Toronto: Canada’s oldest Vaisakhi celebration returned to the streets of Vancouver on Saturday after three years following a Covid-19 -enforced hole. The town welcomed again the nagar kirtan with almost 1 / 4 million thronging to attend the parade.
The Khalsa Day parade is organised by the Khalsa Diwan Society, which was established in 1906, and likewise operates the historic Ross Avenue Gurdwara in Vancouver, within the province of British Columbia.
Organisers have been thrilled that the nagar kirtan was again for the primary time since 2019, because the Society’s president Kuldip Singh Thandi stated, “It was unbelievable, individuals have been very excited.”
Whereas over 100,000 got here for the 2019 nagar kirtan, which marks the founding of the Khalsa panth, he estimated the gang this yr was almost 250,000. He stated these celebrations made up for the frustration of the final three years because the parade couldn’t be held attributable to restrictions brought on by the pandemic.
The principal attraction was the primary float, which was 55 ft lengthy, and featured the Guru Granth Sahib, the holiest textual content of the Sikh religion. The occasion to marked the 324rd Revelation Day of Khalsa, when Guru Gobind Singh established the order.
That is the oldest nagar kirtan outdoors India, having been held for the primary time in 1979, based on the Society’s vice-president Jagdeep Sanghera. He stated they have been very proud of the “success and turnout” of the nagar kirtan. “There was loads of appreciation from the congregation, they have been very enthusiastic,” he stated.
The parade began from the Ross Avenue Gurdwara at 11am and returned to the temple at round 4.30pm.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the gurdwara on Friday, and later tweeted, “Group is what Vaisakhi is all about – and at present at Khalsa Diwan Society in South Vancouver, we got here collectively to have a good time precisely that. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.”
He was accompanied by his Cupboard colleague Harjit Sajjan.
Amongst these on the nagar kirtan on Saturday was Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim, who tweeted, “Had a beautiful time at present celebrating the return of Vancouver’s Vaisakhi parade. Thanks to the organisers of at present’s festivities for his or her laborious work on such a tremendous occasion, and to all those that attended and embodied the values of service, equality, and compassion.” Nishan sahib, the triangular pennant of the religion, was raised on the gurdwara on Friday.
After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, smaller observations passed off final yr however have been restricted to the gurdwara.