Langar at gurudwara sees big jump in visitors

JAIPUR: The queue of people for daily langar at Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Pushkar is getting longer with each passing day after the central government demonetised high currency notes.
Foreigners, locals and labourers have outnumbered devotees in ‘pangat’ for langar which runs from 9 am till 9 pm.
They Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee too has gone a step ahead and advertised in local newspapers, appealing ‘needy people’ to visit the gurudwara for meals.
Besides, committee members are sending refreshments to people queuing up in banks and outside ATMs to withdraw money.
This gurudwara was built to commemorate the visit of Sikh gurus — Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind - to Pushkar.
Gereth Davies and his friend Faye Harrison, both from UK, were struggling to meet their daily expenses due to currency ban. They were advised to visit the gurudwara for free lunch and dinner.
They lunched with several other visitors on Tuesday.
“It’s a great service by the Sikh community in the time of need. I am delighted to be here,” said Davies who has cut short his visit to Pushkar due to shortage of new currency.
The duo didn’t comment on the demonetisation move but expressed unhappiness over the slow distribution of new currency.
Many foreigners in Pushkar are finding it difficult to meet their daily expenses which primarily include food and lodging bills.
The committee feels that as it has advertised in newspapers, the needy people would come in large numbers.
Its members are also planning to distribute pamphlets so the ‘message for free meals’ could reach far and wide.
“Serving humanity is the prime objective of Sikhism. We will not let anyone sleep without food,” said Raju Walia, a committee member.
The visitors at langar have shot up from 300 on usual days to 600 post demonetisation.
The committee has not put any ‘limit’ on visitors at langar.
“Our food stock is open round the clock. Food is cooked several times as and when visitors come,” said Baba Sahab Subedar, another committee member. Subedar refused to share the details of quantity of food visitors are consuming every day post demonetisation. The official timing for serving food is 9 am to 9 pm, but anyone coming after or before is also entertained.
For labourers, it is the only respite is hard times as several of them are without work these days.
Nabee Singh, a construction labourer from Thawla village in Merta, is jobless for the past one week. Every day, he comes for food and gets the same warm reception from the servicemen at the gurudwara.
“Every day, I come to Pushkar. I don’t know if I will get work, but I know I will not go hungry,” said Singh.