Importance of Baisakhi
The auspicious festival of Baisakhi is celebrated on the first day of Vaisakh month (April-May) according to the Hindu calendar, hence it is known as Vaisakhi or Baisakhi. Popular in Punjab, Baisakhi marks the harvest season of the Rabi crop wheat.
While farmers celebrate each year, thanking god for a bountiful harvest, this year they have been rather tense about the harvest due to bizarre weather in India. Unseasonal, untimely and unusual amount of rain in the drier months of March and April have worried many agriculturists and weathermen across the country.
According to the media, wheat harvesting in Punjab which usually begins on the 1st of April hadn't begun till the 8th of April due to unusual weather events. Though, experts like the Chief agriculture officer of Jalandhar, Swatantra Kumar Aeri had claimed that in spite of damage to wheat crop by abnormal rain, there would be a bumper harvest in the state.
Weather forecast
Latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Amritsar and Patiala received light rainfall in the last 24 hours. However the weather is expected to be dry during Baisakhi today. Day will be cool and cloudy with maximum settling below 30⁰C. The morning was cold at 12.6⁰C.
“Another long spell of rain with moderate showers in between is likely in Punjab and North India from the 16th of April, which could hamper the harvest of wheat crop. Rain will again occur due to the Western Disturbance in Jammu and Kashmir and a strong cyclonic circulation in Rajasthan”, sayid G.P Sharma of Skymet Meteorology Division.
Weather in Amritsar turned erratic this year as the state recorded a whopping 69 mm of rain in March and 4 mm of rain so far in April.
Interesting facts
For the Sikh community this festival of Baisakhi commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa.
Baisakhi is also important for the Hindus as it on this day in 1875 that Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj .
It is believed that is was on the day of Baisakhi that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree in Gaya.
Baisakhi date also coincides with ‘Rongali Bihu’ in Assam, ‘Naba Barsha’ in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and ‘Pooram Vishu’ in Kerala.
Baisakhi falls on April 13th every year and on April 14th once in 36 years. This year on 14th April, it has also coincided with Ambedkar Jayanti.
Photo by punjabculturalsociety.
