Langar
Encyclopedia
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
religion or in Punjab in general for common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
to all the visitors(without disctinction of background) for free. At the langar, only vegetarian food is served, to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions, can eat as equals. Langar is open to Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike.
The exception to vegetarian langar is when Nihangs (in India) serve meat on the occasion of Holla Mohalla, and call it Mahaprasad
Mahaprasad
Mahaprasad is the term applied to the 56 food items offered to Lord Jagannath in the holy Temple of Puri, located in Orissa, India.Addition by JagannathCulture.com...
. There are also variations on langar, for example at Hazur Sahib, where meat is included. Langar is also a common term used across various units in the Indian Army, when referring to a mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
, especially when there is no building and the food is served in open air (or through temporary arrangements like tents).
History
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where Sikhism began. In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind. "..the Light of God is in all hearts."
After the Second Sikh Guru, the institution of langar seems to have changed, somewhat, and meat seems to have been excluded from this institution. The reason cited for this by historians, is to accommodate Vashnavite members of the community.
Etiquette
The institution of Guru ka langar has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation of Sikhs in a task of service for mankind, even Sikh children help in serving food to the people (Sangat). Langar also teaches the etiquette of eating in a community situation, which has played a great part in upholding the virtue of equality of all human beings and provides a welcome, secure and protected sanctuary.People from all classes of society are welcome at the Gurudwara. Food is normally served twice a day, on every day of the year. Recent reports say some of the largest Sikh community dining halls in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
prepare between 50,000 and 70,000 meals per day. At Golden temple nearly 100,000 people dine everyday and the kitchen works almost 20 hours daily. Each week one or more families volunteer to provide and prepare the langar. This is very generous, as there may be several hundred people to feed, and caterers are not allowed. All the preparation, the cooking and the washing-up is also done by voluntary helpers, known as Sewadar
Sewadar
Sewadar is a Punjabi word for a volunteer who offers his/her services to a Gurdwara or to the Sikh community free of charge. It is a term used to refer to a person who performs sewa without looking for any physical or spiritual reward or any payment of any kind...
s.
Open-air langars
Besides the langars' attachment to gurdwaras, there are improvised open-air langars during festivals and gurpurbGurpurb
This is the anniversary of a guru's birth or death; marked by the holding of a festival.A gurpurb in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary related to the lives of the Sikh gurus. Observance of these anniversaries is an important feature of the Sikh way of life.There are indications in...
s. These langars are among the best attended community meals anywhere in the world; upwards of 100,000 people may attend a given meal during these langars. Wherever Sikhs are, they have established their langars. In their prayers, the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s seek from the Almighty the favour: “Loh langar tapde rahin—may the hot plates of the langars remain ever in service.”