Sikhs Celebrate Vaisakhi - Gravesend, Kent

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Three of the Panj Piyare with swords raised in front of the crowd outside the Gurdwara at the start of the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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Sikhs pray at the start of the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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The Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy scriptures) is placed reverentially onto the float for the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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Sikhs watch as the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Scripture) is put onto the float for the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

05/25

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The stairway inside of the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend Kent decorated with balloons for Vaisakhi.

06/25

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The five 'Blessed Ones' (Panj Piyare) hold up their swords and stand barefoot at the ceremony before the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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The drummer at the large drum (Nagara) outside the Gurdwara at the start of the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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The five 'Blessed Ones' (Panj Piyare) hold up their swords and stand barefoot at the ceremony before the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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The five 'Blessed Ones' (Panj Piyare) follow the standard bearers to make their way to the front of the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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On the lorry carrying the Guru Granth Sahib at the start of the Vaisakhi procession around Gravesend.

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A woman holds a young child and a large box of packets of crisps to give away to people taking part in the Vaisakhi procession in Gravesend.

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The Sikh standard bearers pass a yard decorated with the Union Flag as the Vaisakhi procession goes around Gravesend.

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People dish out free food on the side of the street to give away to people taking part in the Vaisakhi procession in Gravesend.

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People wait on the side of the road for the Vaisakhi procession to arrive - young men sit on a wall and women and children on the pavement.

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The worship hall of the Ravidas Gurdwara which has just a small lobby for washing and leaving shoes inside the front door. Many people were on the road close to the Gurdwara to give out food for the Vaisakhi procession.

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People standing on the road as the Vaisakhi procession goes by in Gravesend.

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Four of the five 'Blessed Ones' with swords as the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession stops close to the Ravidas Gurdwara for a short speech.

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'Happy Vaisakhi' reads a banner across the top of a shopfront as the standard bearers and others halt close to the Ravidas Gurdwara during the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession.

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Women and children in the congregation following behind the Guru Grath Sahib fill the road in the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession.

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The men's section of the congregation in the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession is led by a band.

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The men's section of the congregation in the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession is led by a band.

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People at the side of the road watch the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession.

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Children sitting on an open lorry in the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession enjoy the free soft drinks and lollies.

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Ladies on an open lorry in the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession.

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Indian dancers and drummers wait to join in with the Gravesend Vaisakhi procession.

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Thousands of Sikhs from Kent and S E London took part in a colourful Nagar Kirtan (procession) around central Gravesend to mark the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi with many local residents lining the streets to watch.

Thousands of Sikhs from Kent and S E London took part in a colourful Nagar Kirtan (procession) around central Gravesend to mark the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi with many other local residents lining the streets to watch. Gravesend, Kent, UK

At the start of the procession a large crowd gathered at the recently completed Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara and watched as the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Scriptures) were ceremonially carried out to be place inside a model of the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple of Amritsar) on one of the floats at the head of the procession.

Ahead of this, at the very front of the procession was a flower-decorated lead car, followed by an open lorry carrying the large Nagara drum and its beaters. Behind this marched five Sikh men carrying the Sikh standard (Nishan Sahib) closely followed by five more with raised swords, the Panj Pyare, representing the five Sikhs baptised at Ananpundur in 1699 by the last living human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the founding of the 'Khalsa'.

Behind the Guru Granth Sahib came the walking congregation (Sangat) led by Punjabi School children, then the women and after them the men, along with various vehicles carrying the elderly. After the religious Vaisakhi procession were lorries with cultural, social and sports groups, including Bhangra groups the Guru Nanak Football Club and children from local primary schools.

Slowly the procession made its way through the main shopping streets of Gravesend, with many small groups of Sikhs on the way handing out free vegetarian food and drink. I enjoyed some delicious vegetable curry with a strong mint flavour as well as some very sweet chai and a couple of vegetable samosas, but there were also plenty of treats for the children, lollipops, soft drinks and sweets.

There was a large crowd waiting for the procession in the area around the Ravidas Gurdwara, a rather smaller building in a side street, where there were some very busy stalls serving free food and a shoulder to shoulder line of people handing out packets of crisps, soft drinks, and other treats - and even at least one handing out more healthy bananas.

I watched the end of the procession go past the civic centre on its way back to the Gurdwara before catching a train home. The Vaisakhi celebrations at Gravesend continue tomorrow with the main religious service in the Gurdwara.