By Mata Press Service

Normally around this time every year, the streets of Surrey and Vancouver are awash with the spirit of Vaisakhi, a celebration of selfless service by the Sikh community.

This year, however, the mammoth parades, known as Nagar Kirtans, that highlight the Vaisakhi celebrations in the two cities, have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

But the spirit of giving goes on unabated. If anything, it has grown during these unprecedented times.

From freehand sanitizer distribution to food and cash donations and other gestures of goodwill, Vaisakhi 2020 during COVID-19 is getting everyone to focus more on lending a helping hand, said Surrey entrepreneur, Harbinder Singh Sewak.

“Vaisakhi has always been a time for giving… more so this year with the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Sewak, the CEO of Alooatta.com, an artisanal candle and soap making operation.

Sewak, was among the first out of the gate to come up with alternatives, after the parades in Surrey and Vancouver were cancelled, by launching the Vaisakhi “It’s in your Hands” campaign.

In partnership with the B.C. Dairy Association that represents about 500 dairy farms across the province, Alooatta.com will be manufacturing and distributing about $100,000 worth of hand sanitizers over the next few weeks at Sikh temples, schools and community centres.

“There is a lot of emotional, religious and cultural attachment to Vaisakhi and the event provides for a good platform to reinforce the message that the fight against COVID-19 is in our hands,” said Sewak, who is also the founding publisher of the Post Group of Newspapers in Vancouver.

Sewak said the plan is to install dispensers at temples and distribute hand-held sanitizer spray bottles at smaller gatherings that abide by the current health policies.

“We will get close enough to send the message but stay far enough to maintain social distancing rules at this time,” he said.

As Vaisakhi celebrations continue this month, Sikh temples are advising their volunteers and congregations to be extra vigilant during the festival, which has always been about coming together to celebrate shared values.

Temple committees have enacted special rules about serving food at communal kitchens and hand hygiene and a schedule for volunteers to disinfect all surfaces–including the main prayer hall, kitchen, langar (communal dining) hall, and bathrooms– before and after every religious gathering.

“During this pandemic, we are truly grateful to BC’s milk farmers and Alooatta for providing hand sanitizers and dispensers…We have placed the dispensers at the entrance of our gurdwara so that everyone can first use the sanitizer before entering the Darbar Sahib,” said Giani Gursharan Singh, the head priest of the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar.

The Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar is the epicentre of the Surrey Vaisakhi parade, which was scheduled for April 25. The Surrey Vaisakhi parade annually draws more than 500,000 people in a massive show of diversity and inclusion and is considered the largest such event outside of India. The annual Vancouver parade attracts a crowd of about 150,000 people.

At the Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran, the Alooatta hand sanitizers are being given to a small army of volunteers, who are out in the community delivering supplies and food to seniors and others in need.

“This will help keep our volunteers safe as they go out to help others,” said Giani Narinder Singh, the head priest at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran.

“I cannot thank BC Milk and Alooatta enough for stepping up to serve the community with a product that is so hard to find right now,” he said.

"BC Dairy planned to participate in this year's Vaisakhi event. When we learned of its cancellation, we asked Harbinder how we could assist the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with AlooAtta, we are assisting the manufacturing of hand sanitizer and soap to help keep families safe," said Holger Schwichtenberg, chairperson of the B.C. Dairy Association.

"Dairy farmers value family and community. We are pleased to give back in a time of unprecedented need," said Holger, whose organisation represents about 500 dairy farms – most of which are family-owned and operated - across B.C.

Vaisakhi is one of the most significant days in the Sikh calendar, which marks the creation of the Khalsa or the Sikh faith while Hindus celebrate it as their new year to mark the spring harvest.

“I will miss walking in the vibrant Vaisakhi parades and experiencing the generosity and kindness of the Sikh community. But, now more than ever, we must do everything we can to keep ourselves and others healthy and safe,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan.

“The Sikh community has always shown compassion and generosity to those who are struggling. Now, when people around the province are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the community is providing free meals to low-income families, supporting seniors in isolation and raising money for workers who have been laid off,”

“Today, and through Sikh Heritage Month, I wish health and happiness to the Sikh community and to all British Columbians celebrating this day,” said Horgan.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his Vaisakhi address said;

“This year, as we continue to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Sikh community is celebrating differently, following the recommendations of our public health experts. Please continue to stay at home. And if you have to go out, remember to keep a safe distance of at least two metres from others to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe.

“Canada is home to one of the largest Sikh populations in the world. For all Canadians, Vaisakhi is a time to celebrate the important contributions that Canadians of Sikh faith make to our country, and to learn about Sikhism’s rich traditions and teachings of equality, unity, selfless service, and social justice.”

As Sikhs in BC  find other ways to mark Vaisakhi during the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective of community groups have taken to the internet to connect and celebrate.

Under the banner of Virtual Vaisakhi, groups including Kaur Project, One Voice Canada, SAF, Khalsa Aid, Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen, and SAMHAA — have joined together to raise donations.

“In 2020, during this unprecedented time of COVID-19 and social distancing, Sikhs and community partners are working as a collective and invoking the ‘Spirit of Vaisakhi’… We are choosing to show up in these challenging times with the understanding that we are all connected,” said the organizers.

If you are interested in purchasing and distributing hand sanitizers during the current health crisis please email [email protected] or visit the website at alooatta.com.

Your Vaisakhi questions answered

Q: What are the origins of Vaisakhi?

A: Although Vaisakhi has traditionally been a harvest festival in Punjab and across South Asia for centuries, the day has a very special significance for Sikhs. On Vaisakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the Order of the Khalsa. The Khalsa are those Sikhs who have accepted the Sikh initiation or "khande kee paahul" and commit to live their lives in the service of humanity and the spirit of equality and compassion. The founding of the Khalsa was a seminal event in Sikh history which gave the Sikh faith its final form.

Q: What is a Nagar Kirtan?

A: The word nagar means town and kirtan is singing of hymns. A nagar kirtan refers to a Sikh parade that is led by the Punj Pyare (the five beloved ones, who represent the first five Sikh to have been initiated) and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib or the Sikh scripture, which is placed in a decorated float. The congregation follows the parade while singing hymns and verses from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, along with displays of the Sikh martial art gatka and distributing free food (langar). The nagar kirtan begins and concludes with a religious service and the serving of langar.

Q: What is the significance of the orange and yellow colours?

A: Yellow and orange are the traditional colours of Vaisakhi. They represent the spirit of rebirth and sacrifice of the Punj Pyare but are also a colour of joy and celebration. When Vaisakhi is celebrated in Punjab, the golden yellow wheat fields are ready to be harvested.

Q: Who can participate in Vaisakhi celebrations?

A: Everyone. The Sikh faith considers all persons to be equal, regardless of gender, race, nationality or class. Sikh gurdwaras are open to all people. The langar or community meal is also offered to both Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike.

Q: Is there any special dress I should wear?

A: The only requirements to visit a Sikh gurdwara are that visitors take off their shoes and cover their heads. Any intoxicants such as tobacco products or liquor are also not permitted on the premises.

— World Sikh Organisation of Canada