Golden temple located in Amritsar, Punjab is a holy pilgrimage for Sikh community. Its door is open for everyone no matter what occupation and religion to worship God and have langar.
Talking about langar, everyone can have meal at Gurudwara. langar is served in many places all over India but the langar at Golden Temple is a special one. Here, Indians as well as foreigners visit to have it.
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Lets have a look at some interesting facts about the langar at the Golden Temple:
1. The start of langar
Langar was started in 1481 when the first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev Ji committed to feed everyone. The temple still serves a hot meal to everyone who comes to the door irrespective of their religion and faith.
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At Golden Temple langar was started by the fourth Sikh saint, Guru Ramdas, in 1577
2. Cooks starts the day with prayer
Cooks at the Golden Temple Langar, begin their day with prayer before they start preparing food for the people visiting langar.
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3. Foods served in langar
The members of the kitchen never bother about the taste of the food because it is always tasty. One can have Dal, Rice, Chapati, Vegetable, Kheer as dessert in one thali.
Only vegetarian food is served there.
4. Role of volunteers in langar
It is a fact that people volunteer there to work in the kitchen, they make chapattis, wash plates and utensils, corridor, shoes etc. It is common people’s responsibility to keep the temple clean.
5. People from any community and faith can serve as volunteers
Status, caste, religion vanishes at langar and everyone is treated equally.
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6. Serves large number of people everyday
There is no limit while serving people as long as people do not waste food. On an average, they serve 50,000 people per day and on weekends, the number increases to 100,000.
7. Dining hall
The kitchen area has two dining halls that can accommodate 5000 people at a time. People sit on the mats and eat their food served by volunteers. Later, usher people out politely for another round of dining.
8. Clockwork efficiency of sewadars
Serving people continuously daily is not an easy task. There are 450 permanent workers (sewadars) along with volunteers who comprise 90% of the working staff.
One can volunteer for few hours, a day or as long as they want.
9. Kitchen of langar
There are two kitchen for food preparations. In both kitchens, food is prepared that includes 11 hotplates or tawa, burners, a machine for kneading a dough, and other useful utensils.
On normal days, sewadars make all the dishes.
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10. The roti machine
Mostly on holidays and festivals, the roti making procedure takes it full speed and machine churns out 25000 rotis in one hour.
A Lebanon based devotee has donated this roti machine.
11. Everyday raw material
Feeding this huge number of people everyday, imagine the quantity of raw material. On an average basis, about 18 quintals of pulses, 50 quintals of wheat flour, 14 quintals of rice, and 7 quintals of milk are consumed everyday. Almost 100 gas cylinders and five thousand kilograms of fire wood is used every for preparing the meals at langar.
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Most of the raw material is purchased with the money donated by the devotees.
12. Usage of large vats
Large vats are used for cooking purpose as the quantity of food being prepared is very large. Volunteers use long rods to stir bubbling vats of dal.
A single vats can store as much as 7 quintals of daal or kheer.
13. Cleaning dining hall and utensils
At any temple, you can get cleanliness but the Golden temple is creating epitome. After people finish eating their food sevadars rush in to mop the floors. Another group of volunteers washes the plates.
Plates goes to five rounds of washing before being used again.
14. Tea is also served
Outside the langar, hot tea is also available which people pour themselves. You are free to take as many refills.
15. Selflessness and kindness of volunteer
No one is rich or poor in this temple and it shows the selflessness and kindness of every volunteer. The langar is tastier when served with heart.
One cannot elaborate the langar of this great temple; you should visit there to experience it. Moreover, try to be a volunteer, the sewa will help you nullify your ego and finding peace.
