The practice of serving langar at Gurudwaras was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (the first guru of the Sikhs), further systematized by the second Guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji, and institutionalized by the third Guru, Guru Amar Das Ji. This tradition has been serving the community by upholding the humility in mankind.
The langar ghar at the golden temple is found next to the Dukh banjani Beri sahib and opposite to Manji sahib. You can reach up there by washing your feet from the pool of water outside the langar hall. It’s a triple-story building with an extra basement area. The building is adjoined with open verandahs and marble-clad spaces for the langar purpose and other spaces are for some smaller gatherings. The huge red-colored façade building is different from other buildings inside the golden temple. On the left-hand side, you will find the entrance gate. The view outside the langar ghar is phenomenal. The overjoyed excitement of people who have been serving there fills your heart with gratitude. Any gurudwara without the community kitchen is unthinkable.
The Langar Ghar in gurudwaras around the world serves as a powerful reminder that all people belong to one human family. It embodies the principle of equality, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity, regardless of caste, creed, gender, or belief. This tradition also highlights the generosity and selfless service of volunteers who cook, prepare, and serve the food with devotion. Sharing langar teaches the values of unity and humility, emphasizing that all human beings are equal.
In the Langar Ghar, when receiving the parshad (roti), it is customary to join both hands together in a cup shape, symbolizing humility and gratitude. The servers often offer the parshad while saying “Waheguru-parshad,” expressing reverence and respect for everyone seated on the floor, regardless of their background or faith. This inclusive practice welcomes all to share a meal under one roof, fostering a spirit of community and compassion.
From a religious perspective, Sikhs are encouraged to help their neighbors and serve anyone who comes to their home. This spirit of service is at the heart of the langar tradition in all gurdwaras, where it is believed that no one should leave without partaking in the langar prasad. Sikhs are also encouraged to contribute one-tenth (daswandh) of their earnings towards charitable causes for the welfare of the community. Among all forms of service, personally serving others with one’s own hands is considered especially virtuous and meritorious.
The food served at the Golden Temple is typically prepared by hand, with volunteers working together in a spirit of seva (selfless service). During peak hours, however, a roti-making machine-capable of producing up to 25,000 rotis per hour-is used to meet the high demand. On an average day, more than 50,000 people partake in the langar prasad, but during special occasions such as Gurpurabs, this number can rise to over 100,000.
The preparation takes place in two large kitchens equipped with hot tawas (griddles), massive burners, dough-kneading machines, and large utensils to cook and serve the meals. Huge vessels are used to prepare food in bulk, and it is truly remarkable to witness the seamless service of such a large crowd, all carried out with pure love and devotion.
Every day, approximately 50 quintals of wheat, 19 quintals of lentils, 15 quintals of rice, and 6 quintals of milk are used to prepare the langar prasad. Additionally, around 100 gas cylinders are consumed daily in the cooking process. Pilgrims are often amazed to see the vast quantities of raw ingredients transformed into nourishing prasad through the collective effort and devotion of the volunteers.
There are 2 separate halls where the pilgrims are supposed to come and sit on the floor to eat the langar. Once you enter the langar hall, the volunteers ask you for plates, bowls, and spoons. Sitting in the arranged lines, you have to ask for roti and daal with piety and gratitude. The basket is used to serve the roti. The buckets are filled with daal, chawal, and desserts sometimes. Water pots are used to serve water in the bowl. Hundreds of volunteers used to do this sewa every day with unpretentiousness and devotion.
A hundred devotees do the task of cleaning and maintaining hygiene at the langar hall after the distribution of langar prasad. Any pilgrim can also volunteer for cooking, cutting, and making of the langar prasad. You can also do the task of cleaning the plates, bowls and spoons. Also, some volunteers stand outside the hall to collect the used dishes for putting them in the cleaning area. The dishes are washed twice to maintain hygiene. The round-the-clock sewa is done by hundreds of volunteers local or outstation visiting the Golden temple every day. All the langar sewa of preparation and maintenance is completed from the donation given by the pilgrims in cash or kind.
