LOS ANGELES: More than 15,000 Sikhs from California and the US are expected to attend Baisakhi, the Sikh community’s annual celebration of spiritual rebirth. The event will take place on Sunday, April 6, from 7:30 am to 5 pm at the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center. The celebration will include Sikh sacred devotional music, continuous serving of food, and a colorful parade through downtown Los Angeles.

The Baisakhi celebration is free and open to the public.This year, the Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa and the Mayor of Amritsar, India Shwait Malik will be attending the event. For over 100 years, Sikhs who immigrated from the region of Amritsar, India have been an important part of the social, economic and political life of California. Recognizing the relationship between these two cities will be an integral part of the celebrations this year.

Other dignitaries expected to attend the event include: California State Board of Equalization Chair Judy Chu; California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, California State Assembly Member Mike Eng. and Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks.

A press conference with these dignitaries - to honor 100 years of Sikhs in California, as well as to share updates with the media about the status of hate crimes in the Sikh community, is scheduled for 1:15 pm in the West Hall Theater. 2nd Floor, Room 411.Also included in this year’s program will be a special award ceremony, the Mai Bhago Spirit of Baisakhi Awards. This awards ceremony will honor Sikh women who have done extraordinary service in sharing the message of the Sikh Gurus and educating the world about the Sikh identity.

Honorees this year are: Dr. Harjot Kaur Singh, Sikh Canadian film producer; Inni Kaur Dhingra, VP of Spectrum Communications and a member of the editorial board of Nishaan Magazine; Penny Yogiraj Sandhu, President and CEO of JusPunjabi 24 Hour Punjabi Channel; Valarie Kaur, Sikh American film director and writer; and Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Sikh writer and Chairwoman of the International Khalsa Council.

The festivities of Baisakhi would not be complete without two key events: the beautiful sacred devotional music sung throughout the day; and the vibrant, colorful parade through the heart of downtown Los Angeles that begins approximately 2:30 in the afternoon.Baisakhi commemorates the day in 1699 when the 10th Teacher, or Guru, of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, created a fellowship of men and women dedicated to selflessly and fearlessly serving all humanity in the Name of One Creator.

It was on that day that the turban and uncut hair, as well as other articles of faith for the Sikhs, became a mandatory requirement of the tradition.Since 1980, the Sikhs in Los Angeles have worked together to host the premier Baisakhi celebration in the Western United States. This event is the result of a year-round working collaboration among over 20 Sikh Gurdwaras (Sikh Places of Worship) and centers in California, along with the support of Sikh leadership throughout the country. It is broadcast live via the Internet (www.sikhnet.com).