(Samajweekly) The celebration of Punjab’s rich culture is incomplete without the famous festival of Vasakhi and the folk dance Bhangra. Today, Punjabis are settled across the world and have taken their heritage with them. The Vasakhi parade in Surrey, British Columbia, is a well-known event, attracting approximately six lakh participants every year. Furthermore, the Punjabi community organizes Vasakhi functions in other countries as well.
Recently, public representatives from Delaware, United States, the hometown of President Joe Biden, performed the traditional Punjabi folk dance Bhangra under the guidance of coach Vishwas Singh Sodhi during the Vasakhi festival. Charanjeet Singh Minhas, founder, and President of Delaware Sikh Coalition, stated that it was the first time in the history of North America that such an event had been organized. Delaware Assembly Speaker Valerie Longhurst congratulated her colleagues for creating history at the Sikh Coalition of Delaware in New Castle with their first Bhangra performance. She added that Delaware was the first state where public representatives had demonstrated their Bhangra skills on the stage.
The Bhangra team comprised Delaware Senate Majority Leader Brian Townsend, Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman, Senate Stephanie Hansen, Senate Laura Sturgeon, State Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker, and Sophie Phillips. According to Brian Townsend, they had practised for about two months, putting in approximately 30 hours of effort, and fortunately, none of them fell during the performance.
Valerie Longhurst, the Delaware Assembly Speaker, commended the Sikh community, stating that they are welcoming and do helpful things for everyone. She also praised their festivals, which are open to everyone. Longhurst emphasized that the Sikh community is wonderful.
