Sunday Special--Guru Ka Langar ( Free Kitchen Of the Guru!) : Sikhs in Service of Humanity.
Supreme Court Advocate explains why he loves Sikhism so much ...
He
tells the story of how he became an advocate and the role of
Sikhism in his journey.
http://dailysikhupdates.com/supreme-court-lawyer-cries-saying-loves-sikhism/
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dailysikhupdates.com
Supreme Court lawyer Manoj Gorela’s videos have gone viral on social
media over him interpreting article 25B which states Sikhs as Hindus.
The lawyer has praised the Sikh community for their tremendous
contribution to India and humanity.
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The Langar : (Persian)
The institution of Guru ka Langar
has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation
of women and children in a task of service for mankind. Women play an
important role in the preparation of meals, and the children help in
serving food to the Sangat in
pangat.
Everyone is welcome to share the Langar; no one is turned away. The food is normally served twice a day, every day of the year. Each week a family or several 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 done by volunteers and or by voluntary helpers (Sewadars).
Guru Amar Das, who joined Sikhism from the Vaishnavism Hindu tradition and was a disciple of Guru Nanak before he was named the third Guru, introduced the vegetarianism at langars.
The Persian Word that translates as
'an almshouse', 'an asylum for the poor and the destitute', 'a public
kitchen once kept by a great man for his followers and dependents, holy
persons and the needy.' Some scholars trace
the word langar to Sanskrit analgarh (cooking room).
Langar(
free kitchen) was started by the first Sikh Guru,
Guru Nanak Dev Ji in about
1481. It is designed to uphold the principle of
equality between all people of the world regardless of
religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender or social status; to eliminate extreme poverty in the world and to bring about the birth of "caring communities". In addition to the
ideals of equality, the tradition of Langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind. "
For the first time in history, Guru ji
designed an institution in which all people would sit on the floor
together, as equals, to eat the same simple food. It is here that all
people high or low, rich or poor, male or female,
all sit in the same pangat (literally "row" or "line") to share and enjoy the food together.
Everyone is welcome to share the Langar; no one is turned away. The food is normally served twice a day, every day of the year. Each week a family or several 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 done by volunteers and or by voluntary helpers (Sewadars).
Guru Amar Das, who joined Sikhism from the Vaishnavism Hindu tradition and was a disciple of Guru Nanak before he was named the third Guru, introduced the vegetarianism at langars.
Contemporary developments
Besides the Langars attached to Gurdwaras, there are improvised open-air Langars at the time of festivals and gurpurbs. Specially arranged Langars on such occasions are probably the most largely attended community meals anywhere in the world. There might be a hundred thousand people partaking of food at a single meal in one such langar. Wherever Sikhs are, they have established their Langars. In their prayers, the Sikhs seek from the Almighty the favour:- “Loh langar tapde rahin."
- "May the iron pots of Langar be ever warm (in service).”
The Kitchen at the Golden Temple,Amritsar,Punjab,India, Feeds up to 100,000 People a Day for Free
The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), located in the city of Amritsar, India is a Sikh gurdwara (place of worship). It is the most well-known gurdwara and is considered a sacred place by Sikhs. It was first constructed in 1604 and was later rebuilt in 1764.
The largest langar is found at the Golden Temple. It typically feeds roughly 40,000 people a day for free. On religious holidays and weekends, the langar can feed upwards of 100,000 people a day. This incredible feat is made possible through donations and volunteers.
“We haven’t had any work since the notebandi [demonetisation] was announced. So every day all of us go to the
gurdwara to eat one meal,” said Gulfam, a painter, pointing
towards the out-of-work labourers sitting around the chowk.During
Notebandi the foreign tourist were seen asking for directions to some
Gurudwara to take food as they had no money.
1. Two Sikh organisations in New Delhi and Amritsar sent food relief to victims in post-earthquake Nepal
Besides sending their team of people who served hot meals to over 10,000 people a day, these two Sikh organizations sent out 25,000 packets to Kathmandu.
These community kitchens fed 346,992 people across Britain in the UK last year, according to the Trussell Trust.
In Canada, the Seva Food Bank serves food to low-income families Sikhs have been a part of Canada for over a hundred years now. The Seva Food Bank opened its doors in 2010 and has dedicating itself towards providing safe, nutritious and most importantly, culturally-appropriate food to low-income families in Mississauga.
Being a religious organisation, they do not fail to respect and take into account the food cultures of other people while serving food and preparing the menu. Truly inspiring, to say the least.
(In the times of growing intolerance – here are some people who are leading the world by example – it is high time we learned from them already)
In Los Angeles, the Khalsa Food Pantry and Khalsa Peace Corps provide meals to the poverty-stricken Located in Pacoima, CA, the Khalsa Food Pantry provides assistance to low-income families in the US and every week, the Khalsa Peace Corps serve about 600 meals at skid row and Venice Boardwalk alone. Sharing meals and uplifting the spirit of communities, they are serving and growing, with dedication and a lot of good will. (Keep at it, fellows!)
The Gurudwara Singh Sahib Sabha in Dibrugarh distributed food to about 1000 people affected by the floods that hit Assam last year While a lot of people pointed out the apathy of the Government during the flood, maybe we forgot to thank those who worked with all their dedication and effort to reach out to the flood affected areas and help those in need.
Khalsa Aid in the UK provided disaster relief in many countries Khalsa Aid, a UK based Sikh charity provided disaster relief in Albania, Turkey, Somalia and Pakistan. The British Sikhs also helped the Thames Valley and Somerset flood victims by delivering sand bags, food and medical supplies to those affected.
In one of their Middle East ventures, they also delivered food, blankets, clothes and water to over 150 Yazidi refugee families, many of whose family members were kidnapped by the ISIS.
Langar Aid, an extension of Khalsa Aid, set up a communty kitchen in the ISIS territory to feed Yazidis Tweaking the concept of Langar, a group of Punjabi NRIs collaborated with the locals to provide fresh bread to nearly 14,000 refugees daily in the strife-torn region for many months now.
The Sikhcess project provides food and clothing to the homeless in a number of local communities across the US Based on the basic humanitarian principles of sharing, inclusiveness, community, and public service, this project not only helps those in need but also creates public service opportunities with the goal of enhancing life for all humankind.
The Sikhs set up a langar for flood hit victims in Uttarakhand While many were busy blaming the authorities and disaster management procedures, the Sikhs of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee came forward and provided a helping hand to rescue and serve the stranded pilgrims in Uttarakhand.
The Midland Langar Seva Society is a food relief organisation in Birmingham Selflessly serving away, the Midland Langar Seva Society helps the homeless and provide food and hunger relief to those that are in need of it.
The Sikhs sent out food packets to more than 70,000 people daily during floods in Jammu and Kashmir Besides establishing community kitchens (or langars) at several places in Srinagar, the Sikhs sent out packed food for more than 70,000 people daily. Their Gurudwaras opened doors to people from all communities and religions without any bias – good old humanity has not died yet.
Not only that, food for more than 1,00,000 victims stranded in different places was airlifted from Amritsar.
KIRPA Food Bank in Wolverhampton is serving the needs of the poor with its dedication and hard work
With the aim of helping everyone realize that there is no other race
but one – the human race, the Kirpa Food Bank is dedicated to feed the
homeless, the victims of disasters and those in need.
Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen based in Doncaster and Edinburgh serves free food everyday to people who need it Not everyone can help everyone, but everyone can help someone. With the aim of providing and serving free food to anyone in need of it, they are helping so many people everyday, selflessly and happily.
The Bedford Langar Project, the Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team based in London are helping hundreds of people everyday These two Sikh organisations, The BedFort Langar Project and Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team (SWAT) in London, are taking care of the needs of the poor. No one has ever become poor by serving others, have they?
Sikh volunteers ran a round-the-clock community kitchen for thousands of people who were left stranded on the Delhi-Ambala highway (NH1) due to Jat Agitation The Sikh community distributed free snacks, cooked rice and hot tea to stranded travellers and ran a round-the-clock langar for people who were stuck in Haryana due to Jat Agitation. While there were some who caused discomfort to everyone, there were some who were working for the relief of those in need, comforting people of all castes and religions.
The Khalsa Aid helped those who were stuck in Chennai floods Coming to the rescue of the distressed and helping those in need, during the
Chennai floods, the Sikhs offered food and basic necessities to the ones stranded and grieved by the floods.
Strictly believing in not wasting food and helping those in need, the Sikhs have been sharing their meals, uplifting the community and helping the ones who are in distress with a smile and warmness galore!
Hunger is not an always issue of charity. At times, it is an act of justice. The Sikh community’s work often go unnoticed and they are too busy helping others to even take notice of it and crib about it, but we thank you for your effort, your love, and for keeping the spirit of humanity alive.
We have a lot to learn from you – we make a life out of what we get, hopefully we learn how to make a life out of what we give soon.
The Khalsa Aid volunteers gave food to Rohingyas in Bangladesh
When their volunteers distributed food to stranded commuters during the Mumbai floods.
They extended support to 9 orphanages in Haiti.
Foreigners Love Sikh Temple Food | Guru ka Langar | Free Food ...
Compiled and Illustrated by Tejinder Kamboj
The Sikh Community is Fast Becoming the Food Bank of the World
But there are some people who are working hard continuously for the relief of humanity – happily serving without complaining or roaring for attention – from post-earthquake Nepal to serving the homeless poor in the UK, food services offered by Sikh temples are committed strongly to alleviating world hunger and reducing food waste. We hardly took notice of it, isn’t it?1. Two Sikh organisations in New Delhi and Amritsar sent food relief to victims in post-earthquake Nepal
Besides sending their team of people who served hot meals to over 10,000 people a day, these two Sikh organizations sent out 25,000 packets to Kathmandu.
They served langar to Nepal earthquake victims
In the UK, homeless people are getting free meals, all thanks to the centuries-old Sikh tradition The Sikhs have managed to take the concept of Langar outside its traditional setting in temples and out onto the streets to feed the homeless and the poor. The Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, the biggest Sikh temple outside of India, alone serves 5,000 meals on weekdays and 10,000 meals on weekends.These community kitchens fed 346,992 people across Britain in the UK last year, according to the Trussell Trust.
In Canada, the Seva Food Bank serves food to low-income families Sikhs have been a part of Canada for over a hundred years now. The Seva Food Bank opened its doors in 2010 and has dedicating itself towards providing safe, nutritious and most importantly, culturally-appropriate food to low-income families in Mississauga.
Being a religious organisation, they do not fail to respect and take into account the food cultures of other people while serving food and preparing the menu. Truly inspiring, to say the least.
(In the times of growing intolerance – here are some people who are leading the world by example – it is high time we learned from them already)
In Los Angeles, the Khalsa Food Pantry and Khalsa Peace Corps provide meals to the poverty-stricken Located in Pacoima, CA, the Khalsa Food Pantry provides assistance to low-income families in the US and every week, the Khalsa Peace Corps serve about 600 meals at skid row and Venice Boardwalk alone. Sharing meals and uplifting the spirit of communities, they are serving and growing, with dedication and a lot of good will. (Keep at it, fellows!)
The Gurudwara Singh Sahib Sabha in Dibrugarh distributed food to about 1000 people affected by the floods that hit Assam last year While a lot of people pointed out the apathy of the Government during the flood, maybe we forgot to thank those who worked with all their dedication and effort to reach out to the flood affected areas and help those in need.
Khalsa Aid in the UK provided disaster relief in many countries Khalsa Aid, a UK based Sikh charity provided disaster relief in Albania, Turkey, Somalia and Pakistan. The British Sikhs also helped the Thames Valley and Somerset flood victims by delivering sand bags, food and medical supplies to those affected.
In one of their Middle East ventures, they also delivered food, blankets, clothes and water to over 150 Yazidi refugee families, many of whose family members were kidnapped by the ISIS.
Langar Aid, an extension of Khalsa Aid, set up a communty kitchen in the ISIS territory to feed Yazidis Tweaking the concept of Langar, a group of Punjabi NRIs collaborated with the locals to provide fresh bread to nearly 14,000 refugees daily in the strife-torn region for many months now.
The Sikhcess project provides food and clothing to the homeless in a number of local communities across the US Based on the basic humanitarian principles of sharing, inclusiveness, community, and public service, this project not only helps those in need but also creates public service opportunities with the goal of enhancing life for all humankind.
The Sikhs set up a langar for flood hit victims in Uttarakhand While many were busy blaming the authorities and disaster management procedures, the Sikhs of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee came forward and provided a helping hand to rescue and serve the stranded pilgrims in Uttarakhand.
The Midland Langar Seva Society is a food relief organisation in Birmingham Selflessly serving away, the Midland Langar Seva Society helps the homeless and provide food and hunger relief to those that are in need of it.
The Sikhs sent out food packets to more than 70,000 people daily during floods in Jammu and Kashmir Besides establishing community kitchens (or langars) at several places in Srinagar, the Sikhs sent out packed food for more than 70,000 people daily. Their Gurudwaras opened doors to people from all communities and religions without any bias – good old humanity has not died yet.
Not only that, food for more than 1,00,000 victims stranded in different places was airlifted from Amritsar.
Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen based in Doncaster and Edinburgh serves free food everyday to people who need it Not everyone can help everyone, but everyone can help someone. With the aim of providing and serving free food to anyone in need of it, they are helping so many people everyday, selflessly and happily.
The Bedford Langar Project, the Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team based in London are helping hundreds of people everyday These two Sikh organisations, The BedFort Langar Project and Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team (SWAT) in London, are taking care of the needs of the poor. No one has ever become poor by serving others, have they?
Sikh volunteers ran a round-the-clock community kitchen for thousands of people who were left stranded on the Delhi-Ambala highway (NH1) due to Jat Agitation The Sikh community distributed free snacks, cooked rice and hot tea to stranded travellers and ran a round-the-clock langar for people who were stuck in Haryana due to Jat Agitation. While there were some who caused discomfort to everyone, there were some who were working for the relief of those in need, comforting people of all castes and religions.
The Khalsa Aid helped those who were stuck in Chennai floods Coming to the rescue of the distressed and helping those in need, during the
Chennai floods, the Sikhs offered food and basic necessities to the ones stranded and grieved by the floods.
Strictly believing in not wasting food and helping those in need, the Sikhs have been sharing their meals, uplifting the community and helping the ones who are in distress with a smile and warmness galore!
Hunger is not an always issue of charity. At times, it is an act of justice. The Sikh community’s work often go unnoticed and they are too busy helping others to even take notice of it and crib about it, but we thank you for your effort, your love, and for keeping the spirit of humanity alive.
We have a lot to learn from you – we make a life out of what we get, hopefully we learn how to make a life out of what we give soon.
The Khalsa Aid volunteers gave food to Rohingyas in Bangladesh
When their volunteers distributed food to stranded commuters during the Mumbai floods.
They extended support to 9 orphanages in Haiti.
Foreigners Love Sikh Temple Food | Guru ka Langar | Free Food ...
Jun 9, 2017 - Uploaded by SIkh Professionals
Foreigners Love Sikh Temple Food | Guru ka Langar | Free Food
Langar Sewa There are many memorable ...Compiled and Illustrated by Tejinder Kamboj
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