Gurdwara opening doors to welcome community in celebration for Vaisakhi
It's set to be a day of colour and fun at a Sandwell Gurdwara as it welcomes the community to its doors to celebrate Vaisakhi.
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The Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick is holding a celebratory event for the annual celebration on Sunday, which is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world to mark the birth of the Khalsa on April 13 and the establishment of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
Smethwick High Street is set to be filled with colourful clothing, traditional music and prayer, lots of food being provided for free by volunteers from the Gurdwara and a range of activities and exhibitions for people to see.
It has become an annual celebration within Smethwick at the Gurdwara, which is one of the first Gurdwaras built outside of India and which has been a community champion, having provided food and support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The celebration will be one of the biggest in the UK, with around 30,000 to 40,000 people expected to attend, and assistant treasurer Sarbjit Singh spoke about what made the celebration so special.
He said: "We are expecting thousands of Sikhs, non-Sikhs and people of no faith to come together in this celebration.
“Vaisakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It marks the creation of the Khalsa, the Sikh nation by the 10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
“This is an opportunity to reconnect with friends and family for a joyous occasion, there is so much colour and so much vibrancy on show.”
In a change to recent years, the event will be a stand-alone one on the High Street, with no parade planned between Birmingham and Smethwick.
Mr Singh said the Gurdwara had just decided to keep it as a stand-alone event on the High Street and also spoke about what people could expect from the event in terms of food and entertainment.
He said: "People will be able to see displays of traditional martial arts such as Gatka, as well as being able to try traditional Punjabi food, which will be available from five different locations along the High Street.
"I would encourage people to come down and enjoy the day with God's blessing, take in everything that is here and bring your family and friends from afar to enjoy a day out. particularly as the weather is set to be nice."
