Livingston High School’s (LHS) Punjabi Club is getting ready to put on their fifth annual Vaisakhi Mela.
According to a BBC article on religion, “Vaisakhi is a long established harvest festival in the Punjab. It had been celebrated long before it gained an added dimension for Sikhs.

In 1699 the 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh, chose Vaisakhi as the occasion to transform the Sikhs into a family of soldier saints, known as the Khalsa Panth.

This is an event that is put on by the advisor of LHS Punjabi Club, Basheer Grewal.
She puts on this event because according to her “there is a lot of Punjabi’s in the area, and I also want students to stay connected to their roots.”
Last year at the event, a special performance was put on by Kay V Singh.
Former president of Punjabi Club, Rajveer Dhadda, says he chose to fly out Singh because, “I like his music. Plus, I thought he was perfect fit for the Mela. His music fit right in and he proved it at the event.”
For Kay V Singh this was also a memorable performance.
“I had a fantastic time performing there. It is always an intriguing experience for me to perform for teenagers and their parents, at the same time, as their parents also get to experience the new style and generation of music,” expressed Singh.
Singh also explains why the holiday is important to him and why he celebrates it.
“Actually, to me personally, Vaisakhi is an important part of every day of the year and is actually a part of my daily life. I wear a turban in my daily life and Vaisakhi is the sole reason for this,” said Singh. “I typically attend the local Gurdwara to join the hundreds other celebrating this day.I typically dress in the prime Sikh colors of ether yellow, orange, or blue when attending. And occasionally the city holds a Vaisakhi Parade where we march through out the city celebrating this day and creating Sikh awareness.”
Last year the celebration hosted A2, Punjabi DJs and producers at the event.

“It was a great and positive vibe. We loved the crowd. They were really engaged into our set. Such a warm welcome from the committee,” they wrote in an email interview.
They said what stood out the most to them about the event was “the fire alarm at the end of our set. It was the beginning of  ‘A2TooFire.’”
So why is this holiday important to them and how do observe it?
“It’s always great to celebrate Vaisakhi because our gurus kept our religion and culture alive. Always have to pay our respects for what they did for us.We go to both gurudwara  and if there is a Mela nearby we go with our family,” they added.
One of the key events are performances done by current and graduates of LHS. There are always teams or individuals who perform. One of these people is California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), student Poonam Anand (junior, Liberal Studies).
“I have been performing for three years and my favorite memory is performing giddha (folk dance),” said Anand.
Future Stan State student Ranjot Gill, is going to perform for the first time at this event, but has been attending it regularly.
“I am nervous to perform for the first time, but I love the event. It is a part of my culture and I get to learn more about Vaisakhi and traditions through it,” expressed Gill.
Tickets have gone on sale and presale will end on the Apr. 10. They are currently $15 and will be $25 at the door.
A special performance is to be put on by Fateh. This year’s Mela is set to take place on Apr. 16 at 5 p.m. in the LHS gym.
For information, contact Basheer Grewal at [email protected] or at (209)383-3230.