Greetings!
Today, we visited the Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple. Our guide, Girish, explained the history of Sikhs in India, and prepared us for participating in the lunch presentation in the facility adjacent to the temple. One of the many -isms, Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that originated in the Punjab region of India in the late 15th century, and is currently practiced by tens of millions of people around the world.
Arriving, becoming barefoot, and donning scarves, we entered the large kitchen and dining room provided by the temple. Between 30,000 and 60,000 residents are fed each day by the volunteers, who also provide the food.
To those sitting on the floor of a great auditorium, 500-600 in each 15-minute session, we were allowed to join the many servers who passed out trays, spoons, and ladled soup, bread, and side dishes. Skills, experience, and confidence weren't the valued prerequisites. Only a caring heart, and a willingness to pitch in where needed.
Afterward, we toured the kitchen and got to see the production, sterilization, and storage of all that went into the operation. Sooner than could be believed, the next shift of participants entered the hall, and the feeding began again.
The temple itself sits next door, and photos of the grounds only are possible. The same sharing and generosity which permeated the dining hall spilled into the temple. We found everyone genuinely open and interested in our presence.
We returned to our hotel for lunch, and then set out for the nearby Lodhi Garden. The
Lodhi Dynasty, a confederacy of Afgan and Turkish chiefs in the mid-15th century, maintained control over India until losing it to the Mughals a century later. The Lodi Gardens contains tombs to several in the Dynasty, in addition to the tomb of at least one of their successor Mughal leaders.
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