LANGAR

The main idea of Langar service is to serve free meals to everyone irrespective of their caste, creed, colour, religion or sex proving the point that we all are children of same Param Pita Paramatma. In langar everyone eats together without any ritual thus promoting the idea of equality.

In Radha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh, Tarn Taran free kitchen runs where everyone shares the task of preparing, cooking food and cleaning which helps to get rid of pride or the feeling of ego and promotes selfless service to community. While eating langar everyone sits on the floor together which strengthens equality, eat same food which shows oneness of all humankind. In Dera everyone is welcome to share langar and no one is turned away. This service supports the pillars of inclusiveness, community service which are the basis of Santmat.

Another important aspect of langar is that the meal served is always vegetarian which is also a primary condition to receive the precious gift of initiation from the Guru. While doing langar seva or eating langar one has to remove shoes, pick up the utensils for oneself, sit on the rags and after having langar everyone whether big or small, rich or poor wash their utensils which shows that we all are equal and children of one God. The Guru's free kitchen feeds both the body and the soul of every being. In Guru Ka Langar no one is turned away. This process, in a way, helps one to drop the mask of ego and promotes brotherhood and oneness. Guru ka langar conveys a clear message that the kitchen is being run in the name of Guru and no one except Him is the doer. It gives a golden opportunity to serve the humanity. Before the langar is served an ardaas is performed before the Guru asking for His blessings so that every single grain of food may inculcate positivity in us. It does not allow wastage of food as it is supposed to be a Prasad from the Guru.

The sevadaars in the Dera langar provide selfless service. People are served with Guru Ka Langar all round the year with same love and affection. Their dedication in this task is worth appreciation as they keep singing the hymns and praise of Guru and keep serving His children.

Thus Guru Ka Langar or Prasad teaches the etiquette of sitting and eating in a community, upholds the virtue of equality of every being. This prasad inculcates positivity, love and affection in the receiver giving a chance to render seva in the court of Guru because selfless seva is the basis of Santmat.