PETALING JAYA, April 14 — The Malaysian Sikh community has been busy reciting the Akhand Paath prayers from Monday that will go on till today’s Vaisakhi celebration.

For the community, having the gurdwaras open its doors is a good sign as many have been longing to be together after not seeing each other for some time since the first government’s movement control order (MCO).

This year, the festivities will bring the community together to cook, pray, replace the gurdwara’s flag with a new one and have mini-competitions for the younger children. 

It will also be scaled-down to adhere to SOP put in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic where the crowd capacity is limited to 50 per cent. 

Vaisakhi is celebrated today.

The Tamil community is also celebrating their new year today, known as Tamil Puthandu while Ugadi was celebrated yesterday by the Telugus.

The Malayali celebrate Vishu while the Bengali community celebrates their New Year tomorrow. 

One of its devotees who goes to the Petaling Jaya gurdwara, Gurpreet Singh, told Malay Mail that heading to the gurdwara was a special occasion for him to renew his faith together with the community.

"It’s a nice feeling to be heading back to the gurdwara and to see my friends and relatives. It feels as though it was back in the days where everyone will be catching up on each other’s lives praying, and even cooking together without any restrictions.

"And for me to spend that precious time just reconnecting with God.”

Lunch prepared and served by devotees from PJ gurdwara on Vaisakhi eve. — Picture courtesy of Gurpreet Singh

Gurpreet, 33, also a Taylor’s University lecturer, added that just like in previous years, fusion food such as mamak mee and milo ais will be served in the gurdwara. 

Sometimes, even South Indian food such as thosai and tauhu sambal will be catered and served for the community.

Being in the gurdwara also brings back a sense of nostalgia for Gurpreet’s parents as they will be telling him stories of their Vaisakhi celebrations in the past years. 

"My dad will always tell me of how the celebrations are performed during his time and we would take the time to call our relatives from Canada to ask them about their celebration.

"Seeing friends and family at the gurdwara reminds my dad of the good old times where people from all walks of lives would come and celebrate together, and how each celebration differs from the rest.

"And that good feeling to be able to reconnect with my small-knit community especially amid such trying times.”

Gurpreet said he will spend the entire day at the gurdwara with morning and evening prayers (Kirtan). 

"Our family takes pride in wearing new clothes to usher in the celebration tomorrow.

"The Malaysian Sikh organisation, SikhInside, will also be organising live-streamed prayers on Vaisakhi,” he said.