Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi
January 4, 2019
Liz Conkey

Front of the Gurdwara

Orange flag towers over Delhi, signaling a free meal to all in need, Sikh or not.
Sikh volunteeers prepare chapati, daal and rice for that day’s Langar (Sikh “soup kitchen”).
Cold, wet feet guide me through the stone interior of the gurdwara and into the surprising heat of the Langar. Scents of burning chapati and spicy daal hang over men and women serenely prepping food. Outdoors, our guide says the orange flag signals food is ready for all in need.
Visibility of Sikhs—and analysis
Before entering the gurdwara we covered our heads in scarfs and walked through puddles of water with which to cleans our feet and hands–both cleanliness and the wearing of turbans are part of the “5 K’s” used to distinguish Sikhs. This aspect of ensuring they are easily distinguished as Sikhs is the first instance of visibility that I saw emphasized at the gurdwara. Believing that humans are inherently flawed by their egotism and self-centered pride, it is the goal of Sikhs to shed such through acts of kindness and good deeds to others. The kitchen we walked through was swarming with devotees who worked unitedly to prepare that day’s langar meal as individuals living in Delhi lined up outside the cafeteria. Our guide described to us the importance of the towering flag outside which represents the next aspect of visibility. Sikh tradition incorporates the value of egalitarianism and community by opening its sacred doors to all, Sikh or not. Sikhs are determined to promote living “socially responsible” lives which includes rejecting the caste system which divides people arbitrarily, in addition to striving for justice by eliminating poverty and helping those less privileged. I was filled with a sense of stepping into a world so much bigger and more important than I, and the thought which consumed me was that we need more visibility of egalitarianism and justice in our own country