People passing the Wellesley Street on Saturday, June 24, just opposite to the Skycity Hotel in Auckland CBD were delighted with the view of the small stall that read ‘Langar’ Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen for the people.
On enquiry, one of the sevakdaars (volunteers) serving rice and lentils to a visitor humbly requests to wait for a while as a queue of people is waiting to be served.
Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen, a free food service for the homeless and the needy has gained quite a momentum as they serve 350-400 in the CBD once a month.
“The food is cooked in New Lynn Gurudwara and we are proud to serve the people passing by. We believe feeding the hungry, irrespective of their faith, belief, status is one of the best ways to serve humanity,” a sevakdaar said, who insisted on being called so and not by his name.
The Free Kitchen initiative started in April 2017 and operates from a stall in the CBD area every last Saturday of the month. The place can house 25-30 people at a time and the footfall increases during lunch time.
The ambience at the food stall amidst the chaotic and busy CBD roads packed with cars was quite similar to that of a Langar hall in a Gurudwara. The place resonated with slow and low volume Kirtan played in the background for the people to make them feel relaxed. Two sevakdaars served food from the front, a few arranged the plates, water cans, tidied the tables while another person served tea to the visitors.
Running a free Langar in the middle of the city not just feeds the homeless but also makes them feel comfortable and spreads the message of the Sikh religion, such spreading love and rendering service to humanity.
“We have received a lot of appreciation for this work and people even come and sit with us volunteers asking more about Sikhism and its teachings. We look forward to expanding this service to South and West Auckland shortly,” another sevakdaar at the stall said.