Sea of colour hits Black Country streets for Vaisakhi celebrations
A sea of colour descended on the streets of the Black Country as one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar was celebrated in style.
Roads in Wolverhampton and Walsall came alive with music and colour as large crowds turned out to celebrate Vaisakhi on Sunday morning.
A procession started at 11am at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on Duncan Street, off Sedgley Street in Wolverhampton, where crowds had gathered.
People young and old had lined up alongside the park on Baggott Street, opposite the temple, to catch a glimpse as those involved began to line the road.
It was a sea of orange and blue up front – with bright, vibrant colours following – as drum beats echoed in front of a float which carried holy scriptures.
People were seen carrying swords and other items whilst others danced in the streets as they made their way along the route where hundreds had turned out.
The streets glowed bright orange as worshippers marked the harvest festival.
One person, who was following the parade as it headed down Dudley Road, said the vibrant procession marked a "happy celebration" for everyone involved.
The procession featured sword bearers, Khalsa flag bearers and a float carrying the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, in line with Sikh tradition.
Food and drinks were handed out along the route as people from businesses on Dudley Road, including Marian Barber shop, stood outside to watch it pass.
Fruit was handed out by people from Gulshan Radio 106.9FM – Wolverhampton's first Asian radio station – to people in the procession and following behind.
The colourful float – the centrepiece – was followed by a green National Express West Midlands bus which carried people less able to follow the parade on foot.
Vaisakhi commemorates the formation of the Khalsa in 1699 by the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh Ji – when Sikhism was born as a collective faith.
It is additionally a spring harvest festival for the Sikhs. Vaisakhi is also an ancient festival of Punjabis, marking the Solar New Year and also celebrating the spring harvest – and usually falls on April 13 or April 14.
Meanwhile another procession kicked off in Walsall at 10am at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sahib, on West Bromwich Street, before it headed to Corporation Street, Wednesfield Road, Darlaston Road and Wellington Street.
From there it continued down the A4148 Pleck Road, Rollingmill Street before it went along Corporation Street West and Corporation Street, before concluding at the temple on West Bromwich Street again at 2pm.
And the Midland Langar Seva Society, based in Walsall, served a number of meals to people in Walsall, Handsworth, Leicester, Coventry, Bradford, Kettering and Derby town centre amid the celebrations.
The charity started up in 2013 and operators on the Sikh-based ethos where they help and serve all people regardless of their social status and it operates in 24 cities with more than 400 volunteers – and serve over 30,000 meals per week nationwide.
