SIKHS from across east London celebrated the festival of Vaisakhi in Waltham Forest at the weekend.

People descended on the Sikh temple, or Gurdwara, in Francis Road, Leyton, for seven days of celebrations last week.

Vaisakhi is held to mark the day on April 14, 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh created a new Sikh nation with its own identity.

In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh addressed a crowd of about 100,000 people in Anandpur, Punjab.

He emerged from a tent with a sword, and asked for volunteers to offer his life for his faith. A young Sikh volunteered and followed the Guru into a tent.

Shortly after, the Guru reappeared alone with his sword covered with blood, and asked for a second volunteer.

Another Sikh stepped forward and again the Guru took him into the tent, and re-appeared alone, his sword covered in more blood.

This was repeated for a third, fourth and fifth volunteer.

Many believed that the Guru had killed the five Sikhs.

He soon came out of the tent again, this time followed by all five Sikhs who were alive and well and dressed in turbans and other symbols that have since become symbols of Sikh identity.

The Guru made the five the first members of a new community of equals, to be called the Khalsa, meaning "pure".

To mark the occasion, food was served at the Gurdwara during the Vaisakhi celebrations and the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, was read aloud for 48 hours continuously, beginning on Friday morning.

On Saturday the Sikh flag, Nishan Sahib, was raised at Waltham Forest Town Hall in Forest Road, Walthamstow