Amid Cash Crunch, Langars At Delhi Gurudwaras Witness Big Jump In Visitors

Gurudwaras offering Langar see sharp increase in visitors after the cash crunch.

35-year-old Rajesh Sharma, a migrant worker from Bihar, has been coming to Bangla Sahib, the largest Gurudwara in Delhi, for a week now, since the day he reached the city in search of a job.

"All I do is stand in the bank queues," Mr Sharma said adding, "I come to the Gurudwara to eat in the Langar (community kitchen)".

After the notes ban, the city's gurudwaras have witnesses increased in footfall, courtesy free meals at all time to people from all walks of life.

The 'Langar' or community kitchen at Bangla Sahib feeds over 50,000 people every day. Ever since the note can, the management says, the number of visitors to the Langar has gone up by about 50 per cent.

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"Earlier where 50,000 people would eat (at the Langar) now over 1 lakh people are eating here per day", said Avatar Singh, assistant manager at Bangla Sahib.

Manjeet Singh GK, President of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee says a series of steps were being taken by gurudwaras across the city to deal with the increased footfall of people.

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"We have increased the timing of the Langar, the quantity of the Langar; earlier we would use roughly 10 sacks of wheat to prepare the Langar now that has nearly double to about 20 sacks. We not only feed people in the Gurudwara, we also send food and water to those queueing up in banks located close to our Gurudwara", he said.

"As the visitors have increased we prepare more food for them", said Harmesh Singh, the kitchen-in-charge at Gurudwara Rakabganj.

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"The Gurudwara ensures that as employees we have no problem in getting cash. A bank official comes with a swipe machine to allow us to swipe and get Rs 2,000 at a time so that we don't have to stand in bank queues. If we stand in the queues who will look after the Langar preparations?" he said.