Vaisakhi celebrations

On Saturday April 16th crowds gathered at Chapeltown Sikh temple to celebrate Vaisakhi - one of the most significant events in the Sikh calendar. The festival commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699, which is the collective body of all baptized Sikhs. After prayers were said at the temple, an elaborately decorated float made its way along the route into town. Children were also carried in a separate colourful float and when the procession reached Millennium Square they sang hymns and performed the traditional martial art of Gatka.

I covered the event for the Asian Express newspaper and as well as snapping all the festivities with my camera, I got the chance to speak to some of the people there about what Vaisakhi meant to them. Read more »