Vaisakhi वैशाखी (14.04.2026) Rohit Kumar Parmar

rohitkparmar
Apr 14
3 min read

Vaisakhi वैशाखी (14.04.2026) [1]

-Rohit Kumar Parmar [2]

Picture from the internet

Vaisakhi marks the start of Vikram Samvat calendar, the Solar New Year, on the first day of Vaisakha (वैशाख) month. Vikram Samvat calendar, named after Raja Vikramaditya of Ujjain, started 57 years before the Gregorian calendar. The New Year starts when सूर्य देवता (Sun God) enters मेष राशि (Mesha Rashi, Aries Zodiac).

Vaisakhi is observed as a harvest, historical, religious and social festival by Punjabis (Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Christians), in the land of five rivers. The land of five rivers, in terms of today’s States/ Union territories/ Provinces includes Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab; parts of Pakistan (Punjab province); Dogri speaking areas of Jammu and Kashmir; parts of Rajasthan, Uttarkhand, and Western Uttar Pradesh.

Vaisakhi is one of the few Indian/ Hindu festivals, which is celebrated around the same date (April 13/14) every year. Vaisakhi used to coincide with the Rabi (winter crop) harvest, comprising of wheat, mustard, gram, peas and barley. The cropping pattern has changed, and almost all parts of Northern and Western India now also have a Kharif crop comprising cotton (earlier also, mainly in arid areas), groundnut, maize, paddy, soyabean, toor and urad.

During 2026, the celebrations for Vaisakhi on April 14, are accompanied with New Year Celebrations of

i. Pana Sankranti, Mesha Sankranti in Odisha, which marks the date when Sun enters मेष राशि (Mesha Rashi, Aries Zodiac), and the Odia New Year;

ii. Rongali/ Bohag Bihu, Assamese New Year;

iii. Poila Boishakh (April 14-15), Bangla Noboborsho 1433, Bangla New Year;

iv. Puthandu, first day of the Chithirai month and Tamil Shaka Samvata 1948, as Tamil New Year;

v. Vishu (April 15), as Malayali/ Keralam New Year;

Vaisakhi is also celebrated as New Year in the neighbouring countries of South/ South-East Asia, in Bangladesh as Poila Boisakh; in Nepal as Bikram Samvat, as New Year and start of the Nepalese Calendar; in Mauritius as Puthandu, in as Thingyan, also the Myanmar New Year, in Pakistan (Punjab province) as Vaisakhi; in Thailand as Songkron; and in Sri Lanka as Tamil and Sinhalese New Year.

Rabi, the main cropping season in Northern and Western India, initially had wheat and mustard, as the major crop, which were ripe, and farmers looked forward to harvest them. Vaisakhi welcomes the New Year and harvest for the largely farming community (then and today).

On Vaisakhi day (April 13, 1919), British General Reginald Dyer, committed the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, genocide/ massacre, on a non-violent gathering, protesting against the colonial rule and exploitation in un-divided India.

Sweetened Rice, Mithe Chowl, मीठे चावल, ਮਿੱਠੇ ਚੌਲ, (14.04.2026)

On Vaisakhi, ढोल (Dhol /Drum) is played and people dance and sing. They also recite doha’s (couplets) like.

दुःख में सुमिरन सब करे सुख में करै न कोय।

जो सुख में सुमिरन करे दुःख काहे को होय ॥

इसका अर्थ

कबीर दास जी कहते हैं कि दुःख के समय सभी भगवान् को याद करते हैं पर सुख में कोई नहीं करता।

यदि सुख में भी भगवान् को याद किया जाए तो दुःख हो ही क्यों ॥

Indian festivals are incomplete without lavish dishes like Kadhi Chawal, Mithe Chowl (ਮਿੱਠੇ ਚੌਲ , sweetened rice), Seviyan, Kheer, Phirni on Vaisakhi.

Lyrics of a popular Punjabi folk song, describing an enthusiastic lady’s visit to a mela (fair) are given below:

Chan Ve Ke Shokan Mele Di

Chan Ve...

Chan Ve Ke Shokan Mele Di

Pair Dho Ke Jhanjra Paundi Meldi Aundi

Ke Shokan Mele Di

Chan Ve Ke Shokan Mele Di

Chan Ve...

Chan Ve Ke Shokan Mele Di

Pair Dho Ke Jhanjra Paundi Meldi Aundi

Ke Shokan Mele Di

Chan Ve Ke Utte Lai Ke Amb Rasiya x 2

Gal Pa Basket Kaali Murabbeya Wali