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7 min
04/11/2025
During Guru Nanak Jayanti, Amritsar becomes a lot more than a UNESCO site. It witnesses a 48-hour continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib performed in the Golden Temple. The sound of kirtans fills the air, even as devotional processions and spectacular shows of ‘ghatka’, where performers dance around with swords and shields, line the streets. And amidst it all, the langar in Gurudwaras grows in volumes— feeding almost double the daily visitors, but with the same sense of devotion and brotherhood.
Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab is celebrated every year to honour the birth of Guru Nanak Dev, the first guru and founder of Sikhism. This year it’s being celebrated on November 5. This occasion transforms Amritsar into a proof of Sikhism’s foundational principles of community service. Beyond the spectacular processions and prayers, the city offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the culturally significant langar – the community kitchen that feeds anyone who walks through its doors, and kadah prasad – the sacred offering that symbolises equality before God.
The Harmandir Sahib's Guru Ram Das Langar Hall operates 24 hours a day, every day. During Guru Nanak Jayanti, crowds are expected to swell beyond the usual 50,000-100,000 daily visitors, with wait times extending to 1-2 hours during peak periods. The smart move: arrive at dawn for the Prabhat Pheri procession at 5:00 AM, when early morning light hits the gold-plated sanctum and the crowds are thinner.
The menu is kept simple with dal, roti, sabzi, rice, and kheer, which is a regular occurrence; only the volume of the cooking changes when it comes to special occasions like Gurpurab. While rotis are usually handmade in Gurudwaras, the Golden Temple also uses an automatic roti-making machine owing to demand. The roti maker is said to produce 25,000 rotis per hour. Daily consumption includes 12,000 kg of whole wheat flour, 13,000 kg of lentils, 1,500 kg of rice, and 2,000 kg of vegetables.
The dining halls accommodate around 5,000 people at once across two floors. Everyone sits cross-legged in rows called pangat, regardless of their economic status, religion, or gender. Volunteers serve identical portions to everyone, and the rule is strict – eat what you take, waste nothing.
Exit the temple and you'll find the prasad distribution area near Darshani Deorhi. Kadah prasad is traditionally made of equal parts (symbolising the equality of the masses) whole wheat flour, ghee, and sugar with water as needed. It is cooked on low heat, while stirring continuously and made with devotion. At the Golden Temple, a dedicated sevadar (volunteer) prepares it – this person does nothing else, to maintain ritual purity. A sikh priest with a kirpan blesses the prasad, after which it is ready to be distributed.
You are supposed to join your palms together to accept the prasad. If you extend one hand, volunteers will ask you to use both. This gesture signals humility and readiness to receive blessings.
Located 135 meters south of the Golden Temple, this nine-story octagonal tower is Amritsar's tallest structure. Gurudwara Baba Atal Sahib was historically famous for its langar, with so many pilgrims visiting that locals coined the saying ‘Baba Atal, pakkian pakaian chall’ (O Baba, the revered one, send us well-baked bread to satiate our hunger). The langar here is the only one in Amritsar outside the Golden Temple, operating 24 hours daily.
The tradition dates to Baba Atal Rai, son of Guru Hargobind, whose generosity inspired this practice. Devotees still distribute bread to visitors, honouring his memory. The ground floor houses the Guru Granth Sahib beneath brass-embossed doors depicting Sikh history. Climb the 110 steps for views across Amritsar – worth it before or after the langar. It’s within easy walking distance of the Golden Temple. Like with other Gurudwaras, you’re expected to cover your head before entering. You can either bring a head covering or borrow one at the entrance.
Gurudwara Santokhsar Sahib is a UNESCO-designated historical site that sits 700 meters from Harmandir Sahib. Guru Ram Das discovered a yogi named Santakha meditating here; the tank was named Santokhsar after him and completed between 1587-89. Less crowded than the main temple, it offers a quieter langar experience while maintaining the same principles.
Guru Ke Mahal, the former residential house of the Gurus, holds special diwan and Guru ka Langar every Sunday following the first of a Bikrami month (mid-March to mid-April) of the Sikh calendar. During Guru Nanak Jayanti, these smaller gurudwaras provide authentic experiences without the overwhelming crowds of Harmandir Sahib.
Founded by Guru Hargobind in 1628 for pilgrims preferring seclusion, Gurudwara Bibeksar Sahib was later built (the current building) by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1833, with langar facilities and a well added in 1905-06. Located northeast of Ramsar between Chativind and Sultanvind gates, it's away from the main tourist circuit but serves langar according to the same egalitarian principles.
Gurudwara Saragarhi in Kaiser Bagh, Gurudwara Mai Kaulan near the Kaulsar tank, and Gurudwara Ramsar Sahib are all within walking distance of Harmandir Sahib. Each maintains langar facilities, though on a smaller scale than the Golden Temple.
Guru Ke Mahal, the converted residential house of Guru Ram Das, offers weekly special langars. These smaller venues provide more intimate experiences of the tradition, particularly valuable if the Golden Temple's scale feels overwhelming.
Forget any romanticised notions, for langars run on ruthless efficiency. Upon entering, you are expected to remove your shoes at the jora ghar (shoe house), cover your head (with a handkerchief or any other cloth), and wash your hands. Volunteers will seat you in rows on the floor. Within minutes, sewadars (volunteers) will move down in sequence, serving dal, followed by roti, sabzi, and finally kheer. Take what you'll eat; you will be offered seconds. The Golden Temple’s kitchen uses 100 LPG cylinders daily and employs hundreds of volunteers alongside permanent staff. Every plate is washed five times before reuse. The dining area is cleaned every 15 minutes for the next seating.
The Akhand Path (continuous 48-hour reading of Guru Granth Sahib) begins two days before the festival. On the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti, historic artefacts associated with Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be displayed from 9 AM to 12 noon at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, and Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai.
The main Nagar Kirtan procession, led by the Panj Pyare (five armed guards), travels through Ramdas Sarai, Saran Gate, Virasati Marg, Mai Seva Bazaar, Papranwala Bazaar, and Laxman Sar Chowk, with devotees serving langar at various points along the route.
The langar offers a value system that values simple food, nourishing in nature and identical for everyone. While various religious groups in 15th-century India provided food to travellers and ascetics, no evidence exists of formal community kitchens. It is said that Guru Nanak initiated the practice around 1521. Guru Angad systematised it, and Guru Amar Das made it prominent, requiring people to dine together irrespective of caste before speaking with him. Even Mughal Emperor Akbar sat on the floor to eat with common people at Goindwal.
During Guru Nanak Jayanti, the experience isn't serene – it's overwhelming in the best way. To truly understand why millions of Sikhs consider this celebration essential, try eating the langar; not as a tourist sampling exotic food, but as one person among thousands receiving the same meal from the same hands.
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