The Gurdwara And Help

The Sikhs have been coming to the rescue for centuries with their practice of feeding those in needs. It has never been more so with the pandemic and protesting.It's part of their religion. It's also part of their great contribution to this time.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna, author of the Indian cookbook, Indian-ish, wrote about this peace loving religion in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The Sikhs follow the teachings of Guru Nanek, a Fifteenth Century teacher who believed in a practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self control and purity.An essential part of Sikhism is langar, the practice of preparing and serving a free meal to promote the Sikh tenet of seva or selfless service.Anyone, can visit the gurdwara and participate in langar. You don''t need to follow the religion. Their doors are open to everyone. The biggest one, in Amritsar, India serves more than 100,000 people a day. Since Covid 19's arrival, all religious ceremonies have stopped yet the gurdwara has been open non-stop. The Sikh Center in Queens Village, New York, right outside Manhattan, is now feeding protesters . Last week volunteers served five hundred portions of matar paneer, a creamy coconut milk and tomato stew along with rice and rajima, another creamy comforting dish of red beans stewed with tomatoes. There was also dessert, kheer, a sweetened rice pudding.

There are eighty gurdwaras  all over the US.  They too have been stepping up , feeding those who need it. The Gurdwara Sahib of Fremont, California set up a grocery delivery service just after suspending religious services in March. There's also a meal drive through pick up service too. Cooks wear gloves and masks and the kitchen is big enough for workers to stand six feet apart from each other. As with other gurdwaras, the menus change daily and are always vegetarian, in respect to the Sikhs being vegetarian. The sect is also heading to the protests to feed the protesters, although they, themselves, have been the targets of prejudice and suspicion. In Los Angeles, they handed out seven hundred containers of pasta with a garlic and onion laden tomato sauce and five hundred bottles of water. They even set up a tent in Pan Pacific Park,in the western part of the city. In Norwich, Connecticut , two hundred bottles were handed out to protesters along with rajima. According to Gurjiv Kaur of the LA temple and a graduating senior at the University of California "Langar ,at its' core is a revolution - against inequality and the caste system". She and Kirin Singh asked volunteers to prepare meals to take to the protesters. The Sikhs stand peacefully with all who protest for a fairer world and better treatment from authorities.

The Sikhs have become  heroes of what's going on. They provide food and support to those who need it.  It is their langar which is now a part of our lives.