In pictures: Vaisakhi celebrations in Birmingham 2014

Thousands of people took part in the annual Vaisakhi celebrations in Handsworth Park in Birmingham. Here are a selection of photographs from the day.

The Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Birmingham said it expected more than 90,000 people to attend the event, which it said was the largest Vaisakhi celebration outside of India.

The event celebrates the founding of the Khalsa or Sikh brotherhood by the religion's tenth guru, Gobind Singh.

As part of the celebrations, two processions, known as nagar kirtans, made their way from gurdwaras in the Jewellery Quarter and Smethwick in the West Midlands.

They called at other Sikh temples along the way, adding to the procession along the route.

Each procession was led by five Sikhs dressed in ceremonial costume to represent the Panj Pyare, The Beloved Ones, who founded the Sikh faith in 1699.

The Gursevak Jatha, from Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, provided live music at the park bandstand and a large vegetarian feast, called a Langar, was held.

Pyara Singh Bhogal, who is the Chairman of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Birmingham, said the main message of this year's event was "improving inter-faith relations".

"We have to work together to make sure our younger generations have mutual respect for one another and understanding of each others religions," he said.