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See a slide show from the Sikh new year celebrations
AN EYE-CATCHING parade burst onto the streets of Leeds to mark the start of the Sikh New Year.
The procession of 1,000 people swept into the city centre for the Vaisakhi festival on Saturday.
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE YEP'S NEW COMMUNITY WEBSITES?Click here for a full run down of the 12 sites launched to date - all featuring ultra local news, sport and entertainment.Starting out at the Sikh temple on Chapeltown Road, the throng wove its way to Millennium Square and back again.
Vaisakhi also commemorates the birth of Sikhism in 1699.
"It was a way to bring people out of their homes and unite them," said Pavan Hunjan, 16, from Moortown.
"Traditionally the parade would travel through the rural areas collecting isolated Sikh families and taking them to the celebrations."
Five warriors with swords aloft led the way. Behind them, floats carried sacred scriptures and women singing prayers.
Martial art displays entertained crowds at Millennium Square where free food was shared.
The full article contains 174 words and appears in EP Leeds First & County newspaper.
