Golden Temple Host Langar: Serving 50,000 Daily Meals

Worlds biggest functional kitchen where delicious meals are prepared and served to more than 50000 people everyday.

Golden Temple Amritsar has the world’s biggest functional kitchen. It prepares and serves delicious meals to more than 50,000 people every day. The food served is not just a meal. It shows the value of equality. People of different social and economic statuses are served with the same love and affection.

Guru Ka Langar at Golden Temple

The tradition of serving langar was initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It was then established by the 3rd Guru Sri Guru Amar Dass Ji at Goindwal.

The institution of Guru ka Langar at Golden Temple 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 pangat. Langar teaches the etiquette of sitting and eating in a community setting. This has greatly upheld the sameness of all human beings. It provides a welcoming, secure, and protected sanctuary.

Everyone is welcome to share the Langar; no one is turned away. Each week several families volunteer to offer and prepare the Langar

Importance of Langar in Sikhism

Bhai Desa Singh in his Rehitnama says, “A Sikh who is ‘well to do’ should care for his poor neighbors’ needs.” He should ensure their well-being. Whenever he meets a traveler or a pilgrim from a foreign country, he must serve him devotedly.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh made grants of jagirs to gurdwaras for the maintenance of langar. Similar endowments were created by other Sikh rulers as well. Today, practically every gurudwara has a langar supported by the community in general. In smaller gurdwaras cooked food received from different households comprise the langar. In any case, no pilgrim or visitor will miss food at meal time in a gurudwara. Sharing a common meal sitting in a pangat is for a Sikh is an act of piety. So is his participation in cooking or serving food in the langar and in cleaning the used dishes. The Sikh ideal of charity is essentially social in conception. A Sikh is under a religious obligation to contribute one-tenth of his earnings (daswand) for the welfare of the community. He must also offer service with his hands whenever possible. Serving in a langar is considered the most meritorious.