What is a Sikh Langhar?
The Sikh ) Gurdwaras are not only places of worship but also the training center of service. Such service as sweeping the precincts, serving drinking water to the thirsty, fanning the congregation in hot weather and serving food to the hungry have always formed an integral part of the factions in a Sikh shrine. Of these, Langar is perhaps the most important. A Sikh Gurdwara without a free kitchen is inconceivable.Everybody welcome in a Gurdwara. But Gurdwara has some principles. A person should not enter in a Gurdwara if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, carrying alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and meat. Anyone entering the Gurdwara must remove their shoes and cover their heads.The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in its own room under a canopy. As a mark of respect, anyone entering the room should kneel in front of the Guru Granth Sahib and touch their forehead to the floor. There is usually a box in front of the canopy where worshipers can place their offerings- of money or food for the Langar.The Langar in Gurdwara's is a community kitchen. Every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the community kitchen. Community pays for the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute labour of love, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in cooking and distributing food. Langar is one of the corner of the Sikh religion and a symbol of equality.Langar is Persian word meaning:§ An asylum for the poor and the destitute,§ The house or monastery of the Sufi dervishes,§ An alms-house,§ A public kitchen kept by a great man for his followers and dependents, the Holy men and the needy.Langar is Persian word, which means a public kitchen established by a noble person for their followers and dependents. In India, Langar was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and carried forward by successive Gurus. The Guru desired that every Sikh should share his food with others "Wand Chhakna" and their kitchen should be open to all. Subsequently the Langar took on an institution from and became a part of the Sikh Gurdwara. This Langar is meant to provide food to all devotees and pilgrims. Every Sikh is expected to contribute to it either by donating foodstuff or by participating in the cooking and distribution of the food.Now Langar from a major institutional forms of India and become a part of the Sikh Gurdwara. Basically, Langar means to Provide food to all devotees and pilgrims. The Langar in Gurdwara's is a community kitchen. Every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the kitchen. Community has pay for the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute labor of love, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in cooking and distributing food. Langar is one of the corner of the Sikh religion and a symbol of equality. Every Sikh is expected to contribute to it either by donating foodstuff or by participating in the cooking and distribution of the food.Guru Nanak set up a Gurdwara of bread at Kartar Pur Where people brought corn and fuel, and worked together to prepare a common meal for the whole community. Nanak took practical steps to break the vicious hold of caste by starting free community kitchens -- Guru ka langar- in all centers and persuading his followers, irrespective of their castes, to eat together.Guru Angad extended the Langar and personally served in it. Langar in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji "The Langar- the kitchen of the Guru's Shabad has been opened, and its supplies never run short. Whatever His Master gave, He spent; He distributed it all to be eaten. The Praises of the Master were sung, and the Divine Light descended from the heavens to the earth. Gazing upon you, O True King, the filth of countless past lives is washed away. The Guru gave the True Command; why should we hesitate to proclaim this? His sons did obey his word; they turned their backs on him as Guru. These evil hearted ones became rebellious; they carry loads of sin on their backs. Whatever the Guru said Lehna did, and so he was installed on the throne. Who has lost, and who has won? He who did the work, is accepted as Guru; so which is better -- the thistle or the rice? The Righteous Judge of Dharma considered the arguments and made the decision. Whatever the True Guru says, the True Lord does; it comes to pass instantaneously. Guru Angad was proclaimed, and the True creator confirmed it. Nanak merely changed his body; He still sits on the throne, with hundreds of branches reaching out. Standing at his door, his followers serve him; by this service, their rust is scraped off. He is the Dervish- the Saint, at the door of his lord and master; he loves the True name, and the Bani of the Guru's word. Balwand says that Khivi, the Guru's wife, is a noble woman, who gives soothing, leafy shade to all. She distributes the bounty of the Guru's Langar; the kheer -- the rice pudding and ghee, is like sweet ambrosia. The faces of the Guru's Sikhs are radiant and bright; the self-willed Manmunkhs are pale, like straw. The master gave his approval, when Angad exerted him self heroically. Such is the husband of mother Khivi; he sustains the world."Guru Amar Das turned it into an institution and ordered that all who came to see him must first eat in Langar "Pahle Pangat, Piche Sangat" Food first, congregation next. The motto was pehle pangat piche sangat- "first sit in a row in the kitchen, then seek the company of the the Guru. The Guru included a common mode of worship and a common social institute by laying the foundation of Sangat and Pangat. Sangat means "association", it is getting together of noble and good people. Pangat literally means a same row. It stands for people sitting and eating together in the same row in Guru- ka-Langar. From the time of Guru Nanak, Sangat and Pangat have gone together, for the Sikhs, both in percept as well as in practice. Wherever there was a Sangat there also was a Langar, as these Sangats were' not merely places of worship but also wayside refectories, which gave food and shelter to indigent wayfarers. Even the Emperor Akbar and the Raja of Haripur had to sit on the floor with the common people and take a meal with them. Apart from promoting social equality, the Langar eliminated taboos about chauka- the preparation of food in a special enclosures etc.Guru Ramdas who ordered that water widened the scope of Langar and meals are also served to travelers and squatters.Guru Arjan Dev and his wife personally served water to the Sangat. They even massged the weary travelers and fanned them to sleep.Guru Hargobind ji says: "Garib ka Mooh guru ki golak" (Poor man's month is the Guru's Coffer)Guru Gobind Singh Ji says: " May the kitchen and the Sword prevail in the World". "Deg Teg Jag maih Dou Chleh!" Deg and Teg are Persian words, meaning the kettle and the sword respectively. Deg literally means a cooking -pot. It symbolically stands for the free kitchen or Langar; whereas Teg is the sword represents dignity and power. Deg to feed the poor and the stanger, regardless of caste and religion; and "Tag" the Sword, to destroy the oppressor of humanity and protect the oppressed. Hence Deg and Teg are symbols of service and power. Many of the Sikhs started their own Langars at Anandpur. One day, Guru Gobind Singh went out incognito on an inspection of Langars. He found out that Bhai Nand Lal maintained the Langar well, while others were indifferent to the needs of poor. He warned them and remarked, "The mouths of the poor are Guru's receptacles of gifts".An Ardas(prayer) is performed asking the Guru Granth Sahib to accept the Karah Parsad food and bless the sevadars who prepared it and bless those that eat from the Langar. When recite the Ardas it is ask Guru to bless the Prasad and the Langar. Langar is not touched with a knife; but with a Kirpan ( A dagger, sword or sheath knife with one cutting edge). The root word of kirpan is Kripa, which means grace. Langar and prasad touched with the kripan, thereby passing Guru's Grace into it. Steel is a conductor of energy. Further, the energy of the steel also transfers to the Langar and parsad, giving it that extra strength, tempered by the sweetness of the Anand. The blade is sharpened steel to give us the sharp edge of discrimination so that we can act wisely. We cover the Langar and Prasad to protect it. All the colors, or vibrations, the head must be covered and shoes removed in this hall, the Langar should be served on the floor with the sangat sitting cross-legged.Seva (selfless service) is a sacred duty, and can be done anywhere for anyone. An important from of seva is Langar. All who visit the Gurdwara sit down together in a row and partake of the simple food offered with loving care irrespective of the recipient's caste, color, creed, sex, nationality, social background or position in the community. The community freely gives all the food and services associated with the Langar, and the food is vegetarian. Amritdhari sevadar are serving the langar, it is not necessary. Serving sevadar has to wear a Parna (Bandana) around their heads for reasons of hygiene. It is a symbol of the Sikh belief in a non-sexist, non-racist society; equality, fraternity and brotherhood where all people of all caste, religion are equal and can share a common meal in the true print of unity. It is not unusually to see at a Langar of a millionaire seated next to his own servant in a Pangat. Some high caste has his meal along with harijan, or a landlord sitting along with his workers.There are two types of Langar, which are attached to all major Sikh Gurdwaras(a) Langar of Daily meals(b) Shabad-ka-LangarLangar of Daily meals "Free kitchen or open alms house" attached to most of the important Gurdwaras offers two square meals to every visitor, rich or poor, and more so to the destitute and the homeless, the travelers and pilgrims. It is a sin for a Sikh to question a man's faith and creed before offering him a seat in the Langar. It is open to all human beings of all nationalities, and all peoples of all countries. The rich and the poor, the black and white people, the Hindus, Muslims and Christians all sit in a row and eat to their fill the food that is prepared. Bhai Desa Singh in his Rehitnama says: " A Sikh who is well to do must look to the needs of a poor neighbours. Whenever he meets a traveler or a pilgrim from foreign country, he must serve him devotedly.Shabad-ka-Langar: "The word as sacramental food" Equally important is the spiritual food which must be imported to all who come to the Gurdwara for participation in worship and prayer not only through any liturgical prayer but through the follow- its traditionally established practices: before elucidating these practices it may be emphatically stated that there are clear-cut references and comments to this Shabad-ka-Langar, and its various aspects throughout the Sikh scriptures. The most conspicuous is one mentioned by Rai Balwand and Satta, the bards of Guru Angad, who say in their Var "Langar Chalai Guru Shabad ka Har tot na Avi Khatiai" The Sacramental food of the Divine word is being ceaselessly distributed, it is open for distribution all day, and yet it is ever full.According to the Rehit Maryada printed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Amritsar, in 1945, the code for Langar is as follows: (in Punjabi)(A) Guru ka Langar- is de do bhag han,Ik Sikha noo seva SikhanaDuje uach- nich, chhut chat da bharam mitana.(B) Guru ke Langar vich beath ke uach nich, kise jat ja varan da prani persad chhak sakda hai, Pangat vich bitthan lagiya -- Kise desh, Varan jati ja majahab da vitakra nahi karana, Ha! Ik thali vich kevel amritdhari Sikh hi chhak sakade han.English version (It has been tried to keep the translation as literal as possible)(A) The Langar of the Guru -- It has two meanings:- to teach the Sikhs about the concept of volunteer service;- to erase the doubt (notion) of superiority - inferiority, and unsociability.(B) By sitting in the Langar of the Guru without any superiority -- or inferiority- complex, a person belonging to any caste or sect, can eat food. While seating in Pangat" (Row or Line) there should not be any discrimination about the origin of the country, caste, creed, or religion of a person. Yes, only Amritdhari Sikhs can eat from one plate .The spirit of service "Seva Bhav" cannot be seen anywhere in country except Gurdwara. Gurdwara also offers an excellent offer of Social Equality in Langar Hall. Therefore, we can say that Langar in India serves a purpose of Social Equality, Food Security and good example of Spirit of Service.
