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Sikh community celebrates festival of Vaisakhi

BBC Sikh musicians play traditional instruments on a raised platform in a hall in front of a seated audience.BBC
Oxford Gurdwara organised an event at Cheney Lane School

Members of a city's Sikh community have held one of their biggest events yet to celebrate Vaisakhi, one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar.

Oxford Gurdwara organised the gathering at Cheney Lane School in Headington and attracted about 200 people to take part in festivities that featured feasting, martial arts and musical performances.

General secretary Gurdip Sani called it a "very, very important day for the Sikh community".

Vaisakhi celebrates 1699, the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith.

A man displays his martial arts moves while a crowd looks on.
About 200 people attended the event which featured martial arts displays

"Our religion, our Sikh nation - this identity was created on this day by our tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, so every Sikh is proud of this day," Mr Sani explained.

He said the Gurdwara, a Sikh temple on London Road in Headington, remained a place of worship for the Sikh community but all other communities were welcome.

"We meet here on Sundays and we provide free food… any community, any caste," he said.

"Any type of help people want, we are here to help them."

Gurdip Sani wears an orange turban and has a light grey beard.
Gurdip Sani called it a "very, very important day for the Sikh community"

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