Amid lockdown, Sikhs in Goa mark quietest Baisakhi in years

Nida Sayed | TNN | Updated: Apr 15, 2020, 08:51 IST

The Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha at Betim wore a deserted look on the occasion of Baisakhi

PANAJI: Baisakhi, one of Punjab’s biggest festivals that commemorates the foundation day of the ‘Khalsa Panth’ (Sikh order) by Guru Gobind Singh and also marks the start of harvest season, was observed by Sikhs across Goa in a low-key celebration amid the lockdown.
The gurudwara at Betim, which is otherwise thronged by 350-400 devotees on the day of the festival, wore a deserted look this year.
Tajinder Singh, a member of the Betim-based Gurudwara said this was the first quiet Baisakhi in a long time. “In Punjab, devotees have been allowed at some gurudwaras on the condition of maintaining social distance. But in Goa, there are strict rules imposed against forming groups and moving around, so people preferred to stay at home,” he said.
Lucky Sektri, a resident of Ponda, said he and his family watched online videos of the day-long kirtan and engaged in prayer. The family prepared the ritualistic meal, sherbet and kheer, which are commonly served at the gurudwara.
“The festival was not as grand as we would have had at the gurudwara, but considering the lockdown, we had no choice but to comply,” Sektri said.
Some of the community’s members served food to the underprivileged and stranded labourers to observe the festival.
“We have been serving the poor with nutritious food ever since the lockdown was imposed. Even on Baisakhi, we decided to continue doing so instead of staying home and celebrating with our families,” said Harpreet Singh.
For farmers in Punjab, the festival of Baisakhi is the harbinger of hope as the harvest of wheat — the biggest rabi (winter sown) crop of the region — coincides with it. This year, however, prayers also included speedy recovery from the coronavirus.
“We prayed for the world to heal quickly,” Satinder Singh, a resident of Borim, said.