Baisakhi, derived from the month of Vaisakh, is New Year's Day in Punjab. It falls on April 13, though once in 36 years it occurs on 14th April.

Baisakhi marks the ripening of the Rabi harvest. It was on this day that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood) in 1699. The Sikhs, therefore, celebrate this festival as a collective birthday.

Sikhs visits gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and listen to kirtans (religious songs) and discourses. The holy scriptures known as the Grantha are read, and the book is then carried in a procession led by five leaders of the congregation, carrying drawn swords. After the prayer, kada prasad (sweetened semolina) is served to the congregation. The function ends with langar, the community lunches served by volunteers. The bhangra is also performed on Baisakhi with great vigour and enthusiasm.

Processions are taken out, at the head of which are the panj piaras. Mock duels and bands playing religious tunes are part of the processions. Schoolchildren also enthusiastically take part in them.

For people in villages this festival is a last opportunity for relaxing before they start harvesting of corn.