Golden Temple Feeding up to 100,000 People Every Day Leading to Humanitarian Cause Being Fulfilled at Scale and For Free

By Gurnoor D. '28

I earlier wrote about connecting the dots between in-class learnings from Dr. Jason Chang’s Asian Worlds class and current events and occurrences. In my last article, I wrote about Kerala floods during the monsoon season in India, an historic problem which is still a modern reality for millions of people in South Asia, underscoring the need for humanitarian efforts.

Recently, in Asian Worlds class, the freshmen learned about Sikhism. Originating in the Punjab region of India in the fifteenth century, Sikhism is the world's fifth largest religion, a faith built on the moral pillars of service and equality. A key tenet of Sikhism is seva, the practice of selfless service, a principle embedded deeply in the Sikh way of life, shaping daily community interactions and rituals. Expanding upon my learnings from Asian Worlds class, and using knowledge from my everyday life as a practicing Sikh, I am writing today to inform you all about Guru Ka Langar (or, in English, “The Guru’s free kitchen”): the Sikh tradition of serving free, vegetarian food daily to everybody, regardless of their background. With the aim of ensuring that no person goes hungry, Guru Ka Langar upholds seva, promoting Sikh values of equality and sharing. 

The Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, is the largest gurdwara (Skih place of worship) in the world. Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is known for its gold-plated structure and spiritual significance. A South Asian spiritual hub, the Golden Temple attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims every year, its doors open to everyone regardless of faith. 

However, possibly the most spectacular aspect of the temple is its langar, which is considered the world's largest free kitchen, serving hot meals to approximately 100,000 people daily (and more on religious holidays). The langar operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring that anyone who needs food can find it. It is a place for natives and foreigners to get safe and free food, a true sanctuary of nourishment and equality. Uniquely, every person sits on the floor to eat these divine meals. This practice reinforces humility and unity, removing social hierarchies in a simple, yet profound way.

In langars around the world, the food is primarily prepared by unpaid Sikh volunteers, an aspect of langars which further illustrates the Sikh philosophy of selflessness—the belief that serving others is a pathway to spiritual fulfillment. The logistics behind this operation are staggering, with volunteers working in shifts to knead dough, stir massive cauldrons, and serve plates, an effort demonstrating the true power of collective goodwill. Meals—whose ingredients are funded entirely by philanthropic donations—usually consist of Indian bread (roti), lentils (dal), curries, rice, kheer (rice pudding), and chai.

That being said, the Golden Temple is not the only temple which upholds the practice of langar. Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) worldwide have community kitchens that feed thousands, irrespective of caste, creed, or economic status. I have seen the practice of langar take place in the Bay Area’s Sikh Gurdwaras, located in El Sobrante, San Jose, Fremont, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and Hayward. The El Sobrante, San Jose, and Fremont Gurdwaras each serve between 1,000 to 3,000 meals per day over the weekend… It's truly spectacular!

In times of crisis, Sikh volunteers mobilize swiftly, setting up langars for displaced communities, a response seen during natural disasters, refugee crises, and humanitarian emergencies. During the recent LA fires, Sikh volunteers rapidly coordinated, providing meals to displaced families and first responders, an effort easing the burden on those affected. And, during the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, gurdwaras also stepped up, distributing food to those struggling with unemployment and economic hardship.

As we’ve learned in Asian Worlds classes, the lesson of Sikhism is simple, a principle that transcends cultures and religions: selfless service uplifts humanity, an ideology proving that one meal can be a powerful tool for change, an action reminding us that true wealth lies in giving, not in accumulating. The tradition of langar embodies these Sikh beliefs, as a spiritual service which, no matter its divinial implications, has concrete humanitarian implications that can create lasting change. Langar is not merely a meal, but a message, an affirmation of dignity, equality, and kindness in a world often divided by socio-economic disparities.

Dr. Jason Chang’s in-class teachings continue to inform me and my freshmen classmates about the historical significance of practices and events which continue to affect life in modern times. It’s important to consider the historical values which shape religions around the world and work to understand these different ideologies which bring people towards uplifting humanitarian causes. Let’s applaud Dr. Chang and all of the Asian Worlds teachers for their wonderful impact!