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Summary of Question:	Baisakhi or Vaisakhi?
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 7/13/1999 12:39 PM MDT

Some western sikhs call the birth of khalsa Baisakhi where as other sikhs in the U.K and India call the birth of khalsa Vaisakhi. Which one is correct, and why?

Humbly,
Mandeep Kaur, Onkardeep & Jasdeep Singh Bhatia

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REPLY
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Visakhi written in Punjabi looks like this:

Personally, I think the best transliteration of this word to English is "Visakhi." The word "Baisakhi" probably came about because the letter when spoken in Punjabi can be interpreted by Westerners as 'v,' 'w,' or 'b.' To the best of my knowledge, the correct pronunciation of this letter is somewhat of a cross between 'v' and 'w.'

Humbly,
Mangala Sadhu Sangeet Singh