Why do the Sikh langhar help people?

Answer 1

there is langar because Guru Nanak Dev ji said that we are all one and equal, so we should all sit together. that means, a person in a lower caste has every right to sit with someone in higher cast. Guru ji always followed that rule. for example, a long time ago, a group of rajas came to Guru Gobind Singh Ji and they said "Our dear beloved Guru Ji! We want to become your Sikhs! We will take amrit and become singhs! But we will do this on one condition: we won't eat langar with other people. We will eat langar in a private room." Guru Ji was outraged by this. He said"If you are not going to eat langar with the sangat, then you shall not be my Sikhs." So, as you can see, Sikh langar helps us to look past all our differences and eat langar together because we are all God's children.

Ans-2:

The Sikh Gurdwaras are not only places of worship but also the training center of service. Such service as sweeping the precincts, serving drinking water to the thirsty, fanning the congregation in hot weather and serving food to the hungry have always formed an integral part of the factions in a Sikh shrine. Of these, Langar is perhaps the most important. A Sikh Gurdwara without a free kitchen is inconceivable.

"Dânâ pânî guru kâ, tehal sevâ sikhân dî"

(Food and Drink are the gifts of the Guru, Service and devotion contributed by his servitors)*

The Langar in Gurdwara's is a community kitchen. Every Sikh is expected to take part in the running of the community kitchen. Community has pay for the expenses, bring provisions or personally contribute labour of love, by cleaning utensils, fetching water or fuel, or taking a hand in cooking and distributing food. Langar is one of the corner of the Sikh religion and a symbol of equality.

Guru Nanak set up a Gurdwara of bread at Kartar Pur Where people brought corn and fuel, and worked together to prepare a common meal for the whole community. Nanak took practical steps to break the vicious hold of caste by starting free community kitchens - Guru ka langar- in all centers and persuading his followers, irrespective of their castes, to eat together.

Guru Angad extended the Langar and personally served in it. Langar in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji "The Langar- the kitchen of the Guru's Shabad has been opened, and its supplies never run short. Whatever His Master gave, He spent; He distributed it all to be eaten. The Praises of the Master were sung, and the Divine Light descended from the heavens to the earth. Gazing upon you, O True King, the filth of countless past lives is washed away. The Guru gave the True Command; why should we hesitate to proclaim this? His sons did obey his word; they turned their backs on him as Guru. These evil hearted ones became rebellious; they carry loads of sin on their backs. Whatever the Guru said Lehna did, and so he was installed on the throne. Who has lost, and who has won? He who did the work, is accepted as Guru; so which is better - the thistle or the rice? The Righteous Judge of Dharma considered the arguments and made the decision. Whatever the True Guru says, the True Lord does; it comes to pass instantaneously. Guru Angad was proclaimed, and the True creator confirmed it. Nanak merely changed his body; He still sits on the throne, with hundreds of branches reaching out. Standing at his door, his followers serve him; by this service, their rust is scraped off. He is the Dervish- the Saint, at the door of his lord and master; he loves the True name, and the Bani of the Guru's word. Balwand says that Khivi, the Guru's wife, is a noble woman, who gives soothing, leafy shade to all. She distributes the bounty of the Guru's Langar; the kheer - the rice pudding and ghee, is like sweet ambrosia. The faces of the Guru's Sikhs are radiant and bright; the self-willed Manmunkhs are pale, like straw. The master gave his approval, when Angad exerted him self heroically. Such is the husband of mother Khivi; he sustains the world."

Guru Amar Das turned it into an institution and ordered that all who came to see him must first eat in Langar "Pahle Pangat, Piche Sangat" Food first, congregation next. The motto was pehle pangat piche sangat- "first sit in a row in the kitchen, then seek the company of the the Guru. The Guru included a common mode of worship and a common social institute by laying the foundation of Sangat and Pangat. Sangat means "association", it is getting together of noble and good people. Pangat literally means a same row. It stands for people sitting and eating together in the same row in Guru- ka-Langar. From the time of Guru Nanak, Sangat and Pangat have gone together, for the Sikhs, both in percept as well as in practice. Wherever there was a Sangat there also was a Langar, as these Sangats were' not merely places of worship but also wayside refectories, which gave food and shelter to indigent wayfarers. Even the Emperor Akbar and the Raja of Haripur had to sit on the floor with the common people and take a meal with them. Apart from promoting social equality, the Langar eliminated taboos about chauka- the preparation of food in a special enclosures etc.

Guru Ramdas who ordered that water widened the scope of Langar and meals are also served to travelers and squatters.

Guru Arjan Dev and his wife personally served water to the Sangat. They even massged the weary travelers and fanned them to sleep.

Guru Hargobind ji says: "Garib ka Mooh guru ki golak" (Poor man's month is the Guru's Coffer)

Guru Gobind Singh Ji says: " May the kitchen and the Sword prevail in the World". "Deg Teg Jag maih Dou Chleh!" Deg and Teg are Persian words, meaning the kettle and the sword respectively. Deg literally means a cooking -pot. It symbolically stands for the free kitchen or Langar; whereas Teg is the sword represents dignity and power. Deg to feed the poor and the stanger, regardless of caste and religion; and "Tag" the Sword, to destroy the oppressor of humanity and protect the oppressed. Hence Deg and Teg are symbols of service and power. Many of the Sikhs started their own Langars at Anandpur. One day, Guru Gobind Singh went out incognito on an inspection of Langars. He found out that Bhai Nand Lal maintained the Langar well, while others were indifferent to the needs of poor. He warned them and remarked, "The mouths of the poor are Guru's receptacles of gifts".

Seva (selfless service) is a sacred duty, and can be done anywhere for anyone. An important from of seva is Langar. All who visit the Gurdwara sit down together in a row and partake of the simple food offered with loving care irrespective of the recipient's caste, color, creed, sex, nationality, social background or position in the community. The community freely gives all the food and services associated with the Langar, and the food is vegetarian. Amritdhari sevadar are serving the langar, it is not necessary. Serving sevadar has to wear a Parna (Bandana) around their heads for reasons of hygiene. It is a symbol of the Sikh belief in a non-sexist, non-racist society; equality, fraternity and brotherhood where all people of all caste, religion are equal and can share a common meal in the true print of unity. It is not unusually to see at a Langar of a millionaire seated next to his own servant in a Pangat. Some high caste has his meal along with harijan, or a landlord sitting along with his workers.