Feeding Body and Soul: Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi

A Sikh man with a large wok of dal, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Making Dal
It’s dark, hot, and humid in the kitchens of the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, one of the nine historical Sikh temples in Delhi.

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”

~ A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens 

It’s that time of year again: when the sun reaches its zenith (or nadir, depending which hemisphere you live in) and families get together to celebrate whatever the customary celebration is in their particular household.

As much as I love the idea of Christmas, and the idea of “a kind, forgiving, charitable time”, I am much more impressed with people who live their belief in treating each other well on a daily  – rather than seasonal – basis. 

This is part of why I was so impressed to learn about langar

It was my first visit to a Sikh Temple: the ancient Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. It was a November mid-morning, and music and prayers were in progress in the sumptuous and gilded Darbar Sahib (Prayer Hall). But, it was in the kitchen areas and out on the roof-top that the real life of the temple was happening: countless volunteers of all ages were performing seva, or selfless service, by preparing and cooking copious amounts of food – pumpkin, dal, roti and kheer (rice pudding) – for anyone who wanted to enter the temple to eat.

Langar (ਲੰਗਰ) is a Punjabi word for kitchen or canteen. In the Sikh religion, the meaning of langar extends to include the communal cooking, serving, and eating of traditional North Indian vegetarian food in a Gurdwara (a Sikh house of worship) – although the concept of free food for the needy pre-dates the Sikh religion, with a long history in Chishtī Sufism in Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent.

Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism in the Punjab in 1469, is said to have started the langar custom when he fed hungry Sadhus with money intended for trade goods. Mata Khivi, the wife of Second Guru Angad Dev, expanded the langar to include seva, or altruistic selfless service, by serving alongside the the first five gurus in the Gur ka Langar, the Guru’s free kitchen. Third Guru Amar Das added pangat sangat, the idea that every one, regardless of rank, sits and eats together as equals in the congregation. 

Today, no matter who you are, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, age or status, as long as you bare your feet, cover your head, and behave with decorum, you are welcome in any Sikh langar hall, where – between midday and midnight – you can enjoy a nourishing meal. 

Pangat sangat; nourishment of body and soul.

The domes of Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
The domes of this Sikh temple – first established in 1783 – rise over the narrow streets of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi.

Sikh in Purple and orange, rooftop, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Sikh in Purple and Orange
Visiters to the temple can enjoy rooftop views over the old city.

Three Sikh musicians on a platform, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Music and Prayers
Prayer and meditation are an integral part of Sikhism; inside the Gurdwara, worship includes the singing of traditional hymns.

Portrait of a Sikh Woman, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Sikh Woman
The people inside Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib are relaxed and unhurried.

In the Kitchen of , Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

In the Kitchen
The tiled walls of one the communal kitchens are scrubbed and ready for langar – the preparation and sharing of boundless food.

India Women at cutting pumpkin on the roof, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Women at Work
On a rooftop balcony, women work together paring pumpkin.

India men at cutting pumpkin on the roof, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Men Cutting Pumpkin
The Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh scripture – explicitly states that males and females are equal; …

Indian man

Cutting Pumpkin
… watching the men and women of the temple doing seva (service) side by side demonstrates this equality in action.

Young Indian women at cutting pumpkin on the roof, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Peeling Pumpkin
Performing seva is a family affair.

Making Chapati Dough, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Making Chapati Dough
Chapati (or roti) is a staple of meals at the temple. To make enough involves a bit of a production line!

Making Chapati, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Rolling Chapati
Dough has to be portioned, rolled out, …

Making Chapati, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Making Chapati
… and flattened.

Flattening Chapati Dough, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Flattening Chapati
The word Chapati is from the Hindi capātī, from capānā, meaning to ‘flatten or roll out.’

Flattening Chapati Dough, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Chapati Flying
Flattened chapati …

Sikh women cooking chapati on a large griddle, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Cooking Chapati
… are placed on the griddle …

Sikh woman cooking chapati on a large griddle, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Cooking Chapati
… where they are carefully watched over.

Pot of dal, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Making Dal
Dal is another staple of a North Indian vegetarian diet. Light angles into a dark room where it simmers.

Sikh man with a cup of Tea, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Tea Break

A six-sided marble, carved with prayers, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi

Prayers on the Roof
A section of roof – away from those preparing vegetables – is devoted to prayers.

Marble carved with "Waheguru" in Punjabi script, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

“Waheguru”
Roughly translated as “Wondrous Enlightener”, Waheguru is the name Sikhs use when referring to their monotheistic God.

Boys with uncovered heads on the Rooftop, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi

Boys on the Rooftop
Anyone is welcome at the temple. I’m guessing these lads are not Sikh because their hair has been cut. Many Hindu children visit from the streets because they know they will get fed, and Sikhs do not proselytize, so the meals here are indeed “free”.

Three Sikh musicians on a platform, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi

Prayers Indoors
Back in the the Darbar Sahib or Prayer Hall, the music …

People seated in the prayer hall, , Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi

The Darbar Sahib
… and prayers continue.

Sikh Guardian at the Gate of Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Chowdry Chowk, Old Delhi

Sikh Guardian at the Gate
I pass the kindly-faced Guardian as I leave the temple and reclaim my shoes.

I always drop a little something into the collection boxes at temples and churches when I take pictures in them. Before I left the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, I looked for a place for donations.

I couldn’t find one;

I guess there really is such a thing as a free lunch!

Text: May the Spirit of the Season be with You.But, it only happens because the “Three Pillars of Sikh Principle” expect devotees to give their time in service, and to donate a ten percent tithe from their “honest earnings”.

That sounds a bit like what Charles Dickens called Christmas spirit:

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” 

Happy holidays to you and yours.

Pictures: 04November2013

  • Karl Grobl - October 15, 2017 - 1:50 am

    Fantastic reportage and photographs, Ursula! Again, you have educated and entertained us with your informative commentary and compelling images. Thanks for sharing.ReplyCancel

    • Ursula - October 15, 2017 - 3:41 am

      Many thanks for your visit, Karl! This trip feels like a long time ago…ReplyCancel

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

*

*