golden temple (kitchen & food)
TRANSCRIPT
Kitchen, food & peopleKitchen, food & people
Golden TempleGolden TempleAmritsarAmritsar
Indeed few places in India
Indeed few places in India
demostrate so clearly the
demostrate so clearly the
country genious for
country genious for
diversity & tolerance, the
diversity & tolerance, the
twin reasons that explains
twin reasons that explains
why India has remained
why India has remained
one nation
one nation
When the Murghal When the Murghal emperor Akbar offers emperor Akbar offers to give Guru Amar Das to give Guru Amar Das a platter of gold coins a platter of gold coins to support the kitchen, to support the kitchen, he refused sayinghe refused saying““The kitchen is always The kitchen is always run with the blesing of
run with the blesing of the almighty”the almighty”Guru Amar Das created Guru Amar Das created the community kitchen the community kitchen during his time, in the during his time, in the 16 century16 century
Here, about 35.000 people a day are fed for free by people volunters
Everyone is invited
Everyone is invited to join the making
to join the making of bread of bread
Visitors must not
Visitors must not drink alcohol, eat
drink alcohol, eat meat or smoke at the
meat or smoke at the templetemple
The groaning, clattering machines never stop, transforming every day12 tons of whole wheat flour into nearly a quarter-million discs of flat-bread called roti
The roti is roll flat and send down to a gas fired conveyor beltThe roti is roll flat and send down to a gas fired conveyor belt
It spitt out a never-ending stream of hot, floppy, perfectly round breadIt spitt out a never-ending stream of hot, floppy, perfectly round bread
Langar is a free santified meal which is prepared daily and served at the templeLangar is a free santified meal which is prepared daily and served at the temple
Volunteering Volunteering and and
community community support are
support are expresed in expresed in the the Langar
Langar
These two men These two men are talking in a are talking in a relaxed way, relaxed way, waiting for their waiting for their work to beginwork to begin
Soup lentils, three Soup lentils, three and a third tons and a third tons of them bubble of them bubble away in big away in big cauldrons, stirred cauldrons, stirred by bearded , by bearded , barefoot menbarefoot men
The pungent, savory smell comes from 1.700 pounds of onions and 132 of garlic, sprinkled with 330 pounds of fiery red chillies
Communal contributions and Communal contributions and combined efforts of the people combined efforts of the people helped to organize the guru’s helped to organize the guru’s free kitchen based on the free kitchen based on the principals of:principals of:
•Kirat karo Kirat karo – Earni– Earning by ng by means of earnest, means of earnest, honest efforts and honest efforts and endeavors.endeavors.
•Vand chakko Vand chakko – Sharing – Sharing of earnings and of earnings and resources such as resources such as foodstuffs or other foodstuffs or other goods, and by serving goods, and by serving others.others.
•Naam japna Naam japna – – Remembering the name Remembering the name of God at all times of God at all times whether cooking, whether cooking, distributing langar, or distributing langar, or doing cleanup.doing cleanup.
Later I was told Later I was told that these day I
that these day I was the only was the only oxidental to visit
oxidental to visit the kitchensthe kitchens
Thousands of volunteers have scrubbed the floors, chopped onions, shelled peas and peeled garlic
It s lunchtime at what may be the world ‘ largest eatery, the langar, or community kitchen at the Golden Temple
Once the lunch
Once the lunch
is over, plates
is over, plates
and bowls must
and bowls must
be returned
be returned It s done in
It s done in perfect order
perfect order
At least 40.000 metal plates, bowls and spoons have been washed, stacked and are ready to go
““This is our tradition”, said
This is our tradition”, said
Harpinder Singh, the
Harpinder Singh, the
manager of this huge
manager of this huge
operation, “ anyone who
operation, “ anyone who
wants can come and eat”
wants can come and eat”
August 29, 2010
August 29, 2010
Amritsar Journal
Amritsar Journal
Music: Guru nanak dev ji Performed by Ravi Athwal
Guru Amar Das