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Thousands in Sikh community celebrate Vaisakhi

BBC Sikhs wearing orange and purple outfits carry flags of the same colour during a street parade, with a lorry behind them decked out with the colours as part of the procession.BBC
Some of Coventry's Sikhs celebrated Vaisakhi with a parade in the city
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News, West Midlands

Thousands of people from the Sikh community have marked Vaisakhi in events across the West Midlands.

More than 10,000 gathered in Coventry and Wolverhampton to parade through the streets with many donating to a number of charities.

Vaisakhi, also called Baisakhi, is the festival that celebrates the founding of the Sikh community, the Khalsa, in 1699.

It was originally a harvest festival in the Punjab region of India until it became Sikhs' most important festival.

A Sikh man wearing a black turban and green high vis jacket with first aid printed on it. He is carrying a green first aid kit over his shoulder
Some city centre roads were closed off during the procession
Hundreds of people parading down a city street with some vehicles and floats
Thousands took part in the Coventry parade
A yellow and blue vehicle is adorned with orange and white flowers. Two men one wearing an orange turban the other white are sitting at an open windo on the float. Other men wearing high vis jackets stand beside the vehicle.
A number of colourful floats took part in the celebrations
Jules Singh Sikhs in colourful clothes carry a banner reading Sedgley Street GurdwaraJules Singh
In Wolverhampton some of the celebrations were organised by the Sedgley Street Gurdwara
Jules Singh Sikhs holding flags and wearing orange and blue outfits take part in the paradeJules Singh
Many people enjoyed the special procession through the streets called nagar kirtans
Jules Singh A beared man in a black turban looks towards the camera. He is wearing a black suit and glasses. Jules Singh
Wolverhampton West MP Warinder Juss was among those attending the city celebrations

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