The first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, started the concept of Langar or free kitchen. It is designed to uphold the principle of equality between all the people of world regardless of religion,caste, colour, creed etc.

The Gurudwara serves langar to 180 people every 15 minutes. According to the sources 600 kgs of dal, 1000 kgs of wheat flour and 120 kgs of ghee goes in the langar making, this doubles on the weekends.

People waiting outside the langar hall at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi/Tavanpal Singh

Langar Raw Material In Bangla Sahib's Storeroom/Tavanpal Singh

A great variation exists among the people who are engaged in the ‘langar sewa’ ranging from house wives to retired people who come to serve the society.

Raw material being transferred to the kitchen for the langar at Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

Devotees chopping vegetables for langar at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

Devotees rolling flour for chapatis for Langar at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara/Tavanpal Singh

Devotees roasting chapatis for Langar at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara/Tavanpal Singh

Prepared chapatis being collected at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

Curries being cooked for langar at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

The ‘hired’ category includes 10 cooks and 24 helpers who are engaged in the preparation of langar and rest are the innumerable volunteers from all walks of life serve around 10000 meals everyday.

Devotees transferring the prepared langar at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

Anyone can volunteer at a Gurdwara, and although the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara is the largest, its smaller versions can be in most of the Delhi’s neighborhoods.

Prepared langer being passed for distribution at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

Anybody can come to the Gurudwara and be a part of Va?? Chakk?, the Sikh uplifting concept which means to ‘share what you have and share it together as a community.’

Cleaning of the utensils by the devotees at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib/Tavanpal Singh

(Cover Photo: Langar being served and eaten by devotees at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Langar Hall/Tavanpal Singh)

(Tavanpal Singh is a freelance journalist and a student of MA Convergent Journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)

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