In Pictures: Derby's Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi
- Published
Thousands of people took to the streets in Derby on Sunday to mark the annual Sikh festival of Vaisakhi. At the front of the procession were the orange-robed Panj Pyare, or five baptised Sikhs, to mark the birth of the Sikh baptism ceremony in 1699.
Part of the celebrations included a colourful and musical procession - Nagar Kirtan - between the city's four gurdwaras (temples) which was attended by about 8,000 people.
Vaisakhi is marked by Sikhs around the world each year to celebrate the beginning of the Khalsa - or Sikh brotherhood - and the start of the Sikh New Year.
Jaz Rai, committee member of Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara in Derby, said: "Vaisakhi is very important to us. It is when Sikhism was formed and is a huge event in the Sikh calendar because it brings families and communities together."
This year's Vaisakhi event in Derby was organised collectively by the city's four temples: Guru Arjan Dev, Ramgarhia, Shri Guru Ravidass and Singh Sabha Gurdwaras
The National Sikh Museum in Princes Street opened for the special day with stalls, food and entertainment, which included a display of gatka martial arts
The procession followed a short route through the city with residents following at a steady pace behind a series of floats. One float carried the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy Sikh scripture.