Sikh community celebrates Vaisakhi Day | SLIDESHOW

A Sikh community tradition, thousands strong celebrated Vaisakhi Day or Vaisakhi – a religious and colorful festival filled with music, prayer, food, demonstrations, exhibits and a parade – at the ShoWare Center on a cool and cloudy Saturday.

A girl twirls a chakar

A girl twirls a chakar

A Sikh community tradition, thousands strong celebrated Vaisakhi Day or Vaisakhi – a religious and colorful festival filled with music, prayer, food, demonstrations, exhibits and a parade – at the ShoWare Center on a cool and cloudy Saturday.

Millions of Sikhs worldwide celebrate Vaisakhi Day each spring, marking the new year for the community. It is considered one of the most important festivals on the Sikh calendar.

Vaisakhi is historically the festival of spring harvest in Punjab, India.

Washington has about 50,000 Sikhs residing in Kent and Renton.

The day culminated with the Nagar Kirtan, the parade, in which thousands of people proceeded through the streets of Kent, singing hymns from a sacred book of worship known as Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Sikhs’ most ultimate holy scripture.

The parade included supporters of Sikh Referendum 2020, a national campaign to liberate India-occupied Punjab. The campaign aims to bring the Sikh nation on a common platform to present the case to the United Nations for Punjab’s independence.

The festival also recognized individuals and organizations for their support of the Sikh community.

 




Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website http://kowloonland.com.hk/?big=submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

Photos from the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Washington press release.
Kent man arrested in connection to violent drug trafficking gang investigation

Law enforcement seized more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl, 60 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash.

Courtesy Photo, King County
Son accused of fatally shooting mother’s boyfriend in Kent back in jail

Dondre Butler has 3 violations in 13 months of electronic home detention after charged with murder in 2022

t
Kent Police targeted street patrols result in arrest of two felons

One driver spotted in a vehicle with no plates; another driver reportedly in a stolen vehicle

t
Kent cold case murder suspect back in state after governor’s warrant | Update

Kenneth Kundert fought extradition from Arkansas after August arrest in 1980 killing of Dorothy Silzel

t
City of Kent eyes November opening for Reith Road roundabouts

Two more roundabouts will bring total in city to six; three more in future plans

t
Kent-based Puget Sound Fire honors this year’s 20 retirees

17 firefighters and 3 staff members retire; firefighters served between 24 and 35 years

t
Pedestrian dies in Kent after being struck by a vehicle | Update

Des Moines man, 61, identified; reportedly tried crossing highway late at night but wasn’t in a crosswalk

t
‘Drivers going too fast’ led to 45-vehicle collision in Kent on I-5

State Patrol says drivers need to ‘slow down;’ nobody seriously injured in Sunday afternoon incident

T
Sound Transit to feature glass art in Kent at Star Lake Station

Part of agency’s light rail art program at two stations in Kent and one in Federal Way

Emergency vehicles respond Oct. 21 to the State Route 18 crash in Maple Valley that killed a Kent baby. COURTESY PHOTO, Puget Sound Fire
Federal Way man faces vehicular homicide charge in death of Kent baby

19-year-old also charged with vehicular assault for injuring boy’s mother in SR 18 crash

t
Kent mother arrested after reportedly driving drunk with baby in vehicle

22-month-old baby uninjured after witnesses report woman asleep at the wheel and blocking traffic

Puget Sound Fire, King County Medic One, and Washington State Patrol on location of the accident. Photo from Puget Sound Fire X account
Baby dies in crash on SR 18

Incident occurred at about 2:58 p.m. Oct. 21.