The "langar" has been and remains one of our important religious institutions. Yes, religious, and not merely social. In its current practice, at least in Canada, USA and UK, it is practised in a watered-down version, though.

Namely, that certain people sit together in rows, and are served by the same sevadars. I state "certain" for there are some members of our community, who do not eat from the same kitchen or sit separately to be served by specific sevadars. As per Sikh tenets, seva is an endeavour in anonymity. Yet, in each and every place, mentioned above, there are pronouncements weeks before and there are praises heaped later on, that "today it is so-and-so's langar" or "today it is so-and-so pariwaar's langar seva". An institution that was meant for nurturing humility has been circumvented into yet another tool for projection of one's haumai. Seva, to be done as part of our sehaj, becomes a periodic activity to draw attention to oneself. This is the second dimension of the "turning back the clock" that we are doing. To pre-Guru Nanak times.

The requirement in Guru Amardas Ji's court was that before you could come to his "court" to seek his "darshan", you had to sit in the "pangat", partake in the "langar" (eat the food that was served). The langar was part of the religious experience. It was a pre-condition to the "darshan"; the "sant sangat" began at the langar. You prepared yourself to be worthy of sitting in the "gur sangat".

Nowadays the "religious" aspect of our practices has been isolated to the "haajri" in the diwaan hall where the kirtan is being performed in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. The langar has been relegated to a mere social activity, done after the "religious" activity is over. In many a place, after the "kirtan sohilaa" has even been read. People cluster around folks of their strata, talking shop, the latest materialistic acquisitions, or the "near-genius" achievements of their family. Equality and humility is defined as the posteriors being at the same ground-level.

In this situation, it is amusing, how everybody is concerned about covering the heads. Or for that matter, whether we eat sitting on chairs or standing up. I have seen this rescindment of our logical practices, even in the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar. The practice was that after taking a dip in the sarovar, you went to the langar hall, did sevaa or ate food, and then went to the Guru's darshan. Nowadays the devout ones make a parikarma (circumabulation) of the Darbar Sahib, go for the "darshan" and then, because you are hungry by now, go "eat the langar".

Even the terminology sounds ridiculous nowadays. Ask anyone, and "langar" is translated into "lunch" or "dinner". -

"langar khaa ke jaaNaa ji".

This sure sounds fine, for with the translation of "langar" into "lunch", it means "Please eat lunch before you leave".

"Langar" is the persian word for "ship's anchor". You "drop anchor" instead of "eating it". When a ship wants to take a breather, stock on the supplies, before embarking again on the oceans, it drops anchor. In Punjabi we state "bandargaah tte jahaaz ne langar paaiaa". Consequently, the correct usage is :

"langar paa ke jaaNaa ji".

The above metaphor, alluding to our ship-like body's journey through the ocean-like world, was the background behind the usage of the term "langar". We have lost the semantics, and as we lose sight of the rationale in our understanding as well as implementation, we begin to look more and more bound by religious rituals. Much to the disappointment of our younger generations as well as those outside the faith. Our practices thereby contradict, at times, the values and ethics we might be espousing about our religion.

The third dimension of the annulment of our religious logic, in this arena, is the separation as well as shift, of the activity of the "langar paaNaa", into sitting at the diwaan and then eating lunch.

I am aware of the conveniences, expediencies and confines that forced us into these "changes". Yet, in our zeal for making these "adjustments", we seem to have lost the intent.

Jasbir Singh