Sikh community holds annual Vaisakhi festival at Taigum

The Sikh community is holding its annual Vaisakhi Mela family-friendly festival in north Brisbane on May 12.

THE Sikh community is holding its annual Vaisakhi Mela festival at Taigum on Sunday, May 12.

Punjabi Cultural Association of Queensland secretary PARMINDER SINGH, shares details of the event:

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The celebration is a fair-style family-friendly event with traditional dancing, music and food stalls.

Traditional Indian games will be on display at the annual Vaisakhi Mela festival at Taigum on May 12.

There will be children’s activities, demonstrations of kabaddi (contact sport) and ghatka (Indian martial arts), volleyball, football and athletics.

The event is open to the public and entry is free.

Vaisakhi is important for the Sikh community as it marks the establishment of the Panth Khalsa, the Order of Pure Ones by the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh.

Vaisakhi is also celebrated as the harvest festival and start of the New Year by Punjabis.

It is traditional for communities to gather at this time of the year and hold fairs to celebrate Vaisakhi.

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There are more than 15,000 Sikhs living in Greater Brisbane.

Vaisakhi is one of the three annual celebrations chosen by Guru Amar Das to be celebrated by Sikhs and it has been celebrated by Punjabi people since the 1600s.

Many Punjabi communities around the world will celebrate Vaisakhi, and it is an important link for the Sikh community to celebrate this festival within the local community.

The location of the event makes it easily accessible to all members of the community.

As with all Punjabi celebrations, there will be plenty of food on offer and, being the harvest festival, local residents will have the opportunity to try many traditional dishes.

Vaisakhi will be run by Punjabi Cultural Association of Queensland and the Sikh community located in Taigum and surrounding suburbs.

VAISAKHI DETAILS:

What: Vaisakhi Mela

Where: Sandgate Hawks, 120 Lemke Rd, Taigum

When: May 12, 9am-6.30pm

Events: sport 9am, cultural program 12pm, citizenship ceremony 2-4pm, kabaddi final 4.30pm, fireworks 6pm.