Unni Duniya toRe Bandhna,
Ann Pani thoRa Khaya
Sant Guru Granth Sahib, Ang. 467
(They burn away the bonds of the world, who eat a simple diet of grain and water)
Through centuries, all major faiths and traditions in India placed great value in feeding the hungry. What was special about the institution of langar (intrinsic to the humanist and egalitarian Sufi, Chishti, and Sikh traditions) was that it embodied not just the idea of cheerful service to the needy but also dignity of services’ recipients. The idea is not just to feed the hungry but also to make them feel welcome and serve with respect. For centuries, langars worldwide have been actively feeding the needy as an act of humanity.
How Langars Came to Be – The Origin Story
The first Sikh guru, Nanak Dev, was the one who started the system of Langar among Sikhs. When Guru Nanak attained manhood, his father gave him 20 rupees and sent him on a trading expedition, impressing him that: “a good bargain makes for a good profit.” On his way to buy the merchandise, he met a group of “sadhus” living in a jungle. Nanak noticed the sham condition of the bare, unfed holy men. He decided that the transaction which could harness the most profit from his father’s money would be if these people were fed and properly clothed. When he returned home without the merchandise, his father severely punished him.
Insisting that true profit is to be had in selfless service, Guru Nanak established the principle of langar. The offerings he received during his tours were distributed among the poor. Any surplus collected was given to his hosts to maintain a common kitchen, where all could sit and eat together without any distinction of caste and status. This common kitchen or langar institution became a major instrument of helping the poor, a nucleus for religious gatherings of his society, and establishing the basic equality of all castes, classes, and sexes.
Traditions & Practices Followed in Langars
The practice of langar was started by Guru Nanak to break the caste system that was prevalent in India during the 13th and 14th centuries. Hence, both the kitchen and meal are open to all twice a day, throughout the year, without any discrimination based on religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender, or social status. Hence, in the langar, all people high or low, rich or poor, male or female, all sit in the same “pangat” (meaning row or line) to share and enjoy the food together. In an attempt to invite all and not to offend any faith, the food in langar is always vegetarian. It usually consists of lentil soup, vegetables, rice, and chappatis.
The institution of Guru ka Langar has served Sikhism in many ways.
- Langars embodied the spirit of inclusion centuries before any of the modern cultural movements. Women play an important role in the preparation of meals, and the children help in serving food to the pangat.
- Langar also teaches the etiquette of sitting and eating in a community situation which helps harbor the feeling of oneness in the society.
- The tradition of a cast-free kitchen struck the barrier of social prejudices at its core at a time when lower cast people would not be allowed to come close to the shadows of an upper-caste. The appeal of humanity became the appeal of Sikhism and the faithful grew in numbers.
All the succeeding Gurus continued this tradition, starting from the second guru, Guru Angad Dev. Guru Amar Das the third guru, formalized the institution of langar, the guru’s free kitchen. A wonderful story is told of Akbar’s visit to the third Sikh Guru Amar Das. The Guru insisted that the emperor, weary after his long journey, must sit on the temple floor and eat the langar’s simple, wholesome fare. He did this willingly, in the company of beggars and wayfarers.
This practice of Langar is one of the Three Pillars of Sikhism and symbolizes the desire of Sikhs to eradicate hunger. The Sikhs are encouraged to donate ten percent of their wealth, time, or resources to a worthy cause, of which Langar Sewa is one. Many Sikh families volunteer each week to provide and prepare the Langar. It may be noted that preparing langar is quite a task as there may be several hundred people to feed, and caterers are not allowed. Voluntary helpers (Sewadars) do all the preparation, the cooking, and the washing-up.
Langar – NOW
At present, the institution of langar has become an integral part of the Sikh movement. Langars have been established in several countries around the world wherever there are Sikhs and, people of all communities participate in it with enthusiasm. No matter how humble or lavishly elegant, every gurdwara has a langar institution. Any Sikh service, whether held indoors or out, has an area set aside for the preparation and service of langar which is either screened or detached from the place of worship.
Are Langars Losing Their Charm?
Despite the noble intentions of the Gurus who established the holy system, at present the situation is changing, some Sikhs feel that “these ideas of equality, kindness, and secularity were brave and revolutionary in the India of the 13th and 16th centuries, with its deep caste and religious fractures, and the oppression of women and working people. But as it turns out, these remain radical (and contested) ideas, which are rapidly eroding in modern, republican, democratic India”.
According to some Sikhs in the USA “‘simple’ and ‘Langar’ are antonyms today. Loaded with ghee and oils, deep-fried items, dairy, sugars, spices, refined white flour, and artificial colors, our Langar today is complicated and refined Indian cuisine. Today in many western Gurdwaras, it has become the responsibility of individual families to provide the “seva”. In the quest to show off their skills and resources, Langar has become so elaborate that some people are scared to take responsibility for fear of not being able to meet expectations.”
Many Sikhs pray for the old charm of langars to be brought back: “Let us make the Gurdwaras once again a model that anchors the community, revives our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies.”
Loh langar tapde rahin
Sant Guru Granth Sahib, Ang. 282
(May the hot plates of the langars remain ever in service)
Written for the World Luxury Tourism e-mag (July 2015)
