Baisakhi - the ancient festival of hope and new beginning

There are few prominent festivals in the country which are remarkable as they carry the  concept of few unique identifications in the midst of  varied cultures. Like Baisakhi, the festival of celebrating the Sikh New Year in Punjab. This is widely known for its rich ancient heritage. Guru Gonid Singh Ji was the 10th Sikh Guru who started a community called Khalsa on this day in the year 1699. Khalsa stands for purified and reconstituted Sikh Community.

Baisakhi is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Punjab glorifying the harvest season. The festival of Baisakhi is being celebrated on Tuesday (13 April) across the country as it marks the first day of the Vaisakh month. The celebration starts by paying respect to the Khalsa and the Panj Pyare with Nagar Kirtan by Sikh groups. Sacred hymns are recited and tributes are paid to the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs.
People staying close to holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada and Kaveri take a dip on this day. 
Farmers across the country harvest their Rabi crops on this day and pray for a better yield. In the evening, the joy is celebrated with the bhangra and giddha dance forms. In Baisakhi People exchange gifts, sweets and organise many community services.

In Punjabi households this spring harvest festival, Baisakhi is celebrated with many lip - smacking home - cooked delicacies. The cuisine includes yellow-colored foods.
The defining feature of this occasion being a yummy and sumptuous feast, let’s take a look at the traditional dishes to drool on this Baisakhi:

Kada Prashad

This is a very familiar yet much-coveted dessert, also known as Atta halwa. Gurudwaras all over the country distribute Kada Prashad to devotees.

Kesar Phirni

It is an exquisite dish richly prepared on this special occasion with the generous use of rich milk and rice. Sprinkling saffron on the creamy, semi-condensed top of the dessert just brightens up the dish. Along with it, one should add some dry fruits to enhance the taste.

Also read: Baisakhi 2023: Famous must serve food on Baisakhi

Coconut Laddoo

Also known as nariyal ke ladoo, these are integral to Baisakhi’s traditional food items. Prepared with grated coconut, semolina, sugar, condensed milk, and ghee, these sweetmeats are very binge-worthy.

Sweet Yellow Rice

This is a traditional dish prepared specially during Baisakhi. Made with dry fruits like apricots or anjeer, raisins, peaches, almonds, pistachios, and aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, the cooked rice tastes heavenly. Addition of sugar syrup and saffron (giving a yellowish hue) notch up the look and feel of the palatable food.

Mango lassi

A cooling, delicious and sweetened curd-based drink prepared with seasonal ripe mangoes is an amazing delicacy in Punjab and Haryana, but is equally loved all over the country. A tall glass of this signature, traditional summer beverage loved by Punjabis can be relished in either salty or sweet form.

Pindi Chhole

Another typical Punjabi dish that is feasted upon is this irresistible chickpea dish. It is made by making chickpea paste, to which an assortment of spices — black pepper, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon — is added. People relish it with raw onion slices, tomato slices, and green chilies.