Leicester: Thousands turn out for city's Vaisakhi procession

The procession took place despite poor weather

Thousands of Sikhs have attended a colourful procession through Leicester to celebrate Vaisakhi.

The annual Nagar Kirtan saw worshippers gather at Guru Nanak Gurdwara, on Holy Bones, on Sunday.

They passed through the city centre on their way to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, in East Park Road.

Organisers said heavy rain had not deterred people from attending.

The Sikh Motors Club led the way through the city

"It's been such a vibrant day, and we bought the sunshine ourselves," said Kartar Singh Bring.

He added: "Vaisakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar when we mark the creation of the Khalsa, the fraternity of the pure, in 1699.

"This has been an opportunity for the whole community to come together and celebrate.

"One of the great joys of being in Leicester is we celebrate faith festivals so well.

"We use days like this to appreciate, value, and respect our diverse city."

Organisers estimated 15,000 people came to the city for the procession

The streets were swept as the procession moved along

The procession took about three hours to reach its destination

Head teacher of Falcons Primary School, in Leicester, Jasbir Mann, brought pupils to join the procession.

"The children have been very excited about Nagar Kirtan," she said.

"We're a Sikh faith school, and we have been celebrating Vaisakhi in recent weeks.

"This is a chance for the children to show off who they are and to want the world to know who they are."

Drummers accompanied the procession on the back of a truck