India’s Religious Kitchen

Photos by Manish Swarup

Harjeet Singh can usually be found riding around New Delhi on his Harley Davidson Superlow, or helping foreign companies set up operations in India. At home, the businessman has staff to clean and cook for his family. But at the gurdwara where he worships alongside other Sikhs, he sweeps the floor, cleans dirty dishes and helps prepare meals for thousands not as fortunate as him.

In this June 14, 2015 photo, volunteers and devotees help prepare langar at the Majnu-ka-Tilla Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. Langar, or the community meal, was started by Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism in late 15th century, and is now a tradition followed by more than 30 millions Sikhs worldwide. Nearly every gurudwara in the world, irrespective of size, has a kitchen and serves langar. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

He cites Sikh scriptures: “a tenth of your income and time should be dedicated to serving people.” Working in the gurdwara twice a week also helps him purge his ego, he says.

Service is one of the most integral traditions of gurdwaras. From cleaning to preparing tons of food every day there is plenty of work to be done. And there are plenty of sevadaars, or volunteers, to do it.

Each day people from all walks of life pour in to assist. Others come for a free meal.

The langar, which translates to community dinner, begins at noon in a large, high-ceilinged hall at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in New Delhi. Several rows of carpets are quickly occupied by people who swarm in and sit down to be served.

They are from all religions, and reflect the spectrum of life in this crowded city. Some are desperately poor. Some work in nearby offices. Some simply like the food.

Video by Manish Swarup | Edited by Yirmiyan Arthur

In this June 3, 2015, photo, Indian bread, rice, lentils, vegetables, and pickle fill a plate, prepared to be served during the langar, which translates to community dinner, at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. More than a thousand dishes are laid out on the floor during langar, and volunteers with buckets of lentils and Indian flat bread crouch over to fill the plates. The meal, which runs into the evening, feeds more than 10,000 people everyday. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

More than a thousand dishes are laid out on the floor, and volunteers with buckets of lentils and Indian flat bread crouch over to fill the plates. The meal, which runs into the evening, feeds more than 10,000 people every day. On Sundays, the number doubles.

Legend has it that a teenage Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism in late 15th century, was given some money by his father and asked to turn a profit. But when Nanak went into town he saw a group of hungry men and used the money to buy groceries and asked them to cook it together and eat.

While this made his father very angry, it is now a tradition followed by more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide. Nearly every gurdwara in the world, irrespective of size, has a kitchen and serves a langar.

Men, women and children throng the kitchen at Bangla Sahib, one of the biggest gurdwaras in India, brewing soupy dishes in gigantic metal pots, rolling mounds of dough and flipping breads on mesh-topped stoves.

While the gurdwara employs a small group of men to help manage the kitchen, it depends on visiting worshippers to contribute nearly half of all work and food supplies. In addition to what is brought in as donations, the gurdwara spends more than $2,000 a day on the meal, according to the management committee at Bangla Sahib. Sacks of rice, flour, and lentils are stacked from floor to ceiling in the storage room. The langar must go on every day.

“It is not just an eating joint,” said Kanwer Deep Singh, the 47-year-old information officer of the gurdwara. The langar, he said, is a means of bringing a diverse community together irrespective of social status and religious beliefs.

“In this turn you may be serving, and the next turn you may be sitting down to eat,” he added.

In this May 12, 2015 photo, devotees arrive to have langar at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. The langar, which translates to community meal, begins at noon in a large, high-ceilinged hall at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi. Several rows of carpets are quickly occupied by people who swarm in and sit down to be served. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Darshan Singh, 24, a garments store owner, poses for photos inside his store in New Delhi, India, on June 1, 2015, as on right, he sings religious prayers for devotees before the start of langar, or free community meal, at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple in New Delhi, India, on May 19, 2015. Service is one of the most integral traditions of gurudwaras. From cleaning to preparing tons of food every day there is plenty of work to be done. And there are plenty of sevadaars, or volunteers, to do it. While the gurudwara employs a small group of men to help manage the kitchen, it depends on visiting worshippers to contribute nearly half of all work and food supplies. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this June 3, 2015 photo, a devotee holds a badge with portraits of Guru Nanak, left, who founded Sikhism in late 15th century, and Guru Gobind Singh, after eating langar, which translates to community dinner, at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Goldy who drives ambulance for Delhi government poses outside his house, in New Delhi, India, on June 15, 2015, as on right, he cleans the used plates during langar at the Majnu-Ka-Tilla Gurdwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on June 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this June 3, 2015, photo, a Sikh devotee pours drinking water in glasses to be served during langar outside a hall at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Jaspal Singh, 74, poses for photos outside his house in New Delhi, India, on June 15, 2015, as on right, he arranges empty plates for langar, or free community meal, at Majnu-ka-Tilla Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on June 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this May 19, 2015 photo, volunteers and devotees cut vegetables as the prepare langar, which translates to community dinner, at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Harkerat Singh, a roadside tyre puncture mechanic sits outside his shop, in New Delhi, India, on June 16, 2015, as on right, he serves lentils during langar at the Majnu-Ka-Tila Gurdwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on June 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this May 12, 2015 photo, empty buckets are placed next to a large tub of lentils before the start of langar, which translates to community dinner, at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows, on the left, Jaspal Singh, 69, a retired carpenter, poses with his family at their house in New Delhi, India on May 28, 2015, as on right, he serves empty plates to devotees for langar, or free community meal, at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, on May 27, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this June 14, 2015 photo, a family eats langar at the Majnu-ka-Tilla Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Manpreet Singh, 23, who works in a call centre, sits with his father, at their house in New Delhi, India, on May 30, 2015, as on right, he serves drinking water to a Sikh devotee during langar, or free community meal, at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on May 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this May 12, 2015, photo, Paro, uses first name only, collects used plates from devotees for cleaning after they finish langar, which translates to community dinner, at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Harinder Singh, 62, a business man who owns a shop in Sadar Bazar, poses for a photographs outside his shop, in New Delhi, India, on June 16, 2015, as on right, he cleans the langar area with a broom at the Majnu-ka-Tila Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on June 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this June 3, 2015, photo, Sikh devotees prepare langar, which translates to community dinner, at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Amarjeet Singh, 57, a big businessman, who owns shops and a mall sits at his shop, in New Delhi, India, on June 16, 2015, as on right he distributes Indian bread to devotees during a langar at the Majnu-Ka-Tilla Gurudawara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India, on June 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this May 19, 2015 photo, devotees arrive at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara or Sikh temple in New Delhi, India. Men, women and children throng the kitchen at Bangla Sahib, one of the biggest gurudwaras in India, that serves langar, which translates to community dinner, served to more than 10,000 people every day. It is now a tradition followed by more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide. Nearly every gurdwara in the world, irrespective of size, has a kitchen and serves langar. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Harpreet Singh poses with his wife at their house in New Delhi, India, on May 28, 2015, as on right, he prepares langar, or free community meal, at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, on May 23, 2015, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

In this June 4, 2015 photo, women prepare Indian breads for langar, which translates to community dinner, for devotees Majnu-ka-Tilla Gurudwara or Sikh temple, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

This two picture combo shows on left, Kulbir Singh, 31, a marketing executive in a media group, sits at his house in South Extension in New Delhi, India, on June 4, 2015 as on right, he pours lentils into a large utensil as he prepares food for langar, or free community meal, to be served to devotees at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara or Sikh temple, on June 3, 2015, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Text from the AP news story, Free meal for thousands in New Delhi example of Sikh service, by Rishabh R. Jain.

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