Share the langar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar

What the experience is

The Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, stands in the middle of a square pool in the city of Amritsar, in Punjab. The pool dates from the time of Guru Ram Das, in the 1570s, and Guru Arjan built the shrine and, in 1604, placed in it the first compilation of the Sikh scripture. Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt it in marble and copper and covered the upper storeys in gold in the early nineteenth century. It has an entrance on each of its four sides, a sign that people of every background are welcome.

Beside it is the langar, the community kitchen found in every Sikh temple. The practice goes back to Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith, and was developed by his successors as an act of charity and a statement of equality. At Amritsar it serves tens of thousands of vegetarian meals every day, and many more on festivals, without charge, to anyone who comes.

How it works

Visitors collect a steel plate and bowl, enter a large hall and sit on the floor in long rows, shoulder to shoulder, without distinction of rank or religion. This is the pangat. Volunteers walk down the rows serving lentils, vegetables and flatbread, and return to offer more. When a sitting ends, the hall is cleaned and the next group comes in.

Almost all the work is done by volunteers as sewa, selfless service. Visitors are welcome to join them when invited, in tasks such as preparing vegetables, rolling bread or washing plates; follow the instructions of the volunteers.

The rest of the visit

Walk the marble pavement around the pool, clockwise, before or after the meal. The scripture is carried in a palanquin to the shrine each morning and returned at night, and both processions can be watched. The complex is at its most striking after dark, when the gilded shrine is lit and reflected in the water.

When to go

The temple is open day and night throughout the year, and the kitchen serves almost continuously. October to March is the comfortable season in Punjab.

Good to know

Heads must be covered and shoes removed; scarves are generally available and there are free shoe deposits near the entrances. Tobacco and alcohol are forbidden. The temple is a place of worship and very busy on weekends and festivals. Photographs are not permitted in some parts, so follow the signs.

Why OKYTO recommends it

It is one of the few great religious sites where the visitor is a guest and can take part.