Valerie attends the Vaisakhi festival

On 17 April I attended the Vaisakhi festival which celebrates the the Punjabi new year falling on the first day of Vaisakh which is the first solar month of the Punjabi calendar and marks the birth of the Khalsa in the year 1699 and the Mesha Sankranti festival.

The procession which was led by a vehicle which carried the book of the Khalsa was followed by a long procession of the Sikh community and members of all faiths and none. The procession made its way along Caldmore Street, West Bromwich Road and past the Gurdwara on Wellington Street in Pleck. Along the way people were offered food and soft drinks to help them along the walk. I was pleased to do an interview with Sikh TV at the shops in Pleck.

This is a great opportunity for the community to show their support for this important event in the Sikh calendar. The Gurdwara provided marshals and medical help provided by volunteers.