IMPORTANCE OF SANGAT AND PANGAT

IMPORTANCE OF SANGAT AND PANGAT

By

Shri Bhupinder Singh Suri

 Guru Nanak Dev Ji instituted the concept of Sangat and Pangat, Sangat (congregation) was the mixing together of devotees in worship – recitation of hymns and singing of shabad, and listening to discourses. The Sangats were established all over the places visited by Guru Nanak Dev  right from the beginning and eventually emerged as missionary centres of Sikhism. That infused a social spirit and formed an attempt at communal living apart from group moksha (deliverance from birth and death) instead of emphasis on individualism and individual  moksha in  Hinduism.  It also provided the people a platform to exchange views on common problems and generate a feeling of communal and national consciousness at a time when sense of nationalism was absence among the populace.

The Langar or free kitchen was started by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people of the world regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender or social status. In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of Langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind. "..the Light of God is in all hearts."

For the first time in history, Guruji designed an institution in which all people would sit on the floor together, as equals, to eat the same simple food. It is here that all people high or low, rich or poor, male or female, all sit in the same pangat (literally "row" or "line") to share and enjoy the food together.

The institution of Guru ka Langar has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation of women and children in a task of service for mankind. Women play an important role in the preparation of meals, and the children help in serving food to the pangat. Langar also teaches the etiquette of sitting and eating in a community situation, which has played a great part in upholding the virtue of sameness of all human beings; providing a welcome, secure and protected sanctuary.

Everyone is welcome to share the Langar; no one is turned away. The food is normally served twice a day, every day of the year, and some Gurdwaras Langar is served 24 hours a day. Each week a family or several families volunteer to provide and prepare the Langar. This is very generous, as there may be several hundred people to feed, and caterers are not allowed. All the preparation, the cooking and the washing-up is done by volunteers and or by voluntary helpers (Sewadars).  Besides the Langars attached to gurdwaras, there are improvised open-air Langars at the time of festivals and gurpurbs. Specially arranged Langars on such occasions are probably the most largely attended community meals anywhere in the world. There might be a hundred thousand people partaking of food at a single meal in one such langar. Wherever Sikhs are, they have established their Langars. In their prayers, the Sikhs seek from the Almighty the favour.

Guru-ka-Langar (lit. 'Gurus' communal dining-hall) is a community kitchen run in the name of the Guru. Often referred to as the Guru's Kitchen it is usually a small room attached to a gurdwara, but at larger gurdwaras, such as the Harmandir Sahib, it takes on the look of a military kitchen with tasks arranged so that teams of sewadars prepare tons of food (all meals are vegetarian) for thousands of the Gurus' guests daily. The Langar is run by sevadars 'volunteers doing selfless service’ Sikhs and others who wish to help. It is a community kitchen and anybody can help in its running. This function of Sewa results in a community feeling in peoples' minds as they drop their mask of ego. The feeling of "I" or "me" is forgotten as they perform this valuable service to humanity.

An essential part of any Gurdwara is the Langar, or free kitchen. Here the food is cooked by sevadars and is served without discrimination to all. After the Sadh Sangat has participated in any ceremony, they are served the Guru’s Langar. It was inspired by Guru Nanak’s act of serving food to wandering holy men when given money by his father to strike a good bargain. The practice of serving food to all was started with Guru Nanak’s Sikhs at Kartarpur. The Guru’s Langar is always vegetarian, and traditionally is made up of simple, nourishing food. Strict rules of hygiene and cleanliness are important when preparing the Langar (i.e., washed hands, never tasting it while cooking). Individuals with communicable diseases should not participate in the preparation of Langar. It is also suggested that Gurbani be recited during the preparation.

Guru Nanak and his successors attached a great deal of importance to langar and it became, in their hands, a potent means of social reform. The former gave it the central place in the dharamsala he established at Kartarpur at the end of his preaching tours. Guru Nanak, as did Guru Angad, toiled in the fields to provide for himself and for his family and to contribute his share to the common langar.  Guru Nanak Dev had such of his disciples as could afford to set up dharamsalas and langars. Among them were 'Sajjan Thag, then lost to godly ways, and a wealthy nobleman, Malik Bhago, both of whom had converted to his message. Bhumia, formerly a dacoit, was asked by Guru Nanak to turn his kitchen into a langar in the name of God. A condition was laid upon Raja Shivnabh of Sangladip (Sri Lanka) that he open a langar before he could see him (Guru Nanak). The Raja, it is said, happily complied.

Guru Angad opened Guru-ka-langar at Khadur where he had established his headquarters. The expression of service and a belief in the unreality of caste and class distinction is but an extension of earliest teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth master, strengthened such an attitude among the Sikhs and in all rites emphasized the spirit of fellowship of and duty. A communion ceremony was specially designed to encourage an outlook of equality among all in the faith. After the Amrit ceremony all who are baptized in Sikh style partake of cooking of consecrated flow, purified butter and sugar - known as Karah Parsaad and thus set themselves free from meaning less restriction between man and man. It is obvious that the langar serves a dual purpose. It is a symbol of Sikh recognition of equality among all people, to whatever caste, creed, color, nationality of religion that may belong. it also helps the Sikhs to put into practice the spirit of social service.

Guru Angad Dev  wife also contributed a great to serve Langar. The couple had a son Dasu and daughter Amro by the time they met Guru Nanak. Later on they had another daughter Anokhi, and a second son, Datu. Khivi heard about Guru Nanak from her friend Mai Bihari. Lehna overheard the hymn of Japji composed by Guru Nanak. The couple became interested in meeting Guru Nanak. They stopped over to meet the Guru while on a pilgrimage to worship Durga. Impressed by all they saw and heard the couple and their two children ended up staying with Guru Nanak and devoted themselves to the Guru's service.  Khivi became very involved in organizing, providing and serving meals to whomever came to see Guru Nanak. Her husband Lehna was an ardent devotee of Guru Nanak who named him Angad Dev and appointed him to succeed as second Guru. In her role as the Guru's wife, Mata Khivi carried on making sure only the best and tastiest foods were served from the Guru's kitchen. After her husband's demise she served with Guru Amar Das and helped him to establish langar as a permanent institution in Sikhism. She continued to be active in the langar for the remainder of her life serving along side both Guru Raam Das and Guru Arjun Dev.

Mata Khivi is revered in the Guru Granth Sahib for her selfless devotion and service in the guru's communal free kitchen. She lovingly and impartially gave comfort with her own hands in sustenance of langar, providing nourishment for both body and soul. The minstrels Sata & Balvand wrote:

Balvandd kheevee nek jan jis bahutee chhaao patraalee||
Balwan declares that Khivi is a noble wife who provides to all the soothing shade of her leaves.

Langar doulat vanddee-ai ras anmrit kheer ghiaalee||
From her kitchen, she distributes the wealth of ambrosial nectar in her rice pudding made with ghee. SGGS-967

Guru Angad Dev wife Mata Khivi looked after its arrangements and personally served in the preparation and distribution of food. She always served a sweet dish of rice-milk (khir), the coveted food of Panjab is. The Guru's two minstrels, Satta and Balwand, have thus praised her:

Baiwand Kitivi nek jan jis bahuti chhaon patiali,

Langar daulat wandiai ras amrit khir ghiali.

[Says Balwand, Khivi was a noble person who offered great help and. distributed in the langar riches like ambrosial preparation of sugar-cane juice, rice and milk all boiled together as well as ghee or clarified butter.]

Bhai Gurdas recapitulates the everyday duties of a Sikh thus: A Sikh is to rise from his bed in the last watch of the night and take his bath. He should then repeat the Name in silence and absolute concentration as instructed by the Guru. His next duty is to go to the Sangat and there, steeped in true reverence, recite and listen to the holy hymns. And before partaking of his food, he should distribute a part of it to others. At dusk he is enjoined upon to recite the Sodar and before retiring the Sohila Sahib

By the time of accession, the institution of kirtan, sangat and pangat had taken firm rooms. Guru Amar Das took decisive steps to further consolidate the Sikh movement. Guru Amar Das further improved the quality of food served in Guru-ka-Langar which now included choicest food and dainty dishes (though he himself partook only saltless rice, lentils and curd). He also made partaking of food in Guru-ka-Langar compulsory  for anyone wishing to see him.  The principle of Guru-ka-Langar is so important that even when the ruler of India Emperor Akbar visited Guru Amar Das Ji, he too had to first sit in pangat lined up with commoners sharing simple foods cooked by Sikhs who months before may have been from any of India's castes. Anyone had to take Langar before he was allowed to meet with the Guru. Hence the mighty Emperor who was usually served elaborate dishes with complicate sauces, all of which had to be first tasted to assure he was not poisoned sat amongst people formerly of all castes and religions, which outside of the Sikh Langer people of differing religions would not even drink water from those of another religions' well. Or take food cooked by other of a differing religions hands.

The Langar started by Guru Nanak was truely a revolutionary idea. Akbar was so impressed by the Langar and the service that it shared to people of any religion, that he offered a great jagir (a sizeable estate with several villages and the right to the products and produce produced by the tenants) as a contribution to the langar' maintainance. As the Mahima Prakash records, the Emperor refused to step on the silks spread out for him by his servants when going to call on the Guru. He turned aside the lining with his own hands and walked to the Guru’s presence barefoot. The Guru would not accept the Emperor's offer of the jagir, so Akbar offered it as a wedding present for the Guru's daughter. It is believed that the gifted land, is today, the city of Amritsar.  A Sikh has thus been given a simple holy routine for daily practice. He has been asked to cultivate a certain discipline. A true Sikh has to be unceasing in his devotion for the Guru and service to the Sangat. Sangat is also called Satsangat (congregation of true ones) or Sadh sangat (the congregation of the saints). The sangats played a significant role in the development and the success of Sikh missionary work. The Sikh belief is that the Guru lives in the sangat. The guild of devotees represents the Guru and can guide the community for various purposes. Those who join the sangat learn to serve the people and in the company of the true ones disciples get lesson of Love for the Holy Name. "In holy company we become true and develop love for the word".

    When a Sikh joins the sangat, he comes in contact with noble people. He feels a great change in himself. It helps him to remove his egotism, angularities and eccentricities. He learns to work in c co-operative and democratic set-up and by doing so his sense of selfishness vanishes. In sangat all disciples are equal. They pray together and share meals with each other. They get pleasure in offering voluntary service for community development and social welfare. The Sikh Gurus established sangats at different places and the members of these sangats dug wells for the benefit of the masses, built rest-houses and looked after the needs of the poor and the disabled. Through these sangats service was done not just to the Sikhs but also to the members of other communities. The Sikh Gurus established Dharamshalas. Such places of worship and shelter catered to the needs of pilgrims, visitors and the homeless. These were Langars with such hospices where religion was preached in a practical manner. The Sikh concept of charity or philanthropy is a widely social concept. Charity or Dan in the Sikh religion is not merely "giving alms". It rather stands for service. The exhortation of Dan was meant to create an economic agency, which through offerings made to the Gurus, served to keep the Sikh Langars alive. Later on, it crystallized into the institution of Daswandh (tithe) and the Gurus established Masands for its collection.

As the faith gradually grew and gained popularity a situation arose when it became necessary to organize the Sangats and provide the Sikhs with convenient local centers. It was to meet this necessity that the Manji-system was reorganized during the days of Guru Amar Das. He divided the 'Sikh spiritual empire' into 22 manjis. Manjis literally means 'couches' on which the Gurus sat and issued instructions on their audiences. These manjis organized the Sikh sangats and as the Sangats multiplied steadily so grew the Guru-ka-Langar, a free community kitchen, which is an essential part of every Sikh Gurdwara or the Sikh temple. The Masands, together with the Sangats forward the pivot of the organization during the time of Guru Arjan and for several decades had creditably served the cause of Sikhism. The well-knit organization of the Sangats and the Masands not only kept the Sikhs together and in touch with the Guru, but also provided them with funds necessary for the various kitchens at different places and for other common purposes.

   'Man lives by bread, but not by bread alone. And he lives not just for bread, there is some higher and nobler aim to live for.' This is what a devout Sikh feels. The Sikh Gurus combined worship and bread. A Sikh Temple is the 'Temple of worship and Prayer', and the Langar attached to it is the 'Temple of Bread'. In the Common Kitchen people who come to eat together sit in Pangats. This is the arrangement for feeding the people in Guru-Ka-Langar since its inception. Pangat-system was popularized by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of Sikhs. Pangat in the community mess gives practical training in discipline of service. Disciples of the Guru not only sit together in congregation to pray together but also sit in the Langar to share the food. Both these are important part of the Sikh Religion.   Probably the most largely attended community meal in the whole world is the Langar of the Sikhs. When the Sikh people celebrate the birthday of a Guru, or a death anniversary of a martyr, free meals are provided for all who participate in the celebrations. In such mass meals not only the Sikhs but members of other communities so often join to share the food in the name of the Guru. Normally there is a dining hall with every Sikh Gurdwara which is of great importance. Suitable space and proper arrangement for the pantry, the kitchen for the cooking are essential for a langar. Supply of water, vegetables, lentils, milk, sugar and ghee (purified butter) and other amenities are to be ensured first to run a langar smoothly. The maintenance of the langar is the responsibility of the community.  The concepts of Sangat and Pangat are two of the most important and significant aspects of Guru Nanak`s teachings of Sikh faith. He successfully used these two aspects to spread his idealism among his disciples and also to establish his athoughts effectively. He mainly used Sangat and Pangat to establish his thought of One God and equality of all the human beings, something that was almost unthinkable in his period of time

When Guru Hargobind settled at Kiratpur, Langar continued to exist there. Mohsin Fani, who lived at Kiratpur during the last phase of Guru's life, mentions an incident. One of the Guru's disciples was Jhanda, a rich man. One day the Guru asked his Sikhs to fetch fuel wood from the jungle for Guru-ka-langar. Jhanda used to wait on the Guru daily. On this occasion he remained absent for two days. The Guru sent men to inquire about him. He was not found at home. A search was made in the neighbourhood. He was seen coming from a jungle with a bundle of firewood on his back. Hargobind remonstrated with hirn for having undertaken such a menial job. He replied that the Guru had asked his Sikhs to fetch wood. He was a Sikli and therefore went to the jungi'e. As he was not accustomed to break wood, it took him time to collect it.

The seventh Guru, Har Rai, preserved the tradition at Nahan where he lived for twelve long years. It was maintained during the time of Guru Har Krishan. As Guru Tegh Bahadur remained mostly on the move, a mobile langar followed him.

Guru Gobind Singh not only maintained his own langar, but insisted on others to do so. One day in disguise he called at the langars of his notable and rich disciples rather at odd hours. He found most of them unwilling to receive him before time. Bhai Nandlal, however, served him as best as he could. The following day he narrated his experience in a durbar and advised them to offer something to eat to visitors even at irregular times. The Guru continued "There is nothing equal to the bestowal of food. Blest is the man who giveth to the really hungry. Let no one fix a time for the exercise of this virtue. It is not necessary to consider whether it is night or day, evening or morning, whether the moon is dark or full, or if there is a particular anniversary. Nor is it necessary to consider what the social position of the applicant may be. Avoid all delay in such a matter. Charity is of all gifts the

Guru Gobind Singh Ji says: “ May the kitchen and the Sword prevail in the World”. “Deg Teg Jag maih Dou Chleh!” Deg and Teg are Persian words, meaning the kettle and the sword respectively. Deg literally means a cooking -pot. It symbolically stands for the free kitchen or Langar; whereas Teg is the sword represents dignity and power. Deg to feed the poor and the stanger, regardless of caste and religion; and “Tag” the Sword, to destroy the oppressor of humanity and protect the oppressed. Hence Deg and Teg are symbols of service and power. Many of the Sikhs started their own Langars at Anandpur. One day, Guru Gobind Singh went out incognito on an inspection of Langars. He found out that Bhai Nand Lal maintained the Langar well, while others were indifferent to the needs of poor. He warned them and remarked, “The mouths of the poor are Guru’s receptacles of gifts”.

Once Guru Gobind Singh, disguised as an ordinary pilgrim, made a surprise check of the langars at Anandpur. He discovered that Bhai Nand Lal’s langar was the best maintained (he had been turned away at several other Langars, where he was told to come back when the food was ready), but at Bhai Nand Lal's he had been served even though the Langar was not yet ready with the usual meal. He complimented him and asked others to emulate his standards of dedication and service. One of Guru Gobind Singh’s commandments was that a Sikh visiting another Sikh’s door must be served food, without hesitation or delay. Another of his sayings ran: “Gharib da munh guru ki golak hai — to feed a hungry mouth is to feed the Guru.” This spirit of common sharing and of mutual co-operation and service was the underlying principle of the Sikh tradition of langar.

An Ardas(prayer) is performed asking the Guru Granth Sahib to accept the Karah Parsad (4), food and bless the sevadars who prepared it and bless those that eat from the Langar. When recite the Ardas it is ask Guru to bless the Prasad and the Langar. Langar don’t cut with a knife; it is cut with a Kirpan ( A dagger, sword or sheath knife with one cutting edge). The root word of kirpan is Kripa, which means grace. Langar and prasad touch with the kripan, thereby passing Guru’s Grace into it. Steel is a conductor of energy. Further, the energy of the steel also transfers to the Langar and parsad, giving it that extra strength, tempered by the sweetness of the Anand. The blade is sharpened steel to give us the sharp edge of discrimination so that we can act wisely. We cover the Langar and Prasad to protect it. All the colors, or vibrations, the head must be covered and shoes removed in this hall, the Langar should be served on the floor with the sangat sitting cross-legged.

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