VAISAKHI, the most important festival in the Sikh calendar, was celebrated with two flag-raising ceremonies in Waltham Forest.

In the Punjab, the occasion - always in April - has marked the gathering of the harvest for many centuries.

It took on an extra dimension in 1699 when the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, chose the date to transform the Sikhs into a family of soldier saints, or the Khalsa Panth.

On that occasion, he appointed five men as the the Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones), and to this day five men in colourful traditional costume attend the Vaisakhi to represent the group.

They were there on Saturday when the first flag was raised outside the Gurdwara (temple) in Francis Road, Leyton.

Drums and keyboard instruments were played, the flag was washed - according tradition - with a mixture or milk and water and the Panj Pyaras stood by the crowd joined to raise the flagpole topped with the orange banner.

Later a similar flag, again attended by the Beloved Ones, was raised on the flagpole outside the town hall in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

Other celebrations for Vaisakhi, which was actually held officially earlier in the week, include processions carrying the Sikh holy book, known as the Guru Grath Sahib, dancing and singing.