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Thousands join parade to mark Sikh festival

Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
BBC A crowd on the move through Leicester with yellow flags flyingBBC
Vaisakhi was marked with the colourful Nagar Kirtan procession

Thousands of people marched through the centre of Leicester on Sunday to mark the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi.

About 10,000 people were thought to have visited for the three-hour Nagar Kirtan procession from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, on Holy Bones, through the centre of the city and back.

Vaisakhi, celebrated earlier in the month, marks the founding of the Sikh community, known as Khalsa, in 1699.

Flowers, flags and food play key parts in marking the community celebration.

Men in bright orange clothing carrying traditional swords and wearing flower garlands
The parade wended its way through Leicester for about three hours on Sunday
Smiling faces in the crowd
Warm weather showed up for people taking part in the parade

Gurdwara congregation member Sukhjeet Singh said: "It's a chance for the whole of Leicester congregation to get together and show unity and love, give our flowers and our devotion together."

He added: "It's also a chance for the wider community to participate, they're seeing what our religion is about and why we celebrate it.

"And the food and the festive spirit, it just spreads throughout the whole of Leicester."

A huge drum carried on a trailer
Floats formed part of the procession
The parade passing through the city streets
The parade ended up back at the gurdwara in Holy Bones

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