Langar or community meal is one of the fascination features of Sikh religion. Though langars are prepared everyday in Gurudwaras, they are specially looked forward to on special occasions such as Gurupurabs. A special Langar is also prepared on the occasion of Baisakhi - a festival that marks the foundation day of Khalsa Panth, and everyone participates in it with great enthusiasm and gusto.
In Sikhism, Guru ka Langar stands for community kitchen in or adjacent to a Gurdwara that is run in the name of Guru. Langar can also mean a free, vegetarian-only meal served in a gurudwara. The practice of langar was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji to break the caste system that was prevalent in India during the 13th and 14th centuries. Hence, both the kitchen and meal is open to all twice a day, throughout the year without any discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender or social status. Hence, in a langar, all people high or low, rich or poor, male or female, all sit in the same pangat (meaning row or line) to share and enjoy the food together. In an attempt to invite all and offend no one, the food in langar is always vegetarian. It usually consists of lentil soup, vegetables, rice and chappatis.
