Happy Vaisakhi

Hi in the image above you can see an image of Wilson Chowdhry with Upkar Rai of the British Sikh Council. Wilson was invited by Upkar to view the Vaisakhi celebrations at Seven Kings Gurdwara and learnt about the true vision of Guru Gobind Singh who commissioned the Khalsa (Five K's), which the Sikhs celebrate on Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi is also the celebration of the harvest in the Punjab.

the Five K's include:

1.Kesh - uncut hair. Sikhs believe that hair is a gift from God, therefore it remains uncut.
2.Kanga - a wooden comb. Not used for combing the hair but for keeping it in place under the turban.
3.Kara - an iron bracelet. Serves as a reminder for Sikhs to follow the morals of their faith.
4.Kachera - a specific style of cotton underwear. Reminds Sikhs of the Guru's message regarding the control of the Five Evils.
5.Kirpan - a strapped curved sword. Symbolises the safety of all and the carrier's personal duty and responsibility as a Sikh in the message of peace.

Upkar explained that the five K's are only a physical reminder of the need to keep a pure heart and strong commitment to the virtues of Sikhism. True Sikhism is based on a walk with God and regular commune rather than religious practice.

As a Christian it was a striking reminder how similar our faiths are, as we too believe in a walk of faith and avoidance of the instinctive desire, to fulfill faith through overt religious practice.

This is not a religious blog so I will not labour too long on this subject, suffice to wish all Sikhs a happy festive period.