Sikh community of Navi Mumbai organizes langar at Central Park

NAVI MUMBAI: Celebrating National Langar Week, the Sikh community in Navi Mumbai organised a langar recently at Central Park. The idea which is being done at various venues across Mumbai as well is to highlight the practice of community sharing.
Launched by the Sikh Press Association and organised by the Basics of Sikhni, the concept of providing free meals is distinct with the community and throughout the week volunteers at various gurudwaras will prepare and serve these vegetarian meals.
"The concept of a langar started with Guru Nanak who believed that sharing a meal brings people together and takes away differences," explained Gurpreet Singh from the Basics of Sikhni. Langar week is being held in 19 countries worldwide and in 13 cities all over India.
At Central Park, around 400 people were served a hot meal cooked by the volunteers at Kharghar's gurudwara. "Although the gurudwaras fund the event, if they run short of funds, we pitch in monetarily," added Gurpreet.
In a larger sphere of things, the langar is aimed at promoting the spirit of compassion and sharing. Although, Gurpreet said, langars are a common feature at every gurudwara, not everybody visits one. "To give them that experience that meals are given to all, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or race, we thought of taking the concept out of the gurudwara to the public at large," he said.