Thousands celebrate Vaisakhi in city park
- Image source, City of Wolverhampton Council
Image caption, Nearly 40,000 people attended the Vaisakhi celebrations in Wolverhampton's West Park on Sunday
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Almost 40,000 people attended Vaisakhi celebrations in Wolverhampton on Sunday, according to the city council.
The annual celebration took place in West Park after a parade from the Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara which started on Cannock Road at 09:00 BST.
Entertainment included a fun fair, stalls and Asian musicians performing live on stage.
There were also speeches by religious leaders, a variety of local organisations showcased their services and free food was served throughout the day.
The festival celebrates the founding of the Sikh community
Vaisakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar and is marked on 13 or 14 April every year.
The spring festival celebrates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699.
Vaisakhi has been a harvest festival in Punjab, northern India, for centuries, even before it became so important to Sikhs.
In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh chose the festival as the moment to establish the Khalsa - the collective name given to Sikhs who have been baptised.
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