On a hot afternoon as the temperature hovers around 34°C, half a dozen men inside the world’s largest community kitchen nonchalantly prepare meals in huge gas and wood-powered woks to feed more than 100,000 devotees.
They serve lentil soup, vegetable curry, basmati rice and rice pudding, cooked around the clock at a community kitchen inside the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest site, in Amritsar, Punjab, northern India.
It is the world’s largest free kitchen, according to the The World Book of Records, and is open 24/7 throughout the year to everyone, irrespective of religion, caste, creed or gender.
Authorities say about 5,000 kilograms of wheat, 1,800 kilograms of lentils, 1,400 kilograms of rice, 5,000 litres of milk, 1,000 kilograms of sugar and 5,000 kilograms of ghee or clarified butter are consumed every day.
Nearly 1,500 kilograms of liquefied petroleum gas and 500 kilograms of firewood are needed to cook the meals.
Every day, nearly 500 volunteers, called “sevadaar”, prepare vegetarian meals for 100,000 people – devotees and tourists who throng to the temple kitchen called the Guru Ramdas Langar, named after the fourth of the ten Sikh gurus.
“Our volunteers work throughout the day and night to serve meals to the people,” kitchen supervisor w told The National.
“We don’t discriminate. Any person can come here and enjoy the meals. There are four entrances to this temple symbolising the acceptance of people from all religions.”
A dozen volunteers work in the ground-floor kitchen area under the supervision of lead chefs, cooking meals on the massive woks perched on a high platform.
In a separate section, huge volumes of tea are brewed in gigantic vessels, as men stir the hot liquid with ladles the size of boat oars.
Another group of men patiently sits in a corner cutting vegetables and cleaning utensils.
On the first floor, more than 100 men and women patiently make chapatis – Indian flat breads – on large rectangular stoves.
Every few minutes, tall, well-built men rush in and fill smaller vessels with soup, rice, or tea to serve to about 5,000 people at a time.
The air is filled with religious slogans as devotees grin with pride.
Equality and communal harmony
The concept of “langar”, meaning a feeding centre for travellers in Persian, was devised by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, in the 15th century.
It was established as a custom by the third guru, Guru Amar Das in every gurudwara or the Sikh temple, with the purpose of promoting equality and communal harmony in the deeply divided Indian society.
The gurus initiated the trend to encourage people from all gender, caste, and religion to gather and sit together to eat the same meals.
Mr Singh said: “You will not see so many people from different backgrounds, whether rich or poor, sitting on the floor and eating together anywhere else in the world.
“This is the beauty of our sangat, our community.”
He added: “The people here you see are all doing seva [service] to mankind. They don’t get tired and work happily.
“They come in two shifts, morning and evening, work for 12 hours and never shy away from doing extra chores.
He said anyone who wishes to “extend their helping hand are welcome to volunteer”.
“Our Guru started this tradition and we are following it,” he added.
The Golden Temple covers 4,645 square metres, over three floors.
The food is served in two first-floor halls, which cover the area of three basketball courts and accommodate about 5,000 diners sitting crossed-leg on the floor.
Every 15 minutes, the dining area is cleaned for the next sitting of hungry devotees.
To cope with demand, the gurudwara has also introduced three automatic chapati-makers, each churning out 4,000 pieces per hour, on the second floor.
The volunteers are mostly neighbours or devotees who, as well as preparing food, wash more than 300,000 plates, spoons, glasses and bowls.
It costs more than 300 million rupees ($3.6 million) a year to run the langar, which Mr Singh said is covered by donations.
Sikhs have a religious obligation to contribute one-tenth of their earnings for the welfare of the community.
“People donate and that’s how we run this kitchen,” Mr Singh said.
“It is a community service and our community actively takes part in this noble cause. We never have to worry about money, the sangat [community] looks after the meals.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
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The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
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THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara