Tens of thousands gathered in northeast Calgary on Saturday for the 24th Nagar Kirtan to celebrate Vaisakhi, a Sikh faith celebration.
Some estimates had the number near 150,000 people from all over the Calgary region and across Alberta colourfully lining the parade route in Falconridge and Castleridge and in Prairie Winds Park.
According to the World Sikh Organization, Vaisakhi (which is traditionally celebrated in mid-April), marks the founding of the Khalsa, and has often been a harvest festival. The Nagar Kirtan parades are led by the five beloved, or the first five Sikh to become members of the Khalsa. In behind them is typically a float with the Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Ward 5 Calgary city councillor Raj Dhaliwal said he remembers when the parade started in Calgary back in 1999. It’s actually the 25th year (one year got cancelled), and in the first one, Dhaliwal remembered only around 10,000 people attending. Now, he said it’s more than 100,000.
“This is really important because not just it’s a celebration of the birth of Khalsa, which is very close and near and dear to the Sikh community, but also you can see that people from all walks of life, from all religions, shapes, cultures, they all come in and they celebrate the diversity of Ward 5,” he said.
Dozens of booths were set up in Prairie Winds Park, many with free food and drinks, the park had activities for the kids and there was entertainment.
Dhaliwal said the Nagar Kirtan parade is the second biggest in Alberta, only behind the Calgary Stampede parade.
“I encourage all Calgarians to come out come out and take part in this and walk around Prairie Winds and you will see the vibrancy of this part of the city,” he said.
“You’ll see how people come together regardless of what the religion they have, what God they worship, they’ll come out they celebrate. Yes, there’s a religious aspect to it but they celebrate the diversity, they celebrate each other’s culture.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek there was so much excitement for this year’s celebration. She said the event got moved to May in Calgary to take advantage of the better weather and Saturday delivered.
“Just the ability for everyone to be able to come together, not only in worship to start the day, but then in a sense of community,” she said.
“There’s people doing performances and just enjoying each other’s company and understanding that we are so much better and stronger when we understand that the things that make us different are actually the things that make us human.”
The mayor said Calgary has so many other celebrations Calgarians take part in, ones that get a lot of marketing buzz, that, while diverse, are considered a little more mainstream. She said the Nagar Kirtan is often viewed as a cultural or religious event that’s only meant for certain citizens.
It would be a great way for more Calgarians to become familiar with one another, the mayor said.
“I think if more Calgarians from other parts of the city came and experienced it, number one, they would see what the northeast is like, and they would have an opportunity to probably meet up with people that they don’t see all the time.”
More photos from the Nagar Kirtan 2024 parade in Calgary
