Keeping the Baisakhi Festival Alive in the Modern Time

Usually celebrated on the 13th or 14th day of April, Baisakhi (or Vaisakhi) is a Spring Festival for Sikhs and Hindus. This colourful festival happens in the Springtime, which is also why it is referred to as a harvest festival. The Baisakhi festival marks the first day of the Solar New Year.  This festival also has historical significance, this day also remembers the formation of the Khalsa Panth of warriors in 1699, under the leadership of the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. 

The formation of the Khalsa Panth warriors plays a significant role in Sikhism. The main purpose of the initiation of the group is to protect innocent citizens from persecution because of their faith and religion. The Baisakhi Festival pays tribute to the five volunteers who willingly offered their lives for this purpose. 

This colourful festival is a widely celebrated harvest festival in India, especially in the regions of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. The Baisakhi is celebrated with prayers, processions, music, dancing, and the significant raising of the Nishan Sahib flag. During this festival, everyone dresses up in their best clothes as they sing and dance in the streets. It’s an important Indian festival that has been kept alive until today! 

Another exciting thing about festivals is the delicious food served by every household. Here are some of the favourite dishes prepared during the Baisakhi: 

1. Karhi or Kadhi originates in the Rajasthan region, it’s a gravy-based dish with Pakoras (vegetable fritters), and with Dahi yoghurt that gives it a sour taste! It’s a delicious dish best served with rice 

• Mango Lassi  is a popular Indian drink that (as the name suggests) is made of ripe mangoes, fresh yoghurt, milk, a sprinkle of cardamom, and sugar to taste 

• Phirni is a sweet pudding dessert mainly made of basmati rice and milk, it is usually scented with saffron or cardamom powder, and sprinkled with nuts of choice 

• Kada Prasad is a sweet Indian delicacy made with whole wheat flour. It has a smooth and velvety texture that melts in your mouth–everybody’s favourite sweet treat! 

For most Indian families, keeping the Baisakhi festival alive is very important. However, it can really be a challenge for modern Indian families to introduce this tradition to the new generation especially those who are born outside of India. Festivals and traditions are an important part of every Indian’s life, so passing these traditions down to the new generation plays a crucial role so the tradition stays alive in the decades to come. 

Good thing now, Indian parents have become more creative in the ways they introduce this festival to their kids. The Baisakhi festival and its colourful history can be overwhelming for the child to understand, so you can start by telling them simple stories of what the celebration is all about. There are also available children’s books about the Baisakhi festival that you can purchase online.

Teaching the Baisakhi festival to the kids through personalised storybooks 

One online bookstore, in particular, Super Personalised Books, is a UK-based online bookstore that creates personalised storybooks for children. They have a wide collection of carefully curated Seasonal Books that tell wonderful stories of some of the most celebrated festivals in the world like Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year, and of course, the Baisakhi! 

What makes this particular Baisaki Storybook better than the others is that you can actually personalise the name of the character in the story and even customise its appearance to make him/her look like your child. This personalised book gives your child a feel of what the Baisakhi is all about way back home, atleast, even in their imagination! 

This personalised storybook of the Baisakhi Festival has been so helpful to Indian parents (especially those who live outside India) in teaching their kids about this wonderful Indian festival. It tells a very simple story of what the Baisakhi is all about, the story is told in very simple terms that your kids would easily understand. More than that, the personalisation of the book brings authenticity to the story, and it gives your child a fun experience of this colourful festival through reading. 

Living in the modern era where everything is all about doing something new, it’s comforting to know that some children’s book publishers have become proactive in keeping traditions of different cultures alive and well-celebrated amidst the rapid-changing times. Traditions with significant historical bearings such as the Baisakhi should be remembered and celebrated by many more generations!