Baisakhi Regional Celebrations

Auspicious day of Baisakhi is celebrated in various regions of India by different names and different rituals. This is because the day of Baisakhi holds special significance for Hindus along with Sikhs. For Hindus, April 13th mark the time for New Year and they celebrate the day with rituals like bathing, partying and worshipping. Another legend associated with the day is that Goddess Ganga descended to earth thousands of years ago on this day. Many Hindus therefore celebrate the day in the honor of Goddess Ganga by taking a sacred dip in the river Ganga.

Regional celebrations of Baisakhi are marked as Rongali Bihu in Assam, Naba Barsha in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vishu in Kerala and Vaishakha in Bihar. In a relatively much different form, Baisakhi celebrations are marked in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. Here, Baisakhi is celebrated twice a year in the months of Vaishakha (April-May) and Kartika (November). People celebrate Baisakhi by worshipping Goddess Jwalamukhi and paying tribute to the deity’s idol near a popular hot spring that issues flames.

These different regional ways of celebrating Baisakhi reflect on India’s pluralistic tradition and her rich cultural heritage. Regional celebrations of Baisakhi also portray the unity of people of India in spite of the social, cultural and linguistic differences.