A 'Sikh Jatha', an armed body of Sikhs that has existed in Sikh tradition since 1699, has left for Kartarpur Sahib International Corridor, Pakistan from India's Amritsar on Friday to offer special prayers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Baisakhi. Baisakhi will be celebrated on Saturday across the world, news agency ANI reported. The event has been organised by Indian Minorities Foundation.
What Is 'Sikh Jatha'?
A "Jatha", in Sikh tradition, is an armed body of the community that has existed since 1699, marking the beginning of the Khalsa. Jatha means a "group of people". According to the Encyclopedia of Sikhism, published by the Punjab University, the word "jatha" derives from the Sanskrit word "yūtha", which means a "herd, flock, multitude, troop, band, or host".
The history has witnessed several controversies around the "jathas". As per the traditions, the jathas refers to a group of Sikh volunteers working together for a common cause. According to traditions, each jatha was supposed to be headed by a local leader, who would be called a "Jathedar". The selection of the jathedar was based on merit alone. For long, the position was awarded to the most daring and courageous warrior of a particular band.
The procession was subjected to harassment and other kind of attacks frequently. According to the Sikh encyclopedia, in medieval times, the Mughal government made peace with the Sikhs for a short sliver of time between 1733 and 1735. They allowed the jathas to reside in Amritsar without being harassed.
Last year, a jatha was carried out by the community on the occasion of Gurupurab 2023. Read the full article here.