No function held in Gurdwaras of UT
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 13: For the first time, the celebration of Baisakhi remained a low key affair in history of Khalsa Panth as no function was held in Gurdwaras or other religious places by members of Sikh community throughout UT of J&K in view of spread of Coronavirus pandemic and announcement of lockdown by the Government asking people to maintain social distance to keep the dreaded disease at bay.
Following the directives of Government as well as Akal Thakt Sahib in view of the spread of Coronavirus, various Sikh bodies had already made it public that there will be no gathering in Gurdwaras or get-together in religious places on the occasion of holy festival in view of the COVID-19 threat and the people will celebrate the festival on individual basis in their respective homes.
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There was no hustle and bustle in Gurdwaras across the UT as usual on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival as all Gurdwaras wore a deserted look today nor the Baisakhi mela was held at Canal head Rajinder Park here this year. However, people celebrated the holy festival at their residences by reciting Gurbani and holding special prayers to rid the humanity from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Baisakhi one of the sacred festival of Sikhs which is equally revered by Hindus is celebrated as the Foundation Day of Khalsa Panth. On this day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, the 10th Guru of Sikhs who fought against the tyrant Mughal rulers laid the foundation of Khalsa Panth at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab and since then this day is being celebrated by members of Sikh community with great religious fervor and gaiety in the country. However, it is for the first time in Sikh history when no function was held in Gurdwaras and function remained a low key affair due to the threat of dreaded COVID-19.
A senior Sikh leader said his elders told him that this is for the first time when the festival was not celebrated on a large scale in Gurdwaras where thousands of devotees used to take part in the function every year on this day. He said though Sikhs faced many upheavals in the history since Mughal period but Baisakhi festival was always celebrated with great religious fervor in Gurdwaras which were fully decorated on the occasion.
He said, however, besides the Government advisory there was a directive from Akal Takhat Sahib Amritsar that social gatherings should be avoided on this holy occasion this year in view of the spread of deadly Coronavirus which has taken a heavy toll all over the globe.
However, Gurdwaras remained open throughout the day and few devotees visited there one by one during the day to pay their obeisance to holy Granth Sahib.
It may be recalled that Baisakhi is also celebrated as a festival for harvesting the crop. The farmers in North India wait for the day to harvest the wheat crop as cutting the crop on this occasion is considered a good omen by them.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here from Samba said that famous Namandar Baisakhi festival and fair was not held in Namandar temple in Samba district today. Usually every year large number of devotees drawn from J&K and other States used to visit the 200 year old temple to participate in the holy festival. However, this year the Temple Committee took a decision that the fair would not be held in view of the spread of Coronavirus.
Likewise in Kashmir valley no function was held in Gurdwaras including Baramulla town and Chhatti Padshahi Gurdwara, Srinagar as devotees preferred to stay indoors and celebrate the festival at their respective residences.
Gurdwaras in Jammu and Srinagar cities wore a deserted look as no Baisakhi function was held there in view of breakdown of Coronavirus pandemic.
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