Hundreds of Sikhs celebrated an important religious festival with a colourful procession through Huddersfield on Sunday.
People came from across Yorkshire to watch the festival of Vaisakhi procession between the town’s two temples at Springwood and Fartown.
The procession featured decorated floats and Sikhs in traditional dress. Some carried swords and were barefoot as they made their way to St George’s Square.
Sikhs refer to the procession as ‘nagar kirtan’ which is a Punjabi term which refers to the singing of shabads (hymns) in a town or a neighbourhood.
Jaswant Singh Sohanpal, of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple in Huddersfield , said: “The purpose of nagar kirtan is to take the message of God to the doorsteps of the community.
“It is common for nagar kirtans to take place wherever Sikhs live.”
The procession was led by five Amritdhari Khalsa Sikhs who have confirmed their vows by taking Amrit, similar to a confirmation ceremony.
The Vaisakhi festival recognises the birth of Guru Gobind Singh’s Khalsa and is a time to give thanks for the harvest and to hope for another good year.
The holy event is celebrated on the same day each year.
Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, commemorates the year of 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh – a spiritual leader, warrior, poet and philosopher – founded the order of the Khalsa.
