Langar Week - what's it about ?

Sikhs across the Midlands are taking part in Langar Week Credit: Tejinder Kaur-Thanki

Langar is the Sikh concept of providing free food to anyone, regardless of faith or background. This is essentially a free vegetarian buffet served from 6am-8pm every day in every Sikh temple. In recent years, to ensure this service gets to those who really need it, many volunteers take their work onto the streets.

Around 10,000 meals a week are served by Sikhs on the streets to the homeless and hungry. Friends Jagjit Singh and Jaspal Singh have been part of a team doing regular street feeds in Birmingham for years.

Jagjit Singh of the "Zero Hunger with Langar" project explains in his own words what Langar Week is about.

The Zero Hunger with Langar project helping people in Malawi Credit: Sikh Press Association

"The tale of how the concept of Langar started is something most Sikhs willknow. Guru Nanak’s father wished to instil in him a sense of enterprise, so he sent young Nanak with money to find a trade to make a profit. Money in hand, on the way to the market Nanak came across holy men who were suffering from hunger. Nanak decided that providing food for them was a worthy cause to invest in. Returning home empty handed, Nanak was scolded by His father.

Despite this, He explained that by feeding the needy He had actually used the money to get the highest return possible. With such tales embedded in the Sikh religion, for Sikhs sharing food is normal. However, not everyone is aware of this.

This is why Sikhs across the world – from all habitable continents – are taking part in Langar Week 2016; to spread the word that where you find disciples of Guru Nanak, you will find food for all.

With this in mind, this is how the Zero Hunger with Langar movement came about. Some friends and I who work with the Nishkam (meaning “without desire”) charity who do regular hunger relief feeds in Birmingham, decided to take the concept of Langar to people who need it most.

The aim is to give a hand-up and not just a hand-out. We’ve just started in Malawi and will be taking it further. More information

Walsall-based group Midlands Langar Sewa Society helping those in need Credit: Sikh Press Associaton

"Let Langar Week be the start of seeing Langar as not merely a religious practice, but a community service. Midlands Langar Seva Society from Walsall feed hundreds on the streets of the Midlands and all over the UK too, every single day. Soho Road Gurdwara in Handsworth is approximately where 20,000 people a week go for a free meal, come and check it out. Langar is there for everyone".

Volunteers taking Langar (free food) on the streets to help the hungry Credit: Sikh Press Association

Click here for more information on the Langar Week campaign.