the Northampton Baisakhi celebrations at the Northampton Gurdwara and enjoyed seeing the Sikhs in our community come together for this event.
Regular readers of this column will know that I have for many years now taken part in celebrations in Northampton and Westminster for the special annual events in the religious calendar of all the main faiths practised by constituents in Northampton North, including of course Christian events at our Churches, both Anglican and Roman Catholic, in civic services and at Christmas; Muslim festivals such as at Eid, for the Hindu festival of Diwali, and for Sikh events at the Gurdwara and elsewhere. All the faith groups in Northampton work together very well and do great work.
Residents of Northampton North of any faith, and of none, can be assured of my continued support.