Details of longest Birmingham and Sandwell Nagar Kirtan announced
Details of a special Birmingham and Sandwell[1] street procession to celebrate Vaisakhi[2], an important date in the Sikh[3] calendar, have been revealed. Birmingham has not seen a Nagar Kirtan (street procession) to mark the birth of the Khalsa since the pandemic, and people have been long waiting to attend one local to them.
The Nagar Kirtan is going to be a long procession involving seven Gurdwaras and it will take place on Sunday May 28. It will start at 9am at Gurdwara Babe Ke in Soho Hill, Birmingham and arrive at Guru Har Rai Gurdwara in West Bromwich[4] around 3.30pm.
It will also stop at Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, Sri Guru Ravi Dass Bhawan, Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed, Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick,[5] Baba Sang Gurdwara. From 3.30pm to 6.30pm the Kirtan Darbar carries on which means there will be still activities going on in West Bromwich.
We spoke to Rakesh Soni from Soho Road BID. He said: “As a BID we’re pleased that the Nagar Kirtan is going ahead this year. A lot of public was approaching the BID and the gurdware, they wanted to know why there wasn’t a Nagar Kirtan.
“This is going to be great celebration for the whole community of the West Midlands who will gather to mark such an important date in the Sikh calendar, and we are very proud and looking forward to the event on the weekend. We invite people from all diverse backgrounds to take part.”
In April 1699 Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji tested the commitment of thousands of Sikhs and the first five to pass his test, were initiated into a new order, called the Khalsa. These five men are known as the Panj Pyaare (five beloved).
References
- ^ Sandwell (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Vaisakhi (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Sikh (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ West Bromwich (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Smethwick, (www.birminghammail.co.uk)