A melting pot of cultures, the city geared up to celebrate diverse festivals.

The Sikh and Punjabi communities celebrated Baisakhi on Sunday. The Assamese community prepared for Rongali Bihu, on Tuesday. The festival marks the beginning of the New Year in the Assamese calendar. Then there is the Bengali New Year.

On Sunday, members of the Sikh community visited gurdwaras to offer prayers, and many participated in the three-day weekend celebration at Shahid Minar.

“The community is told about the religious significance of the Baisakhi festival on this day. It is also a time when the entire community comes together, finding time from their otherwise busy schedule,” said Avtar Singh, general secretary, Gurdwara Sant Kutiya in Bhowanipore.

The Baisakhi celebrations mark the formation of the Khalsa Panth, established by Guru Gobind Singh, and the community celebrated the 326th Khalsa Panth Sajna Diwas on Sunday, said Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, general secretary Behala Gurdwara.

Baisakhi is also a harvest festival, when farmers rejoice with the first harvest.

Ajit Singh, a former member of Gurdwara Bara Sikh Sangat and a member of the Gurdwara Takht Patna Sahib, said Baisakhi celebrates prosperity, because “the farmer brings home grain and with it, prosperity”.

“But we had participants not just from Sikh or Punjabi families but from diverse communities, like Sindhis and Bengalis, who came for the langar and to offer prayers. It symbolised unity and shared humanity,” said Ahluwalia.

For the Assamese in Calcutta, Tuesday would mean visiting friends and family, donning new clothes and seeking the blessings of the elders.

“Rongali or Bohag Bihu marks the Assamese New Year and the onset of spring. It is a time of merriment, feasting and visiting the elders and loved ones. We gift hand-
woven scarves called the gamucha,” said Orihana Ojah Hatkhowa, vice-president, Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association.

“This year, it is an extended weekend. So, many in the community are going to Assam. We will have a bigger cultural celebration in May, which will be preceded by a Bihu dance workshop,” she said.