There was a sea of humanity in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa on April 17 as the Sikh community marched in procession to mark ‘Vaisakhi’ (or ‘Baisakhi’) denoting the birth of Sikhism and its values.
The Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones) carried a well-decorated palanquin, which comprised Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Book of Sikhs. Scores of volunteers cleaned the streets and sprinkled water, ahead of the palanquin.
Following a pre-determined route, the procession culminated at the Gurdwara Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar in Manurewa, where a number of religious events were held.
Rajvinder Singh, Administrator of the Nanaskar Trust which owns and manages the Manurewa Gurdwara, said that continuous recital of kirtans from Guru Granth by devotees added sanctity to the function.
“Discourses and Kirtans by Hajuri Jatha by Gurpreet Singh (Amritsar), Baba Hari Singh (Randhawe) Devinder Singh Sodhi (Ludhiana) were among the highlights of the event,” he said.
