For my first blog post about my recent trip to India, I'll take you on a journey to the Sikh temple in Delhi. We take off shoes to enter into holy places.
The Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was built in 1783. Sikhism is a religion founded in the 15thC in India and is influenced by both Hinduism and Islam. It's the fifth-largest religion in the world and holds a non-anthropomorphic, monotheistic understanding of God.
A main principle of Sikhism is equality of all people regardless of class, caste, or gender. Salvation is pursued through personal meditation on the name and message of God.
Before entering the temple we wash our feet and bow at the entry doorway as a sign of respect. Both men and women cover our hair with cloths in the temple.
Temple visitors receive holy water for ritualistic cleansing, and can bring some home for blessing a space or giving to ill family members.
All people, regardless of race, religion, gender, or caste may eat in the Gurudwara kitchen, called a "Langar" hall. Langar is the Sikh word referring to the vegetarian-only free food served daily to anyone who visits. The Sikhs are not strictly vegetarian but in order to be hospitable, only vegetarian food is served to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions, can eat as equals.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. The lentils and bread flour are purchased with money donated to the temple. Any vegetables served at the meals are donated by farmers. Volunteers prepare the food in enormous quantities; 10,000 people are served at this one temple, each day!
What I find most remarkable about these meals is the ethos around preparation and consumption. It is another lesson in gratitude for me. Those who volunteer to pay for or prepare the food earn blessings and merits for their effort for the benefit of others. Those who come to eat the food similarly earn blessings and merits for their consumption of the food. It's viewed as a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. The diners are grateful to the cooks for the generous gift of nutritious food. The cooks are grateful for the opportunity to meditatively prepare the meals for the benefit of others.
Here's a beautiful blog post from someone else studying food systems, who went to the same temple.
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