Golden Temple and free food for 100,000 people

The golden temple of Harmandir Sahib is located in the city of Armitsar, India. This is the most famous Sikh temple, considered by the Sikhs the most sacred place. The shrine was originally built in 1604 and later restored in 1764

We already wrote about the Harmandir Sahib in a separate article, where I advise you to look for more detailed information about the shrine itself. Here we will talk about how tens of thousands of needy people receive food in the temple every day. As you know, many Sikh temples contain kitchens known as langars. Here, food is served to all visitors, regardless of their religion or any beliefs. All comers are served exclusively vegetarian food, so absolutely everyone can eat here on an equal footing, and even people with dietary restrictions

Of course, the largest langar is located in the most important shrine — the Golden Temple. On average, about 40,000 people eat here for free every day. But many more people can gather for religious holidays — up to 100,000 people. This incredible feat was made possible by donations from volunteers. Here are some of the details of this whole process…

Approximately 90% of the staff are volunteers, each of whom can help exactly as much as he is ready to do so. Volunteers can help with both cooking and cleaning, as well as other necessary preparations.

Under the kitchen are large mills that process up to 12 tons of flour daily. Lentils are carried in huge vats that require at least a few people to carry. On the busiest days, an automatic roti (Indian bread) machine is launched that can bake up to 25,000 loaves per hour. After the food is cooked, the volunteers put it into the dishes in portions, and distribute it throughout the dining room.

During lunch, anyone can be in the dining room, regardless of their religion. Women, men and children all sit together here. Before entering, you must take off your shoes and put on a hat.

It serves traditional food of lentils, rice, vegetables and roti. Everyone should sit on the floor so that everyone is equal among themselves. Two dining halls can serve approximately 5,000 people at a time

At the end of lunch, another group of volunteers enters the business. Each dish is thoroughly washed, after which it is ready for the next group of visitors.