A traditional parade, part of the annual Sikh celebration of Vaisakhi, took place in Calgary on Saturday morning.
The procession, called Nagar Kirtan, brought over 60,000 people to the Dashmesh Culture Centre in northeast Calgary.
Organizers say the event is an important one for the Sikh community.
“It’s the day the Sikh community got a new identity,” says Gurmeet Hatia with the Dashmesh Culture Centre. “It’s our biggest event of the year.”
She says it’s not only for Sikhs; everyone in Calgary is invited to take part.
“It’s really an opportunity for the community to join in and become part of the celebration. We walk with our holy book and do martial arts demonstrations and talk about equality and a world where we are really together.”
The procession took the participants from the Dashmesh Culture Centre on Martindale Boulevard N.E. to Prairie Winds Park, where a number of festivities took place.
Vaisakhi has been observed in Calgary for the past 20 years.
