Award Winning Essays (Annual Kids Competition) - 2

Vaisakhi
By Srishtie Banga


Vaisakhi is a very important day for all of us. It is on this special day that we celebrate the creation of the Khalsa Panth. The following text will talk about who, when, how, where, and why everything happened.

It was on March 30, 1699 at Anandpur Sahib that Guru Gobind Singh Ji went on a stage and asked a crowd of people for someone to come and sacrifice themselves for him. Many people were surprised. A lot of them left. It was after a while that Bhai Daya Ji stood up and said “I will sacrifice myself for you”. Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Bhai Daya Ji went into the tent. When Guru Gobind Singh Ji came out of the tent, there was blood on his sword. Most of the crowd was terrified. Many people left and many went to Mata Gujri Ji, Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s mother. It was then that Guru Gobind Singh Ji asked for someone else to come and sacrifice for him. Bhai Dharam Ji stood up and went into the tent. After him, there was Bhai Mukham Ji, followed by Bhai Himmat Ji and then Bhai Sahib Ji. At the end, Guru Gobind Singh Ji took more time than usual. After some time, he came out of the tent very happy and joyful. He was followed by those same five people that were clean and well dressed. Guru Gobind Singh Ji then said that these are my five beloveds, my “Panj Pyarey”. He said that the philosophy “Sikhism” that Guru Nanak Dev Ji created will now be a religion. We will now not be Muslims or Hundus, we will be Sikhs. That was the creation of the Khalsa Panth. Guru Gobind Singh Ji had done so to give a new identity to people. At that time, there were fights between Muslims and Hindus, between different casts within the Hindus, etc. The world in India was a big mess. He wanted to have something different and distinct.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji baptized his Panj Pyarey. In other words, he gave them “amrit”, holy water and the five Ks, “kesh”, unshorn hair, “kanga”, comb, “kara”, bangle, “kirpan”, sword, and “kachera”, long under-shorts. He then asked his Panj Pyarey to baptize him likewise. His purpose of all that was to show that no one is superior or inferior, “if I am your Guru, you are my disciple but you are also my Guru and I am also your disciple”. In other words, the reason behind the first Vaisakhi gathering was the creation of the Khalsa Panth. It also showed that a new identity has been created and that no one is different, superior, or inferior. Basically, there is no such thing as casts. The important symbols out of this event were peace, equality, love, friendship, goodness, etc. I think that an important tradition of Vaisakhi would be to be together with your loved ones and help those in need.

I think that the significance of Vaisakhi today is where we come from, it is our creation, the creation of the Khalsa Panth. The importance of Vaisakhi in my life is that it is a very important day that shows that every being on this earth, it be a human, an animal, an insect, it has the same importance as you. No one is superior or inferior or different.

This day is the creation of the Khalsa Panth, henceforth, Vaisakhi.