Langar (Sikhism)
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In
Etymology
Langar is a Persian word that was eventually incorporated into the Punjabi language and lexicon.[4][5][6]
Origins
The concept of charity and providing cooked meals or uncooked raw material to ascetics and wandering
Several writers such as Gurinder Singh Mann and Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair have alluded to this fact of cooked food (or raw material) being provided to travelers, ascetics and wandering yogis,[7] free food distribution practices being in vogue in fifteenth century among various religious groups like Hindu Nath Yogis and Muslim Sufi saints.[8][9] However, no evidence exists of formal institutionalized community kitchens, providing cooked free meals, continuously, over a period of time by any particular community.
The roots of such volunteer-run charitable feeding is very old in Indian tradition; for example: Hindu temples of the Gupta Empire era had attached kitchen and almshouse called dharma-shala or dharma-sattra to feed the travelers and poor, or whatever donation they may leave.[10][11] These community kitchens and rest houses are evidenced in epigraphical evidence, and in some cases referred to as satram (for example, Annasya Satram), choultry, or chathram in parts of India.[12][13] In fact, Sikh historian Kapur Singh refers to Langar as an Aryan institution.[14] Such kitchens were limited to sangrand or masya or other specific festivals. Often, these kitchens precluded lower castes and hence it's questionable if they can be called 'community kitchens'. Due to the cooking practices of various religions and yogi orders, many would stay away from such 'free-meals'. For example, Hindus would not attend Muslim langars and vice versa. However, the community kitchen started by the Sikh Gurus, was universal and accepting of people from all faiths and backgrounds, a tradition which has continued to this day.
The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim
The concept of langar—which was designed to be upheld among all people, regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender, or social status—was an innovative charity and symbol of equality introduced into Sikhism by its founder, Guru Nanak around 1500 CE in North Indian state of Punjab.[9]
The second Guru of Sikhism,
It was the third Guru, Guru Amar Das, who established langar as a prominent institution, and required people to dine together irrespective of their caste and class.[21] He encouraged the practice of langar, and made all those who visited him attend langar before they could speak to him.[22]
Contemporary practice
Langars are held in
Gallery
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Janamsakhis painting of Guru Nanak's dialogue with Sant Ren feeding the hungry ascetics during the Sacha Sauda episode.
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Langar at the camp of Bir Singh Naurangabad, Punjab, c. 1850.
See also
- Bhog
- Pangat
- Karah Parshad (Sikhism)
- Prasad (Hinduism)
Notes and references
- ^ Pashaura Singh, Louis E. Fenech, 2014, The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies[dead link]
- ISBN 978-1-909248-40-3.
- ISBN 978-1898723134, page 148
- ^ Kathleen Seidel, Serving Love, Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook", September 2000. Accessed 15 January 2010.
- ISBN 9781466960978
- ISBN 9788120606708
- ISBN 978-0-19-802987-8.
- ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4411-1708-3.
- ^ Manabendu Banerjee (1989). Historical and Social Interpretations of the Gupta Inscriptions. Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar. pp. 83–84.
- Munshi Manoharlal. p. 306.
- ISBN 978-1-317-80631-8.; [b] Sanctuaries of times past The Hindu (June 27, 2010)
- S2CID 191573026.
- ISBN 978-81-7205-099-3.
- ISBN 978-1-136-78716-4.
- ISBN 978-0-06-063492-6.
- ^ Epilogue, Vol 4, Issue 1, p. 45
- ^ R. Nivas (1967), Transactions, Volume 4, The word langar, and this institution has been borrowed, so to speak, from the Sufis. The khanqas of the Chisti and other Sufi saints had a langar open to the poor and the rich, though the Hindus mostly kept away from them. To make the Brahmin sit with the pariah and do away with untouch- ability, and to make the Hindus and Muslims eat from the same kitchen and destroy all social, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, p. 190
- ISBN 978-0-520-04660-3.
- ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
- ISBN 978-0-19-106277-3.
- ISBN 81-8382-075-1.
- ^ "Why homeless Britons are turning to the Sikh community for food". BBC News. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Paterson, Kirsteen (July 14, 2016). "Scotland: Sikh charity feeds those most in need". The National. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- SBS Punjabi. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-7914-4509-9.
External links
- Desjardins, Michel; Desjardins, Ellen (2009). "Food that Builds Community: The Sikh Langar in Canada". Cuizine: The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures. 1 (2). Consortium Erudit. doi:10.7202/037851ar.