THE state-level Vasakhi Fest 2019 (formerly known as the Vasakhi Open House) will be held at the Fort Cornwallis in George Town on April 27 (Saturday) from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
This time, it will be ‘Vasakhi Goes Green’ as organising chairman Daljit Singh said they would not use polystyrene packaging products or Styrofoam for food serving but instead use biodegradable packages that are made from agricultural waste.
“This is part of our commitment towards conserving the environment and in line with the state government’s continuous call for people to go green,” Daljit said at a press conference which was called by state Housing, Town, Country Planning and Local Government Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo in Komtar today. Also present were other members of the organising committee.
Jagdeep said the Penang government would continue to support Wadda Gurdwara Sahib in organising the event with the aim of celebrating the glorious occasion with fellow Malaysians from all walks of life and foreign tourists.
“Given the heritage status of this beautiful island city and in line with the government’s efforts of promoting Penang as a tourist destination, one of the main objectives of this event is to increase awareness of the Sikh culture and way of life amongst Malaysians and foreign tourists. At the same time we are also promoting Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage and racial unity,” said Jagdeep Singh at a press conference in Komtar today.
“We welcome the public to come and join in the celebrations and experience a wonderful evening to the sound of ‘Dhol’ (a traditional Punjabi drum) and be mesmerized with the colourful display and cultural performances of the Sikhs.”
It was in 2002 that the idea of organising this event on a state-level was mooted, and with the backing of the state government, the first open house was organised the following year.
Daljit said the event would feature cultural performances (bhangra, giddha, martial arts), turban tying, Gurmukhi calligraphy, henna art and exhibits of musical string instruments.
He said authentic Punjabi food would also be served to the public for free.
At the event, Daljit said they would clear the air over the misconception held by the public about Sikhs being often referred to as Benggalis.
“Sikhs come from Punjab (a northern state in India) and hence should be referred to as Punjabi and not Benggali,” he said.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Chan Kok Kuan