50,000 crowd in Sandwell for Sikh Vaisakhi festival
Around 50,000 people lined the streets of Sandwell to celebrate one of the biggest Vaisakhi festivals in the world.
The holy procession started outside the Gurdwara Baba Sang Ji in St Paul's Road, Smethwick, and made its way to Handsworth Park where it met up with another march from Hockley.
The sun shone for the annual parade which marks the birth of the Sikh nation in 1699 under the leadership of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Together around 100,000 revellers took part in the parades. Amrik Singh Virdi, who is a annual volunteer at the event from the Sikh Helpline, said: "Today is a joyful occasion but it is also tinged with sadness as it is a remembrance event, too. Everyone participates in their own unique way. It is always a brilliant turnout with thousands of people and is manned by a volunteer service.
"By being here today we are serving the guru and the creation of our religion. Throughout the parade there are different aspects that represent different things. For instance the noise from the drums stands as a sign that something extraordinary was created. Martial arts represent the fighting that took place at that time, too. It is just a lovely procession that everyone, no matter what race or creed, is welcome to come and join us to celebrate."
Children waved flags as food and street entertainment also took place.
The parade took in three other places of worship – Guru Nanak Gurdwara in High Street, Smethwick, Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji and Gurdwara Bebe Nanaki Ji, both in Handsworth.
The procession originated in the Punjab region of India as a harvest festival. Known as Nagar Kirtan, it represents the first Sikhs to be baptised by the Guru – on a float containing the holy Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib.
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