More than 10,000 people came together to celebrate the return of the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi after a two year absence.

The streets of Gravesend were a sea of orange, yellow and blue as Saturday's procession, known as Nagar Kirtan, made its way though the town.

The Sikh festival of Vaisakhi returned to Gravesend over the weekend

Celebrations had started a day earlier with the ceremonial changing of the Sikh flag Nishan Sahib outside the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

On Saturday the main procession was led by Panj Pyare and flag bearers followed by the holy Sikh scriptures on a special model of the Golden Temple.

Thousands of people walked behind with eight large floats on lorries carrying children and women reciting Sikh hymns, bhangra music groups, and various local sports teams associated with the Guru Nanak club.

Minibus transportation was also provided for the elderly and those unable to walk by charity ellenor and bus company Arriva.

Free food was given to those in attendance in recognition of the Sikh practice of sharing Langar (free food) with everyone.

In total, the Gurdwara served 8,000 samosas and spring rolls, as well as 4,500 Aloo Tikkis.

Domino's served 1,250 large pizzas and G11 Financial Services sponsored 1,150 dosas to be served, whilst local restaurants Haveli and Rasoi Ghar teamed up with with Spices Supermarket and other local businesses to distribute more than 10,000 plates of food and thousands of soft drinks.

There was also a scoop of ice cream or two with Sam Cheema's van serving 3,500 free helpings on what proved to be a warm and sunny weekend.

Vaisakhi is an annual festival celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus alike, but had been unable to take place for the last two years due to the pandemic and was instead replaced by online celebrations.

To mark the return of this year's event Alfie Smith’s funfair also provided fun for children in the grounds of the Gurdwara.

The celebrations coincided with the Easter bank holiday weekend, which coupled with good weather and the absence of similar events in other parts of the country, saw even larger numbers than usual attending.

Vaisakhi is an ancient holy festival which originated in India and is celebrated across the globe.

It celebrates the creation of the Khalsa – a collective of committed Sikhs who are leaders and defenders of the Sikh way.

It was formed to fight oppression and uphold freedom and basic needs such as food, clothing, education and health for all people.

The Khalsa was first created in April 1699 when the 10th Guru tested Sikhs by asking for volunteers to sacrifice themselves.

The first five who stepped forward and proved their devotion were chosen to form the first Khalsa and were known as the Panj Pyare or Five Beloved.